Phone Link won't show Notifications in Notification area

Aaron Spiezer 0 Reputation points
2026-10-26T18:32:38.49+00:00

I have a new computer. I am using Phone Link with my iPhone, just as I was on my old computer. Previously, when I visited a website that used two factor authorization, the code would appear in my notifications at the lower right of my screen, and I could click on it to automatically copy and then paste it into the website without having to enter the code manually. On my new computer, my notifications show up on the Phone Link screen, but they don't appear in the notification area even though I've set Settings-> Notifications to allow them, and I've done the same on the Bluetooth on my phone. I've repaired and even reset the program, but that hasn't changed anything. Is there something I'm missing?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Desktop, Start, and personalization | Desktop
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  1. Emma1-N 14,895 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-27T01:52:03.7133333+00:00

    Welcome Aaron Spiezer,

    Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand that notifications from your iPhone appear inside Phone Link, but they no longer appear as Windows notification pop-ups as they did on your previous computer.

    Does this happen with all iPhone notifications, or only verification-code messages? Also, are you using the latest version of Phone Link on the new PC?

    Please make sure you already tried the Q&A Assist steps. In addition, please try the following:

    1, Update Phone Link

    • Open Phone Link > Settings > About > Check for updates.
    • Install any available update and restart the PC.

    2, Check Phone Link background permission

    • Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps > System components > Phone Link > Advanced options.
    • Make sure the app is permitted to operate in the background if that option is available.

    3, Re-create the Bluetooth connection

    • Remove the PC from the iPhone Bluetooth devices.
    • Remove the iPhone from the PC's Bluetooth devices.
    • Pair the iPhone with Phone Link again.
    • On the iPhone, open Settings > Bluetooth, tap the information icon beside the PC, and make sure Show Notifications is enabled.

    After pairing again, leave Phone Link running and test with a new notification rather than an existing notification.

    Looking forward to your update.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-26T18:33:41.2033333+00:00

    Enable Phone Link’s two Windows notification presentation options—Show notification banners and Show notifications in notification center—because allowing Phone Link notifications globally does not necessarily enable either presentation surface.

    Configure the Windows banner

    1. Open Start > Settings > System > Notifications.
    2. Under Notifications from apps and other senders, select Phone Link.
    3. Turn on:
      • Notifications
      • Show notification banners
      • Show notifications in notification center
    4. Optionally set Priority of notifications to High.
    5. Press Windows key + N and ensure Do not disturb is off. If it turns on automatically, expand Turn on do not disturb automatically and review its rules. With Do Not Disturb enabled, most notifications go silently to Notification Center instead of appearing as banners.^1^

    Then send a new test message to the iPhone while the PC is unlocked. The expected result is a temporary banner at the lower-right and an entry under Windows key + N.

    In Phone Link > Settings, open its notification settings and verify that phone notifications have not been muted. From an existing notification, the … menu can mute that app or service; Go to settings opens Phone Link’s notification controls.^2^

    Microsoft documents Feed and Banner as a per-mobile-app choice, but the detailed procedure currently appears under the Android section of its support page—not the iOS section. Therefore, if that control is absent with your iPhone, do not treat its absence as a configuration fault. For iPhone, Microsoft documents notifications appearing on the PC when they exist in the iPhone Notification Center and have not been disabled for that app.^2^

    About copying verification codes

    Current Microsoft documentation confirms that sensitive data such as two-factor-authentication SMS can be visible in Phone Link when message permission is granted.^3^ However, it does not document a guaranteed one-click copy verification code action for current Phone Link/iPhone notification banners. Available actions depend on the notification type; message notifications officially support inline reply and marking as read.^2^

    Consequently:

    • If ordinary messages now produce banners but a particular verification code does not, the remaining difference is the notification’s content/action handling rather than the general Windows notification configuration.
    • If no Phone Link notification produces a banner after the settings above, report it through Feedback Hub with a newly received test notification, your Windows version, and Phone Link version. You have already repaired and reset Phone Link, so repeating those operations is unlikely to add useful diagnostic information.

    References

    1. [Windows 11](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/experience/notifications-and-do-not-disturb-in-windows#configure-notifications)
    2. [iOS](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/apps/view-and-manage-mobile-notifications-on-your-pc#what-can-i-do-with-the-notifications-i-receive)
    3. [Android](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/apps/phonelink/phone-link-requirements-and-setup#how-do-i-enable-location-sharing-permission)
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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