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Show or Hide Your Phone in Windows 11 Start—and Check Hover Previews

Use Settings > Personalization > Start > Show mobile device in Start to show or hide the phone companion. Hover previews have been reported in an Insider build, but stable availability is unconfirmed.
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To show or hide the linked phone companion in Start, open Settings > Personalization > Start and switch Show mobile device in Start on or off. That documented setting controls whether the mobile-device companion appears in Start; it is not documented as a separate privacy switch for notification hover previews. Hovering over recent message or notification content has been reported in a Windows Insider build, but availability in stable Windows 11 is not established.

Show or hide the mobile-device companion in Start

  1. Open Settings in Windows 11.
  2. Select Personalization > Start.
  3. Switch Show mobile device in Start on to show the phone companion, or off to hide it.

Microsoft documents this option as a way to show or hide the mobile device in Start. Its support instructions do not identify it as a dedicated control for whether message or notification content appears when you hover.

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What is known about hover previews

A Windows Central report dated August 4, 2026, describes hovering over a recent message or notification in the Start menu’s Recent section to preview its contents. The report associates the behavior with Windows 11 Experimental build 26300.9032 and Phone Link version 1.26021.3.0 or higher. This establishes a reported Insider-build behavior, not general availability in stable Windows 11. Check your Windows build and Phone Link version rather than assuming the preview will appear.

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Microsoft’s support page documents the mobile companion and its show/hide setting, but does not document this newer hover action or confirm its stable-release status. The earlier Microsoft Insider announcement concerned the original Start mobile-device companion, not the later hover-preview behavior.

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Requirements and Android–iPhone differences

Microsoft lists a Windows 11-or-later PC, Phone Link version 1.25032.82.0, and a Microsoft Account among the requirements. The connection method depends on the phone:

Phone Connection listed by Microsoft Mobile companion items listed for Start
Android Wi-Fi connection between the phone and PC Battery and connectivity status, Messages, Calls, Photos, recent activities, and Send Files
iPhone Bluetooth LE connection between the phone and PC Battery and connectivity status, Messages, Calls, recent activities, and Send Files; Photos are not included in Microsoft’s iPhone list

Microsoft says the feature is being gradually rolled out, so an eligible user may not see the setting immediately. Requirements and rollout details can change; consult Microsoft’s current support instructions for the latest information.

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If “Show mobile device in Start” is missing

  • Check that the PC and Phone Link meet Microsoft’s listed requirements, including the Phone Link version.
  • Make sure Phone Link has been set up with the phone and that the connection requirement for your phone type is met.
  • Allow for the possibility that the feature has not reached your device yet; Microsoft describes its rollout as gradual.
  • To send Microsoft feedback, open Feedback Hub with Win + F, then go to Apps > Phone Link.

Use the documented Settings switch to show or hide the companion. The available evidence does not establish that changing it independently enables or disables hover previews, and Microsoft’s cited support procedure does not call for registry edits or feature-flag utilities.

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