Problems with Phone Link

Fran Spraetz 0 Reputation points
2026-09-19T13:50:20.85+00:00

I have been using phone link for a while and up until recently it's been great. If I am working on PC and phone is not nearby, I can answer texts on PC. Recently its been acting strange - I get a text, it shows up on the righthand side of screen - nice. When I answer from PC it also shows up on the righthand side - still good. BUT when the person responds, it now shows up under notifications!! Nothing appears on the thread on the righthand side???? What happened? The thread is fine on the phone but not on the PC.

Is anyone else having these issues? I have removed the phone and re-added it several times. Still not working right.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Connect Phone and PC
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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-19T13:50:36.8733333+00:00

    This can happen when Phone Link is partially connected: notifications still arrive, but message sync in the conversation view is not updating correctly.

    Since the phone has already been removed and re-added several times, use this sequence instead:

    1. Confirm both apps are updated.
      • On the PC, open Phone Link > Settings > About > Check for updates.
      • On the Android device, open Link to Windows > Settings > Check for updates or Details > “. . .” (More) > About Link to Windows.
    2. Verify the same Microsoft account is signed in on both devices.
    3. Check that Battery saver is off on both the PC and Android device.
      • Battery saver can interfere with sync and important app notifications.
    4. On the Android device, turn off battery optimization for Link to Windows.
      • 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.
    5. Make sure Phone Link can run in the background on the PC.
      • Go to Start > Settings > Privacy > Background apps.
      • Ensure Phone Link is enabled.
    6. Check Android notification access and Do Not Disturb.
      • Settings > Apps or Apps & Notification > Link to Windows: confirm notifications are enabled.
      • Settings > Sounds / Sounds & Vibration / Sounds & Notifications: confirm Do not disturb is Off.
    7. Reset the Phone Link app on Windows.
      • Search for Phone Link from the taskbar.
      • Right-click it and select App settings.
      • Select Reset.
      • Restart the PC, then open Phone Link and connect the phone again.
    8. If the device was previously connected and now reconnects incorrectly, fully unlink and relink it.
      • 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.
    9. If the issue continues, send feedback from Phone Link > Settings > Feedback & Community > Send feedback.

    The behavior described does not match normal message sync. If notifications appear but replies do not stay in the thread, the connection is active but the messaging portion is not syncing correctly, so reset and full unlink/relink are the supported next steps.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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