Phone Link requirements and setup

System requirements

The Phone Link experience starts on your Windows PC and the Phone Link . From your PC, you can connect to select Android, Samsung, HONOR, OPPO, ASUS, and vivo devices with the Link to Windows app that's either preinstalled on your device or that you can download from the Google Play or Samsung Galaxy Store.

This link between your Android device and PC gives you instant access to everything you love. Read and reply to text messages with ease, view recent photos from your Android device, use your favorite mobile apps, make and receive calls, and manage your Android device’s notifications right on your PC.

The Phone Link  requires the following to work:

• A PC running Windows 10 (with the May 2019 Update or later) or Windows 11.

• An Android device running Android 8.0 or later. For the best compatibility and performance, we highly recommend using Android 10 or newer.

• Your phone and your PC both need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

We recommend always having the latest version of Windows installed to make sure you get the best experience with the Phone Link . 

How to link your devices starting from Phone Link 

Make sure to have both your PC and Android device nearby, turned on, and connected to the same Wi-Fi network. 

How to install Phone Link if it's not already installed on your PC

Phone Link will be available by default on most PCs running Windows 10 or Windows 11. If it is not installed, you can install it through the Settings on your PC. After installation, your Phone Link will receive regular updates.

To install it on your Windows 10 PC:

• Open Settings on your PC

• Search for Phone Link

• Select Enable or disable Phone Link

• Turn on the toggle for Turn on Phone Link

• A pop-up window will appear, prompting you to click on Install to add Phone Link to your PC.

To install it on your Windows 11 PC:

• Open Settings on your PC

• Search for Phone Link

• Select Enable or disable Phone Link

• Turn on the toggle for  Phone Link

• A pop-up window will appear, prompting you to click on Install to add Phone Link to your PC.

Following these steps will ensure that Phone Link is successfully installed on your PC.

Linking your phone during PC setup or pairing in Phone Link  starting with your Microsoft account

During PC setup:

When linking your phone during PC setup, the Microsoft account you used while setting up your PC will be used for signing into your linked phone during the pairing process.

The Microsoft account you used while setting up your PC will be transferred to your linked phone during the pairing process. 

During pairing in Phone Link :

When linking in Phone Link  the Microsoft account you select will be used for signing into your linked phone during the pairing process. 

The Microsoft account you select will be transferred to your linked phone during the pairing process. 

During both:

When you complete the pairing of your phone to your Microsoft account, you will be able to access your phone when you are using Microsoft products and services. 

Your Microsoft account credentials will be transferred to your phone for seamless access to your contents when you give permission to link your phone to your PC.

Use your favorite apps, respond to texts, make calls, view photos, and more in the Phone Link  . After approving permissions to allow access to your phone, you can use your favorite apps, respond to texts, make calls, view photos, and more on your Windows PC. If you allow syncing contacts from your phone with your Microsoft account, you can enjoy seamless access to your phone-synced contact data on other Microsoft apps and services.

Learn more about privacy under Microsoft Privacy Statement.

How to link your mobile device to your Microsoft account

1. Open Link to Windows app on your mobile device

2. You will have 2 options to sign in:

• 1. Sign in with your Microsoft account

• You will be prompted to Sign in with Microsoft account

• If you have an existing Microsoft account on your mobile device then you will be asked to confirm your account, then click Continue.

• If you don't have an existing Microsoft account on your mobile device then you will be asked to sign into your account or create a new one, then click Continue.

• 2. Scan the QR code

• Go to your PC, open Phone Link, start the linking from the PC, follow the instructions and the QR code will appear in Phone Link.

• Go back to your mobile device and scan the QR code from the  Link to Windows camera.

How to manage your mobile device on your PC

Now you can link and manage your mobile devices directly from your PC. This link between your Android device and PC provides instant access to your mobile device with just a few simple steps.

The following are required for this to work:

• A PC running Windows 11

• An Android devices running Android 8.0 or later. For the best compatibility and performance, we highly recommend using Android 10 or newer.

• Your Phone and your PC both need to be connected to Wi-Fi network.

Make sure to have both your PC and Android device nearby, turned on, and connected to Wi-Fi network. 

• Open Settings on your PC

• Go to Bluetooth & devices

• Scroll down to Mobile devices and click on it to open it

• Click on Manage devices

• Select Add device

• A popup window with QR code will appear on your PC screen

• Use your camera on your mobile devices to scan the QR code displayed on your PC.

• After scanning the QR code, you maybe asked for additional Android permission. These permissions allow you to access content from your mobile device on your PC. 

  Follow the prompts on your Android device and then select Done. Then return to your PC to engage with your content on the PC. 

How to pair your Android device to Phone Link if it is already linked to our Microsoft Account

Start from your PC:

1. In the search box on the taskbar, type Phone Link, and then select Phone Link from the results.

2. Select Android as your device.

3. You will be presented with a list of your linked Android devices under your Microsoft account. If no phones are linked, a QR code will be displayed for you to scan with your Android device and proceed with pairing your device to Phone Link

4. If you see a list of Android devices, choose the one you wish to pair with Phone Link to access your favorite apps, respond to texts, make calls, view photos, and more from your PC

5. Grant permissions on the Link to Windows app on your Android device

6. You are all set to use Phone Link.

How to link your select Samsung tablet to your Microsoft Account 

Make sure to have both your PC and tablet device nearby, turned on, and connected to a Wi-Fi network.  

