Still experiencing problems with Phone Link. I have reported them, but no one responds

Dale Webb 15 Reputation points
2026-10-23T02:48:18.8133333+00:00

Has there been any movement on making phone link work the way it's SUPPOSED to?

Messages sent show up in CONVERSATION pane. Replies show up in NOTIFICATIONS pane, but not in CONVERSATION pane.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Apps
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Dale Webb 15 Reputation points
2026-11-04T01:10:12.6466667+00:00

Just wanted to tell everyone that toggling RCS OFF in Google Messages SEEMS to have cured at least MOST of the issues. Tiny toggle, big issues.

Thanks for the support.

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  1. Thomas4-N 23,140 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-28T07:23:18.7433333+00:00

    Hello Dale Webb,

    Thanks for reaching out. Phone Link handles notifications and message conversations separately, so replies appearing under Notifications does not necessarily mean the Messages feed is syncing correctly.

    Could you confirm:

    • Your phone make/model and Android or iOS version
    • Your default messaging app
    • Whether the missing replies are SMS/MMS, RCS, group messages, or all messages
    • Whether those replies appear normally in the conversation on the phone

    Since you already checked permissions and re-linked the devices, I do not want to repeat those same steps without first identifying the messaging configuration involved.

    You can also check out Microsoft’s current Phone Link messaging guidance: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/phonelink/troubleshooting-for-messages-in-the-phone-link

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-28T16:58:01.3433333+00:00

    There is no documented Windows 11 update that universally fixes this behavior; the next action depends on whether the linked phone is an iPhone or Android device.

    Phone Link’s Notifications feed operates independently from Messages/Conversations, so replies can continue appearing as notifications even when the conversation thread does not update.^1^

    If the linked phone is an iPhone

    This is largely a documented limitation rather than a repairable Windows setting:

    • Phone Link retains only messages sent and received through Phone Link while the iPhone remains connected by Bluetooth.
    • Messages sent directly from the iPhone do not appear in Phone Link.
    • Disconnecting Bluetooth removes the Phone Link message history.
    • Incoming group messages can appear as notifications, but group messaging is not supported in the Messages view.^2^^3^

    For the most consistent thread:

    1. Keep the iPhone and PC paired and connected through Bluetooth.
    2. Send and reply from Phone Link → Messages, rather than from the iPhone or the notification panel.
    3. On the iPhone, open Settings → Bluetooth → your PC → ⓘ.
    4. Enable Show Notifications and Sync Contacts.^4^

    Those permissions provide the available message access, but they do not add full iPhone conversation-history synchronization. Current Microsoft guidance still documents that limitation, so there is no published indication that it has been fully resolved.

    If the linked phone is Android

    The symptom indicates a Messages synchronization problem, not a notification-permission problem, because notifications are already arriving. Try these message-specific checks:

    1. On the PC, open Phone Link → Settings → Features → Messages.
    2. Turn on Allow this app to show text messages from my phone. Enable the MMS options too if affected conversations contain pictures or group/MMS traffic.^5^
    3. If a third-party messaging app is the phone’s default, test with ordinary SMS/MMS in the phone’s supported/default messaging app. Microsoft notes that third-party primary messaging apps can cause messages to be missing.
    4. If using RCS, note that Phone Link RCS support is limited to select Samsung devices and carrier networks, with Samsung Messages set as the default.^2^
    5. Check for a Phone Link update under Phone Link → Settings → About → Check for updates. Also check Link to Windows → Settings → Check for updates on the phone.^6^

    If synchronization still fails, perform the non-destructive soft reset first:

    1. Open Windows Settings → Bluetooth & devices.
    2. Toggle Phone Link off and back on.
    3. Select Open Phone Link and test the same conversation again.^7^

    A full reset/unlink is the final fallback because it removes the existing pairing and requires setup again.

    About the submitted report

    A Feedback Hub or Phone Link feedback submission is a bug report and diagnostic channel, not an individual support case with a guaranteed personal response. Since the report is already submitted, repeating it is unlikely to provide useful new information unless a later submission includes a reproducible example, Phone Link version, Windows build, phone model/OS version, and diagnostics.

    References

    1. Troubleshooting notifications in the Phone Link
    2. Troubleshooting for messages in the Phone Link
    3. [Android](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/apps/phonelink/send-and-receive-text-messages-from-your-pc#how-many-messages-can-i-see)
    4. [Android](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/apps/phonelink/setting-up-messages-in-the-phone-link)
    5. [Android](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/apps/phonelink/setting-up-messages-in-the-phone-link)
    6. Troubleshooting the Phone Link | Microsoft Support
    7. Reset your Android device and PC with the Phone Link | Microsoft Support
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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