After the failure of the Windows mobile platform, Microsoft is trying to combine the mobile and desktop experience across different platforms by creating quality apps for both Android and iOS devices. It introduced a new Timeline, i.e. event synchronization feature, which follows the “pick up where you left off” principle. Let’s say you are reading a PDF on your Android device. You can continue reading this PDF on your Windows PC using event sync. Sounds good, right? While not perfect, it works fine if you set it up right. In this article, we will show you how to set up event sync in Windows so that you can enjoy a seamless experience across devices.
Set the Timeline Feature in Windows
Setting up the activity sync feature is pretty easy, just follow the steps and you’ll be done in no time.
1. Click the Task View button and scroll down.
2. Find “See more days on timeline” feature and Click Yes.
3. Now Sign in to your Microsoft Account.
4. After a successful login, Open Settings and click on Privacy.
5. “Event history” tab in the left pane.
6. Here, make sure that “Send my activity history to Microsoft” and “Show activities from these accounts” are enabled.
You’re done now. All your activities will appear under the Task View button. Note that you must be signed in to your Microsoft account on all devices to take advantage of the Timeline feature.
Setting the Timeline Feature on Non-Windows Devices
If you’re using a Mac or Chromebook, Install the Web Events extension (Free) In your Chrome browser. Also, sign in to your Microsoft account by clicking on the extension and you’re done. Here’s a snapshot of the PDF file I’m reading on my Chromebook. As you can see, it shows up in the timeline feature on my Windows PC.
If you are using Android then You will need to install Microsoft Launcher (Free) and set it as your default launcher. Also, install Microsoft Edge (Free) and use it as your default browser. Log into your Microsoft account and grant all permissions. You can now access the timeline in the left pane of the launcher. Here you can see all my Windows PC activities on my mobile.
Note: The Timeline feature on Android is still in beta, so sometimes events are not visible.
On iOS, there is no dedicated app to access the Timeline feature, but you can use Microsoft Edge on your iPhone. (Free) and all yours web activities will appear under the Task View button in Windows. It worked flawlessly in our tests. Here is a snapshot of a search query on iPhone appearing on Windows PC.
SEE ALSO: How to Stop Delaying Windows 10 Updates
Pick Up Where You Left Off with Windows Timeline
This is a great improvement over the Windows ecosystem. While event sync doesn’t deep link at the operating system level, Microsoft is doing its best to deliver a unified web experience. Windows users have long dreamed of continuity across platforms, and it looks like the future isn’t so far off. We love this feature and look forward to the next Windows update cycle that will make it even better. So what do you think about the Windows Timeline feature? Let us know in the comments section below.
