I can not see any messages on my computer

Liz Creme 0 Reputation points
2026-09-03T18:24:10.7166667+00:00

I have phone link on my phone and laptop but it says it is offline, and despite attempting to reset or connect my phone again- it still says offline

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Connect Phone and PC
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  1. Clary-N 15,730 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-04T01:17:11.99+00:00

    Hi Liz Creme,

    I’m sorry to hear that Phone Link is still showing your phone as offline. Please first work through the guidance in the AI Answer and let me know how it goes.

    If the issue continues, please try these additional checks:

    1. On your phone, open Settings > Apps > Link to Windows > Permissions and confirm that SMS, Contacts, Phone and Storage access is allowed.
    2. If you use Android, open Link to Windows > Settings and enable Sync over mobile data, then test the connection again. Please be aware that this may use your mobile-data allowance.
    3. Temporarily disable or sign out of other phone-linking applications, such as Intel Unison or manufacturer-provided screen-mirroring software, because another linking application may interfere with the connection.
    4. If you use a third-party messaging app, temporarily set your phone’s built-in SMS app as the default and check whether regular SMS messages appear.

    I hope this helps restore the connection. Please also share your phone model, whether it is Android or iPhone and the Windows version shown by winver. This will help me narrow down the next step.

    If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-03T18:24:36.7433333+00:00

    Try this end-to-end checklist for Phone Link showing offline and not syncing messages:

    1. Confirm the basics on both devices
      • Make sure both devices are signed in with the same Microsoft account in Phone Link and Link to Windows.
      • Make sure both devices are turned on and connected to the internet.
      • Turn Battery saver Off on both the PC and the phone.
      • On the phone, make sure Airplane mode is Off.
    2. Check Wi‑Fi and network conditions
      • For the most reliable connection, connect the phone and PC to the same Wi‑Fi network.
      • If the router has Wireless Isolation / AP Isolation enabled, devices on the same Wi‑Fi may not be able to talk to each other. In the router settings, look for Wireless > Advanced Wireless Setting and turn AP Isolation off.
      • If a VPN, firewall, public Wi‑Fi, or work network is in use, it may block the connection.
    3. Turn off battery optimization for Link to Windows on Android
      • Go to Android Settings > Apps & notifications > App info > Link to Windows > Advanced > Battery > Manage Battery Usage > Battery optimization.
      • Find Link to Windows and select Don’t optimize.
      • On some devices: Android Settings > Apps > Link to Windows > Battery > Optimize battery usage > All > Link to Windows > Off.
    4. Check Windows settings on the PC
      • Go to Start > Settings > Privacy > Background apps and make sure Phone Link can run in the background.
      • Go to Start > Settings > System > Shared experiences. If Fix now appears under Accounts, select it and complete the prompts.
    5. Check Android notification settings
      • Go to Settings > Apps or Apps & notifications > Link to Windows and make sure notifications are enabled.
      • Go to Settings > Sounds or Sounds & Vibration / Sounds & Notifications and make sure Do not disturb is Off.
    6. Update both apps
      • In Phone Link on the PC, open Settings > About > Check for updates.
      • In Link to Windows on Android, go to Settings > Check for updates or Details > “…” (More) > About Link to Windows.
    7. Unlink and pair again
      • On Android: open Link to Windows, select the Microsoft account under Linked Account, then go to Account Settings > Sign out and unlink account, and confirm Unlink.
      • On the PC: open Phone Link > Settings > Devices > Add new device and complete pairing again.
      • If needed, restart Phone Link on the PC after re-pairing.
    8. Reset Phone Link on Windows
      • Search for Phone Link from the taskbar search.
      • Right-click it and select App settings.
      • Scroll down and select Reset.
      • After reset completes, restart the PC, open Phone Link, and connect the phone again.
    9. If messages are still missing after reconnecting
      • Phone Link supports regular SMS/MMS as expected.
      • If the phone uses a third-party messaging app as the primary messaging platform, some or all messages may not appear in Phone Link.
      • Slow network connections can also delay message sending or syncing.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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