1. Open Link to Windows app on your tablet

2. You will have 2 options to sign in:

• 1. Sign in with your Microsoft account:
  
  You will be prompted to Sign in with Microsoft account.

  If you have an existing Microsoft account on your mobile device then you will be asked to confirm your account, then click Continue. 

  If you don't have an existing Microsoft account on your mobile device then you will be asked to sign into your account or create a new one, then click Continue. 

• 2. Scan the QR code 

  Go to your PC, open Phone Link, start the linking from the PC, follow the instructions and the QR code will appear in Phone Link. 

  Go back to your mobile device and scan the QR code from the Link to Windows camera. 

Why do I need to grant permissions during linking my devices?

Android 13 introduces a runtime notification permission. This permission is needed for data transfer and notification sending between your devices.

Why can't I approve notifications on Phone Link ?

The Android 13 requirement is to approve your notifications on your Android device. You can do it during the pairing process or go to System Settings > Apps >  Link to Windows> Notifications on your Android devices and toggle on the permissions. 

Why do I need to give notifications permission?

Notification permission allows data transfer and notification sending between your devices, which lays the foundation for cross-device features. By giving permissions, you can use your Android device on your PC with phone photo management, notification management and App usage (where it is supported).

Use your mobile device's camera on your PC

You can now use your linked Android device's camera as a webcam for PC applications. 

How to setup Instant Hotspot?

Now you can connect to your phone’s mobile hotspot by adding it to your PC’s Wi-Fi menu. Instant Hotspot provides you with a convenient way of repeatedly connecting to your phone’s hotspot without having to provide a password every time.

System requirements

Microsoft Phone Link makes syncing your Windows PC to your iPhone® simple. To start, openPhone Link on your Windows 10 or 11 PC. Follow the instructions for pairing and permissions.

You can also download  Link to Windows  from the App Store on your iPhone®, but it is not required.

This link between your iPhone® and PC gives you instant access to many things you love. Read and reply to text messages with ease, make and receive calls, and manage your iPhone® notifications right on your PC.

How to link your devices 

First things first: make sure your PC and iPhone® are nearby and both have Bluetooth turned on.

If you start from your PC:

1. Find the Phone Link  in your Start menu. (You can also search for this)

2. Open the app. Under Pick your phone, select iPhone®. If this is greyed out, your PC’s Bluetooth may be turned off or is not yet available yet.

3. Follow the step-by-step pairing instructions.

4. Scan the QR code presented on your PC with your iPhone®'s default camera. This will initiate Bluetooth pairing.

5. Make sure you grant permissions on your iPhone® to sync your messages, notifications, and contacts to your PC. See below on how to do this.

After successfully pairing your device via Bluetooth, you will need to enable these three settings on your iPhone® in order to access all available features. Some features require multiple permissions in order to be fully functional.

• Share System notifications settings will grant access to your Notifications and Messages

• Show Notification settings will grant access to your Messages

Sync Contacts settings will give access to your Messages, Contacts, and Call History.

How to link your devices

Follow these steps to unpair your iPhone® from your Windows PC.

On your phone

Under Bluetooth, select the Information icon next to your PC’s name in the “My Devices” list, and select Forget this Device.

On your PC

Open Phone Link and open Settings. Under the My Devices tab, select the device you want to unlink with the Remove option.

Your devices should now be unpaired.

How to enable features in app

You can pick which features you want enabled in  Phone Link.

To do this, go to Settings and select the Features tab. It’s there you’ll find toggles for which features you grant permissions to.

Removing permissions will also disable the feature in the app.

How do I use and scan the QR code?

Make sure your PC and iPhone® are nearby and have Bluetooth turned on both.

A unique QR code is generated whenever you want to pair a new iPhone® device to your PC. Just use the camera on your iPhone® to scan it.

To pair additional devices, you can find the Link new device option under Settings > My Devices > Link new device

I scanned the QR code but the pairing failed, what can I do?

First, ensure Bluetooth is turned on both your Windows PC and your iPhone®. Also, make sure your PC and iPhone® are “discoverable” to each other.  

If pairing is still incomplete, you may have to reset Phone Link  on your PC and  Link to Windows  to get them in a fresh state.

1. Remove your iPhone® from your PC’s Bluetooth settings by going to Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Remove Device.

2. Remove your PC from your iPhone® Bluetooth settings by going to your Settings. Under Bluetooth, select the Information icon next to your PC’s name in the My Devices list, and select Forget this device.

3. On both your PC and iPhone®, turn Bluetooth off. Wait 10 seconds, then turn Bluetooth back on (on both devices.)

4. Select Try pairing again

If issues persist:

Open the Phone Link   and open Settings. Under Feedback & Community is a form you can use to describe your issues. Provide as much detail as you can.

You can also find this by searching “Feedback Hub” in your taskbar search field.

How to pair your iPhone again to Phone Link after it is removed from Windows Bluetooth Settings

If you remove your iPhone from Bluetooth settings in Windows, Phone Link will no longer sync your calls, messages, and notifications. To resume using your iPhone with Phone Link follow these steps before re-pairing:

1. Remove your PC from your iPhone's Bluetooth settings: go to Settings on your iPhone > Bluetooth > select your PC name > click on the information icon > select Forget This Device.

2. After removing your PC from your iPhone's Bluetooth settings, visit Phone Link to initiate the pairing process again.