The Phone Link (formerly Your Phone) app enables users to integrate Android smartphones with Windows PCs. However, when it does not work then users cannot use that app. Some users have reported on the support forums that they needed to fix Phone Link not launching in Windows.
So, if your Phone Link app doesn’t open properly in Windows 11, try applying these possible resolutions to kick-start it.
1. Run Windows Store App Troubleshooter
The Windows Store App Troubleshooter exists to fix problems that prevent apps from starting properly. So, that troubleshooter might help some but not necessarily all users to fix phone link not working issue. Nevertheless, you should try it first when facing app problems.
2. Update the Phone Link App
Problems occur more regularly for older app versions. Therefore, users should ensure that they have the latest Phone Link version installed. You can update that app through Microsoft Store in the following steps.
3. Select reset and repair options of phone link
The Repair and Reset options have helped some users to fix Phone Link app not working issue. Those two troubleshooting options are available for almost all UWP apps in Settings. Therefore, select the reset option for the Phone Link app, as covered in our guide to reset apps in Windows 11/10. Also, click on the Repair button for the app just above its Reset option.
4. Make sure your phone is allowed to run in the background
Phone Link may not function fully if it is not allowed to run in the background. So, make sure you have background app permissions set to Always on for Phone Link. That way you can set that app to always run in the background via Settings.
5. Turn off Battery Saver Mode
Windows 11 has a Battery Saver mode for laptops that restricts background app activity when enabled. That feature may interfere with Phone Link running in the background, so disabling that mode could potentially fix Phone Link not working for some users. You can turn off battery-saver mode in Windows 11 by following these steps.
We also recommend keeping your laptop plugged in before attempting to launch Phone Link. This will ensure that the battery-saver mode doesn’t start automatically when the battery drops below 20 percent.
6. Enable Data Sharing Across Linked Devices
Phone Link is one such app that requires data sharing. Data sharing needs to be enabled for the linked devices for Phone Link to work. You can allow sharing across all devices for that app like this.
7. Shut down third-party anti-virus apps
If you have installed a third-party anti-virus utility on your PC, that software may be blocking the Phone Link app from syncing with your mobile device. It’s not entirely uncommon for anti-virus tools to prevent legitimate apps from starting properly by falsely identifying them as malware (otherwise known as false positives). That’s why many anti-virus apps include an exclusion list for the software.
To check if your anti-virus software is causing any phone link issues, temporarily disable its shield. You’ll probably find an option to turn off your anti-virus tool’s shield on its context menu. Click on the system tray icon of your anti-virus tool with the right mouse button to select an option to turn off its shield. Then check if Phone Link works better with your anti-virus turned off.
If this fixes the problem, add the phone link to your anti-virus app’s exclusion list. Alternatively, uninstall anti-virus software to make sure it can’t interfere with the app. Nice replacement for the pre-installed Windows Security app.
8. Reinstall Phone Link App
Reinstalling Phone Link will repair the files for that app if any are corrupted or missing. However, the uninstall option for Phone Link is usually grayed out in Settings. You’ll need to uninstall Phone Link with a PowerShell command instead. Uninstall and reinstall Phone Link in Windows 11 as follows.
Access your smartphone in Windows 11 with Phone Link
Phone Link is a good app for integrating mobile with Windows PC when it works. While not guaranteed, the potential solutions above will eliminate many of the reasons why Phone Link may not work in Windows. If those aren’t enough, try clearing the cache, enabling notifications, and disabling battery optimization on mobiles that include your Android Phone Link companion app.