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To make Phone Link start when you sign in to Windows 11, turn on its sign-in option in the app. If that setting is missing or unavailable, enable Phone Link under Settings → Apps → Startup, or use Task Manager. Starting the app does not guarantee that it will connect to your phone; the connection also depends on pairing, permissions, and network or Bluetooth requirements.
Before you begin
Make sure Phone Link is installed on your PC. It is available on most Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs; if it is missing, search Windows Settings for an option to enable or install Phone Link. Microsoft’s Phone Link requirements and setup guide lists Android 10 or later and, for the iPhone experience, iOS 16 or later and a PC with Bluetooth Low Energy support. For Android, the PC and phone should be on the same Wi-Fi network.
Phone Link’s startup behavior and its connection to your phone are separate. Windows can launch the app at sign-in even if the phone is offline, permissions have changed, or the pairing needs attention. On Android, Link to Windows also needs to be allowed to run in the background; some phones’ battery-saving settings can restrict it. iPhone features use Bluetooth and depend on the permissions granted during pairing.
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Method 1: Turn on startup in Phone Link
- Open Start, search for Phone Link, and launch it.
- Select the Settings gear.
- Open General, App behavior, or the section containing startup preferences. The section name can vary by app version.
- Turn on the option for opening Phone Link when you sign in. Depending on the version, it may read Start Phone Link when I sign in or Open Phone Link when you’re signed into Windows.
Sign out and back in, or restart the PC, to check the result. The exact wording and location can vary; these labels have been reported in Phone Link troubleshooting discussions, but Microsoft’s setup guide does not specify a universal current label.
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Method 2: Enable Phone Link in Windows Startup apps
- Open Settings.
- Go to Apps → Startup.
- Find Phone Link and switch it On.
If you cannot find the page, press Windows key + R, enter ms-settings:startupapps, and press Enter. This built-in Windows shortcut opens the Startup apps page. Sign out and sign back in, or restart, to test whether Phone Link starts.
Method 3: Enable it in Task Manager
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. You can also right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager.
- Select Startup apps.
- Find Phone Link, right-click it, and select Enable.
- Sign out and back in, or restart Windows.
Some PCs show a separate entry named Mobile Devices. Start by enabling Phone Link; Mobile Devices relates to Windows’ broader cross-device features and is not a universal prerequisite for Phone Link startup. Entry names and availability can vary by Windows build.
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If Phone Link is missing from Startup apps
First check Phone Link’s own settings, then check both Settings → Apps → Startup and Task Manager → Startup apps. An app missing from one list may still appear in the other. Also confirm that Phone Link is installed or enabled in Windows.
If the standard controls do not offer Phone Link, you can try a Startup-folder shortcut as a fallback. This launches the app at sign-in but may not start every background component or fix a pairing problem.
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- Press Windows key + R, enter
shell:appsfolder, and press Enter. - Find Phone Link in the apps list and create a shortcut if Windows offers that option.
- Press Windows key + R again, enter
shell:startup, and press Enter. - Place the Phone Link shortcut in the folder that opens.
shell:startup applies to your Windows account. The all-users Startup folder is shell:common startup and may require administrator access. Avoid adding a shortcut if another startup method already opens the app, or it could launch twice.
If Phone Link starts but does not connect
Check the phone connection separately from the Windows startup switch:
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- Android: Confirm the phone and PC are on the same Wi-Fi network, Link to Windows is installed or available on the phone, and the phone is signed in with the account used for pairing. Review the permissions you granted, including notifications, messages, contacts, or calls as needed. Allow Link to Windows to run in the background and check whether battery optimization is restricting it. Keep Bluetooth on for Bluetooth-dependent features such as calling.
- iPhone: Confirm the phone meets the iOS requirement, the PC supports Bluetooth Low Energy, and Bluetooth is on. Finish pairing and allow the relevant notifications, messages, and contacts permissions.
If the connection still fails, reopen Phone Link and follow its pairing or reconnect prompts. Startup only opens or initializes the Windows-side app; it cannot restore revoked permissions, a failed pairing, or a phone that is offline.
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If the startup control is greyed out or keeps turning off
Check whether the computer is managed by a workplace or school. Look under Settings → Accounts → Access work or school. An administrator policy may prevent startup changes; if you see a message such as “The administrator has disabled this functionality,” contact the PC’s IT administrator rather than trying to bypass the restriction. A Microsoft Q&A report describes greyed-out controls and entries reverting to disabled on some Windows 11 24H2 systems, but that report does not establish that this is a general Windows behavior.
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On a personal PC, try these steps in order:
- Check the Phone Link switch in both Windows Startup apps and Task Manager.
- Install available Windows updates and update Phone Link through Microsoft Store if an update is offered.
- Go to Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Phone Link → Advanced options. Select Repair first. If that does not help, consider Reset; it may clear app data or require you to reconnect the phone.
- Re-pair the phone only if the less disruptive steps fail.
Avoid registry edits for this problem: startup controls and related entries can vary by Windows build, and registry advice in forum answers is not a universal fix.
Visible window, background activity, and privacy
Automatic startup can open a visible Phone Link window, start the app minimized or in the background, or launch related components without displaying the full interface. So no window does not necessarily mean nothing started. Conversely, seeing a Phone Link-related process in Task Manager does not prove that the phone is connected.
Phone Link can show information such as notifications, messages, photos, contacts, and calls on the PC. Microsoft warns that sensitive information, including two-factor-authentication SMS, may be visible when message access is enabled. On a shared or work-managed PC, consider whether automatic startup and those permissions are appropriate.
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- Turn off the startup option in Phone Link’s settings, if present.
- Go to Settings → Apps → Startup and switch Phone Link off.
- Alternatively, open Task Manager → Startup apps, right-click Phone Link, and select Disable.
- If you added a shortcut manually, remove it from
shell:startup.
Disabling startup controls whether the app launches at sign-in; it is not necessarily the same as stopping all background activity. If Phone Link continues running, check Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Phone Link → Advanced options for a background-app permission. Its availability and effect can differ across Windows versions, and restricting background activity may affect notifications or synchronization.
For Microsoft’s requirements and setup details, see the Phone Link support page. Microsoft Q&A reports can help explain less common startup-list or greyed-control behavior, but they are user discussions rather than universal product documentation. The current app is called Phone Link; older instructions may call it Your Phone.
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