Phone Link opens at sign-in when you turn on its toggle in Windows startup settings. If the app does not appear there, you can add it through the Startup folder. The steps below follow Microsoft’s current Windows guidance.
Turn on Phone Link in Windows startup settings
Windows keeps a list of apps that launch when you sign in. Phone Link can be switched on in that list without installing anything extra or changing its own settings.
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- Open Start > Settings > Apps > Startup.
- Find Phone Link in the list and set its toggle to On. Microsoft’s guidance says this setting starts the app automatically when you sign in.
- Sign out and sign back in, or restart the PC, to confirm that Phone Link opens on its own.
Microsoft documents this path in Configure Startup applications in Windows.
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Settings and Task Manager show the same set of registered startup apps, so the check is the same in either place. Use Task Manager when you prefer that view.
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- Right-click the taskbar and choose Task Manager, or press Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
- Select the Startup apps tab, which is labeled Startup in older builds.
- Find Phone Link, select it, and choose Enable.
Add a Startup-folder shortcut as a fallback
If Phone Link is not listed in either place, Microsoft’s method adds a shortcut to the Startup folder. This applies to the signed-in user only.
- Press Windows + R, type
shell:appsfolder, and press Enter. Leave this window open. - Press Windows + R again, type
shell:startup, and press Enter. This opens the Startup folder for your account. - Drag the Phone Link entry from the applications window into the Startup folder window. Windows creates a shortcut there.
Microsoft also documents shell:common startup for apps that should start for every user of the device. Use it only on a shared PC where you have administrator rights and want that effect for all accounts.
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Check that Phone Link is installed
Startup settings can only control an app that is already present. Microsoft says Phone Link is available by default on most Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs. If it is not on your PC, install it from Settings, following the steps in Phone Link requirements and setup. Installation and startup are separate steps, so an installed app still needs the toggle or shortcut above.
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Startup and background behavior are different settings
The startup toggle or Startup-folder shortcut decides whether Windows launches Phone Link at sign-in. Microsoft’s troubleshooting guidance separately asks you to check whether Phone Link is set to run in the background when the app has problems. Treat that as a troubleshooting check, not a substitute for enabling startup.
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What this does not fix
Enabling startup does not repair phone pairing or connection problems. Those belong to Phone Link’s setup and troubleshooting steps, which Microsoft covers separately in the links above.
Quick Recap
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Quick checklist
- Phone Link appears under Settings > Apps > Startup, with the toggle On.
- Task Manager’s Startup apps tab shows Phone Link as Enabled.
- If neither works, a shortcut is in
shell:startupfor your account. - The app is installed and opens manually before you test sign-in.
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