Phone link, stopped working,

James Bleecker 0 Reputation points
2026-10-26T16:11:24.2066667+00:00

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

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

    2026-10-26T16:11:43.4733333+00:00

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

    1. 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.
    2. On the PC, open Phone Link.
      • Go to Settings > Devices > Add new device.
      • Start the pairing flow again.
    3. 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.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.
    6. 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.
    7. 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:

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

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  2. Vikki-T 13,230 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-27T08:55:57.67+00:00

    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.     

    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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