---
title: "Microsoft Found in Link to Windows Code: Smartphone Will Be Able to Shut Down and Restart a PC"
description: "Hidden commands for remotely shutting down, restarting, and putting a PC into sleep mode, as well as \"update and restart\" and \"update and shut down\" scenarios, have been found in the code of Link to Windows for Android."
date: 2026-08-27T09:14:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/microsoft-link-to-windows-remote-power-control-android-en
tags: [microsoft, windows-11, android, link-to-windows, phone-link, remote-control]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Microsoft Found in Link to Windows Code: Smartphone Will Be Able to Shut Down and Restart a PC

![Windows key on a keyboard in macro shot: symbol of the Microsoft ecosystem and the Link to Windows feature](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/27/microsoft-link-to-windows-remote-power-control-android/microsoft-link-to-windows-remote-power-control-android-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Hidden Shut down, Restart, and Sleep commands for remote PC power management have been discovered in the Link to Windows APK.
- Currently, the app can only lock the computer, so the discovered code indicates an expansion of functionality.
- Update and restart and Update and shut down scenarios are provided for use after installing patches.
- After sleep mode, the connection with the smartphone is broken, and it will be impossible to wake the PC remotely.

Hidden commands have been discovered in the source code of the Link to Windows app for Android, which in the future will allow users to remotely shut down, restart, and put a connected Windows 11 computer into sleep mode. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing data from Android Authority, which has been confirmed by several specialized publications. At the moment, the mobile companion Phone Link can only lock the computer, so the discovered code is seen as a hint at a significant expansion of functionality.

### What Exactly Was Found in the APK

When analyzing the source package (decompiling the APK) of the Link to Windows app, researchers identified a set of commands that are currently unavailable to end users. Right now, the app only allows you to remotely lock a connected computer, whereas the discovered code indicates that the system is ready to manage the PC's power directly from a smartphone. This means that the functionality is already built into the app's structure and will likely be activated in one of the upcoming updates.

### New Power Management Commands

Among the discovered algorithms are shut down (Shut down), restart (Restart), and putting the computer into sleep mode (Sleep). Before performing a shutdown or restart, the app sends notifications with a warning about the possible loss of unsaved work in open programs, and when the sleep option is selected, the user receives a separate special warning. This logic confirms that the commands are designed for real user scenarios and are not test placeholders.

### Integration with Windows Updates

Some commands provide for the "update and restart" (Update and restart) and "update and shut down" (Update and shut down) combinations. This logic is especially convenient in scenarios where the installation of system patches has been completed and the computer can be safely restarted or shut down without the need to physically approach it. This addresses a typical user need: waiting for the update to finish in order to properly shut down the machine.

### Sleep Mode Limitations

After the computer enters sleep mode, the connection between the smartphone and the PC is broken due to technical limitations. This means that it will be impossible to remotely wake the machine from sleep via the phone — physical access to the computer will be required. Users should keep this limitation in mind when planning their work scenarios so as not to be left without the ability to "wake" the PC remotely.

### Context: Microsoft's Unified AI Platform

Against the backdrop of the expansion of Link to Windows functionality, Microsoft is also merging the Copilot services for regular users, businesses, and educational institutions into a single universal platform. The updated app will become the single point of access to the company's AI technologies, suitable both for performing everyday personal tasks and for work processes in Word or Excel. Thus, Microsoft is steadily consolidating its scattered tools into a single ecosystem where mobile PC control and AI assistants work in tandem.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Microsoft Will Allow Shutting Down a PC from a Smartphone: Android Gets New Commands](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/microsoft-dozvolit-vimikati-pk-zi-smartfona-1787819040.html) - Первичное сообщение со ссылкой на Android Authority: в коде Link to Windows найдены команды отключения, перезагрузки и спящего режима.
- [Remote PC Power Management via Smartphone: Microsoft Expands Link to Windows](https://novosti.ua/tech/microsoft-dobavit-upravlenie-pitaniem-pk-cherez-android-v-link-to-windows) - Подтверждает расширение функционала Link to Windows и сценарии управления питанием через Android.
- [Windows 11 Will Allow Shutting Down and Remotely Restarting a PC from a Smartphone](https://overclockers.ru/blog/Global_Chronicles/show/262541/Windows-11-pozvolit-vykljuchat-i-perezagruzhat-PK-udalenno-so-smartfona) - Независимое подтверждение возможности удалённого выключения и перезагрузки ПК со смартфона.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What exactly was found in the Link to Windows code?
**A:** Upon decompiling the APK, hidden commands for shutting down (Shut down), restarting (Restart), and putting the PC into sleep mode (Sleep) were discovered, as well as the "update and restart" and "update and shut down" scenarios.

### Q: Can I shut down a PC through this app right now?
**A:** No, at the moment the app only allows you to remotely lock the computer. The discovered commands are not yet available to the user and indicate a future expansion of functionality.

### Q: Can I wake a PC from sleep mode from a smartphone?
**A:** No. After entering sleep mode, the connection between the phone and the computer is broken due to technical limitations, so it will be impossible to wake the PC from sleep remotely — physical access will be required.