Troubleshoot Apps in the Phone Link

Where did Phone screen go?

You can open it by using the Open phone screen button above the apps list. This will mirror your phone screen the same way it did before, but it will be on a separate window from the Phone Link .

Apps provides an easier way to interact with all of the apps installed on your Android device by launching them directly.

I can't see my apps under my other Android or enterprise profile

The Phone Link currently doesn’t support multiple Android profiles or work accounts. Only apps on your default profile will display in the Phone Link . The Phone Link isn’t compatible with work or school accounts.

Wi-Fi troubleshooting

The Phone Link will work only when your Android device and PC can communicate with each other. They’ll both need to be turned on and connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

To troubleshoot your Wi-Fi connections, do the following:

1. Check if your phone is connected to mobile data by going to Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi and ensure that your Wi-Fi toggle is turned On and the status underneath your current network is Connected.

2. Check if your Android device is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your PC.

Start by checking your Android device's connection in Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi and note the name of the network under the current network heading.
On your PC go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi. Check that your PC Wi-Fi is turned On and the connected network is the same one as your Android device.

3. You may have two different Wi-Fi networks, such as one that uses the 2.4GHz band and the other 5GHz. If you click on your device's Wi-Fi icon you should be able to see these networks in the list. Try connecting to the same network on both devices.

4. Are you behind a firewall or using a VPN? If so, it could be blocking communication between your devices, you could try disabling these to see if this fixes the problem.

Public and work networks may cause connection issues

If you're attempting to use Apps in your workplace, a successful connection may not always be possible. In that event we’d recommend talking to your IT department or network administrator.

If you're connected to a public Wi-Fi network (like at a hotel or coffee shop), they may have network restrictions preventing you from being able to connect. Public networks may also slow down your experience or impact your screen quality, especially if you’re using multiple mobile apps at once.

Why am I getting a connection error?

If you see an error indicating your PC couldn't connect to your Android device, it could be for a variety of reasons. Here are few things to try:

On your Android device, check that:

It's turned on.
Battery Saver is turned Off.
Airplane mode is turned Off.
Your Android device and PC are connected to the same network or Wi-Fi.
You're signed into Link to Windows with the same Microsoft account as the one on your PC.

On your PC:

Check if your PC is connected to the internet.
Make sure Battery Saver is turned Off.
Check that your system accounts are working correctly. Go to Settings > System > Shared experiences. If there are no issues with your account, there will be a message on the screen letting you know things are working correctly. If there is an issue with your account, select Fix now to start resolving it.

If these steps didn't resolve the connection issue, continue troubleshooting below.

For some Android devices, your Battery Optimization settings may interrupt your connection. We recommend turning it off for the Link to Windows app. Here's how to turn it off :

Open Android Settings > Apps & notifications > App info > Link to Windows > Advanced > Battery > Manage Battery Usage > Battery optimization.
Scroll down to Link to Windows and select Don't optimize.

On some Android devices, the steps are as follows:

Open Android Settings > Apps > Link to Windows > Battery > Optimize battery usage.
Select All from the drop-down list, scroll to find Link to Windows, and turn the toggle Off.

Why am I seeing a "Something went wrong" error?

Usually this means your Android device and PC have lost the connection to each other. There are a few reasons why this may occur:

Your PC locked: Unlock your PC, then retry opening the app again.
Your Wi-Fi network is unavailable: Check your network status and address any issues.
Your Android device may be out of Wi-Fi range: Bring your Android device closer to your router and see if that improves the connection.
Your Android device is on airplane mode: Check that your Android device is on, connected to Wi-Fi, and nearby to reestablish the connection.

Why does an app show up as a black screen on my PC?

Some apps might block the ability to cast to other screens. You won't be able to use that app on your PC.

Playing sound while using apps

Sounds from your Android device will continue to play on that device even while it's connected to your PC. For example, mobile apps and videos that play on your PC will still play sound through your Android device.

Known issues for using apps:

Some applications may not work, and you won’t be able to use the app on your PC.
Some apps may not launch from your taskbar if they were pinned while the app was opening. You would need to try to remove the application and re-pin them.

Known issues for using multiple apps:

For some applications, selecting the notification on your PC will open the app on your Android device instead. If this happens, try opening the app from your apps list in the Phone Link .
Samsung Smart Lock may cause issues when unlocking your Android device through the Phone Link . If this happens, try unlocking from your Android device.
If you recently updated from the Windows May 2019 update, some apps may not launch from your taskbar. Try removing them and re-pinning them.