Phone link, stopped working,

Question

Phone link, stopped working,

James Bleecker 0

Trying to reconnect the current phone, and I tried to reset and repair, but it does not look for a phone it finds the current phone and just hangs when it tries to connect them together

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2 answers

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Answer 1

Vikki-T 13,230 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi James Bleecker,

I understand how inconvenient this is, especially since Phone Link still detects the existing phone but becomes stuck instead of completing the connection.

Since you have already tried both Repair and Reset, could you please confirm the following so we can narrow down where the connection is getting stuck?

Are you connecting an Android phone or an iPhone?
What exact status or message appears before Phone Link stops responding?
On the phone, does the companion app show the PC as connected, disconnected, or waiting to connect?
Did this begin after a Windows, Phone Link, or phone software update?
Are both devices signed in with the same Microsoft account?

If this is an Android phone, please also check whether Link to Windows still lists the old PC connection. If it does, sign out and unlink that connection, then open Phone Link > Settings > Devices > Add new device on the PC and start a fresh pairing from there.

Microsoft’s official connection guidance is available here: Troubleshooting the Phone Link

Please let me know the phone type and the exact connection status shown in Phone Link. That information will help distinguish an account or saved-device association issue from a network connection problem. Thank you so much for your understanding.

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James Bleecker 0 Reputation points

2026-10-27T15:22:37.42+00:00

android phone

It showed as disconnected

Disconnected

It's been working from the beginning until about three weeks ago, and then it just stopped

Yes both devices have been signed into the MS account
Vikki-T 13,230 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-28T12:13:58.8366667+00:00

Hi James Bleecker,

Thank you for confirming those details. Since you are using an Android phone, both devices are signed in with the same Microsoft account, and Phone Link shows the phone as Disconnected, the saved connection between Phone Link and Link to Windows may no longer be completing correctly.

Before pairing the devices again, please make sure that the PC and phone are connected to the same Wi-Fi network and that battery optimization is disabled for the Link to Windows app.

Then, on the Android phone, open Link to Windows, select the Microsoft account under Linked Account, and choose Account Settings > Sign out and unlink account. After removing the existing connection, open Phone Link on the PC and select Settings > Devices > Add new device to establish a fresh connection.

You can also refer to Microsoft’s official guide here: Troubleshooting the Phone Link

As Repair and Reset have already been completed, a full unlink and fresh pairing would be the most relevant next step.
Vikki-T 13,230 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-29T10:22:02.5666667+00:00

Hi James Bleecker,

Is there any update from you?

If yes, please feel free to let me know

Answer 2

Since reset and repair were already tried, use a full unlink and relink sequence.

On the Android phone, open Link to Windows.
- Select the Microsoft account under Linked Account.
- Go to Account Settings > Sign out and unlink account.
- Confirm Unlink.
On the PC, open Phone Link.
- Go to Settings > Devices > Add new device.
- Start the pairing flow again.
If Phone Link shows the current phone and hangs while connecting, first confirm both apps are fully updated.
- On Android: Link to Windows > Settings > About Link to Windows > Check for updates.
- On PC: Phone Link > Settings > General > expand the version area > Check for updates.
If a QR code reconnect prompt appears, scan the QR code from the PC with the phone camera and complete the prompts on both devices. If needed, select the refresh button next to the connection status in Phone Link.
Check the common connection blockers:
- Same Microsoft account signed in on both devices.
- Both devices have active Wi-Fi.
- Battery saver is off on both devices.
- On Android, turn off battery optimization for Link to Windows.
- On Android, make sure Do not disturb is off.
- On PC, make sure Phone Link is allowed to run in the background: Start > Settings > Privacy > Background apps.
- On PC, check Start > Settings > System > Shared experiences and select Fix now if shown.
If both devices are on the same Wi-Fi but still cannot connect, check the router for Wireless Isolation or AP Isolation and disable it under advanced wireless settings. This setting can block devices on the same network from communicating.
If it still hangs, do the full app reset on both devices:
- On Android: Settings > Apps > Link to Windows > Force Stop.
- On PC, go to https://accounts.microsoft.com/devices/android-ios, unlink the phone from the connected devices list.
- Then go to Start > Settings > Phone > Unlink this PC.
- Then go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Phone Link > Advanced options > Reset.
- Open Phone Link again and complete setup as a new link.

If code matching was attempted multiple times, close and reopen Phone Link on the PC and start setup again. After more than 3 failed code matches, the app can block linking and then switch to a permissions-based flow instead of code matching.

References: