The grass isn't always greener on the other side.

Linking your Android phone to File Explorer does exactly what you’d expect: your smartphone files are listed within Windows File Explorer, seamlessly integrated alongside regular PC files, OneDrive, ...

You can plug in your phone, download an emulator, or install the Google Play Store to access Android apps on your computer. Some tinkering may be required.

Google Photos for Android is adding a rather convenient shortcut to access your local folders from anywhere in the app.