phone link broke, existing mobile device missing in settings>mobile device, add device button does nothing, phone link says it's unable to connect my devices, says to reset app in settings but app is missing in the apps section of windows settings

Since reinstalling only worked until the next restart, the most likely issue is stale local Phone Link state on the PC.

Try this in order:

1. Reset Phone Link from App settings
   • Press Start, search for Phone Link.
   • Right-click Phone Link > App settings.
   • Select Terminate, then Reset.
   • Restart the PC.
2. Relink the Android device from inside Phone Link
   • Open Phone Link.
   • Go to Settings > Devices > Add new device.
   • On the Android phone, open Link to Windows.
   • Under Linked Account, select the Microsoft account > Account Settings > Sign out and unlink account > confirm Unlink.
   • Pair the phone again by following the on-screen steps.
3. If Phone Link shows a QR reconnection prompt
   • On the PC, open Phone Link > Settings > General and check for updates.
   • On the phone, open Link to Windows > Settings > About Link to Windows > Check for updates.
   • Then scan the QR code shown in Phone Link with the phone camera and complete the relink process.
   • If needed, select the refresh button next to the connection status in Phone Link.
4. Check the common connection blockers again after relinking
   • Confirm both apps use the same Microsoft account.
   • Make sure Battery saver is off on both PC and phone.
   • Make sure both devices have an active Wi‑Fi connection.
   • On Android, turn off battery optimization for Link to Windows:
     • Settings > Apps & notifications > App info > Link to Windows > Advanced > Battery > Manage Battery Usage > Battery optimization > Link to Windows > Don't optimize
   • On the PC, make sure Phone Link can run in the background:
     • Start > Settings > Privacy > Background apps > enable Phone Link
   • On the PC, check Start > Settings > System > Shared experiences. If Fix now appears under Accounts, complete it.
   • On Android, verify notifications are enabled for Link to Windows and Do not disturb is Off.
5. If the phone and PC are on the same Wi‑Fi but still cannot connect
   • Check the router for Wireless Isolation or AP Isolation.
   • Disable it under Wireless > Advanced Wireless Setting if present.
6. If the app still breaks again after restart
   • Use Start > search Phone Link > right-click > App settings even if it does not appear in the normal Apps list.
   • Run Repair first, then Reset.
   • If that still fails, uninstall and reinstall again, then relink the device immediately after reinstall.

Note: Resetting or unlinking clears Phone Link’s local app state and can remove synced content shown in the app until the device is linked again.

References

• Troubleshooting the Phone Link
• Troubleshooting the Phone Link
• Troubleshooting the Phone Link
• Troubleshooting setup for the Phone Link
• Troubleshooting the Phone Link
• Phone Link will not start anymore - Microsoft Q&A