Phone Link Not Syncing Deleted Texts and Photos with Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

This is not expected for photos, and it can also happen for messages because Phone Link can keep stale local data.

For photos:

1. In Phone Link on the PC, refresh the photos page.
2. If the deleted photo still appears, open Link to Windows on the Samsung phone and try deleting or rechecking from Phone Link again.
3. Make sure both apps are fully updated:
   • Phone Link on PC: Settings > About or Settings > General > Check for updates
   • Link to Windows on phone: Settings > Check for updates or Settings > About Link to Windows > Check for updates
4. Verify the phone and PC are both on, connected to the Internet, and preferably on the same trusted Wi‑Fi network. Also turn Battery saver off, because it can interfere with syncing.
5. In Phone Link on the PC, confirm the feature is enabled at Settings > Features > Photos and that Allow this app to show photos from my phone is turned on.
6. On Samsung, check that Link to Windows still has All files access: Settings > Apps > three-dot menu > Special access > All files access.

Important photo behavior:

• Phone Link shows only the 2,000 most recent photos and screenshots.
• It only shows images from the Camera Roll or Screenshots folders.
• If a deleted photo still appears, the documented cause is that the photo may already be deleted on the phone but has not refreshed yet in Phone Link.

For text messages:

• The provided documentation does not include a direct supported step to force Phone Link to remove deleted texts from its local view.
• A Microsoft Q&A accepted answer states Phone Link can keep a local cache of SMS/MMS it has already seen, which can leave “ghost” or hidden copies after the message was deleted on the phone before sync completed.
• That same accepted answer recommends these recovery steps:
  1. Reset Phone Link on the PC from Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Phone Link > Advanced options > Reset. This clears the local app cache on the PC.
  2. If needed, unlink and relink the phone.

If stale items remain after the checks above, relink the devices:

On the Samsung phone:

1. Open Link to Windows.
2. Tap the Microsoft account under Linked Account.
3. Go to Account Settings > Sign out and unlink account.
4. Confirm Unlink.

On the PC:

1. Open Phone Link.
2. Go to Settings > Devices.
3. Select Add new device.
4. Complete pairing again.

If Phone Link later shows that the linked device cannot be found, scan the QR code shown in Phone Link with the phone camera and complete relinking, then use the refresh button next to the connection status if needed.

• Troubleshooting photos in the Phone Link
• Phone Link requirements and setup
• Setting up photos in the Phone Link
• Troubleshooting the Phone Link
• Troubleshooting the Phone Link
• Troubleshooting the Phone Link
• How do I delete Hidden texts in Phone Link? - Microsoft Q&A