While working on the PC managing incoming notifications on the smartphone can be a waste of time, luckily we can synchronize the two devices
What if we work on an Apple, Windows or Linux computer but we own an Android smartphone? Every time to read smartphone notifications we'll have to leave the PC, right? No, despite the incompatible operating systems, in fact, it is possible to synchronize notifications even on the desktop.
Not only can we read all the incoming notifications on the phone with Google operating system directly from our computer, but we can also customize the alerts to be shown according to our needs. For example, we'll be able to turn on WhatsApp messages, SMS, calls and emails, but not Facebook Messenger notifications. So that we don't get too distracted if we are working. Being able to do all of this is quite simple, and takes a few minutes at most. Also, as mentioned, it will be possible to read Android smartphone notifications from PC whether we use Windows, Linux or Mac.
On Windows 10
In the latest updates for Windows 10 Microsoft has included a new feature that allows you to sync incoming notifications from smartphones, including Android, and view them conveniently on the screen. First, we need to grab our phone and go to the Play Store. Here we'll have to look for the Cortana app, the personal assistant from Microsoft's home, and download it. The app is still in full development and isn't as efficient as on Windows computers, but it is very useful for mirroring notifications. Once the app is installed we'll have to enter our account, the same one used on Windows 10. At this point we just need to go to the app's settings and put a check mark on the item Notification Synchronization. By default we'll only be notified about missed calls and battery status but by clicking on Choose App to Sync, we'll be able to activate our favorite apps one by one, like WhatsApp, Instagram or email inboxes.
On Windows XP and 7
If we have older versions of the Microsoft operating system we can use other methods to sync phone notifications to the desktop. The easiest way is to use the Pushbullet app. Alternatively, the AirDroid app also lets us see messages and alerts on the PC, and also customize which apps to enable for mirroring. Considering that Pushbullet has both a paid and a free version, with fewer functions, the advice is to test, at least at first, AirDroid. Once you've installed the app, just go to Settings, look for Desktop Notifications and then check the Enable box. Then download AirDroid to your Windows XP or 7 PC and you're done.
On Mac
On Apple computers you can use the same AirDroid app to synchronize incoming notifications from your Android phone. This way, however, the messages won't arrive in the Mac's notification center and every time we have to retrieve them manually. In short, it's not the most convenient. A more efficient solution is the program Noti. The software brings back all the phone's alerts in the notification center and above all allows us to customize the messages to be read. First we have to go to the Play Store and download the Pushbullet app, Noti in fact will associate itself thanks to this application. Once the app is launched we enter our Google account and from the settings we enable notification mirroring. Here we can also choose which apps to activate in the notifications and which not. After that we take the Mac and download the software Noti. We go to settings and look for the Preferences item, here all we have to do is put a check mark on the Mirroring of notifications.
On Linux
In the case of Linux computers, finally, we have to download the KDE Connect program. After that we open the terminal and manually enter the following commands: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:vikoadi/ppa; sudo apt update; sudo apt install kdeconnect. At this point we take the Android smartphone and install the KDE Connect app on the phone. Once the app is downloaded we need to open it and enter our account. Then we go to settings and enable notification sync.