Samsung Flow Now Lets You Unlock Windows 10 PCs With Your Phone, Tablet

Samsung launched its Flow app in 2015 with a feature similar to Apple's Continuity for iOS and OS X Yosemite, and the app is finally adding support for Windows Hello feature of Windows 10. This will enable compatible Samsung smartphones with fingerprint sensors to unlock Windows 10 PCs. The company earlier this year promised to bring the feature to its Samsung Flow app.

The company has listed compatible devices on Google Play that support the Samsung Flow app, namely, the Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy A5, Galaxy A7, and the Galaxy Tab S3. Samsung adds that Samsung phones running Android Marshmallow onwards will be compatible, and tablets running Android Nougat onwards.

With Samsung Flow app, users will be able to unlock their Windows 10 devices with the fingerprint scanner on their phones. Apart from the unlocking feature, the app will also allow users to act upon their notifications right from their Windows 10 PC or tablet. Samsung Flow, which works on similar lines as Apple's Continuity feature, further lets users resume their browsing sessions from one device on another and allows for easy transfer of files between the devices. The Samsung Flow app will be need to be installed on the Windows 10 device - the app can be found on the Windows Store.

Notably, the Samsung Flow app uses Bluetooth to show the device's availability and then makes use of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth (depending on whether both devices are in same network or not) to allow communication between the devices.

Windows users will have to make sure they are running Windows 10 Creators Update (or newer versions) to use the new Samsung Flow feature. Some of the Samsung Windows tablets which will benefit from the feature include the Galaxy TabPro S and Galaxy Book. The new feature will also be supported by the Galaxy Tab S3 running Android Nougat. Windows 10 users can download the Samsung Flow app on the Windows App Store.