phone link on android

Hi,

When you click connect, does the app close fully or stay open but reset to the first screen?

This points to a broken app state on the PC, so reset the app data and restart the setup.

Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Phone Link > Advanced options, then select Repair, then Reset, and restart your PC. Open Phone Link again and choose connect to Android. This clears the pairing cache and restores the QR code screen so you can complete the setup normally.

Please try this since it's recurring, on your Samsung, go to Settings > Apps > Link to Windows > Battery and set it to Unrestricted, then go to Settings > Battery and device care > Battery > Background usage limits and remove it from sleeping apps. Also turn off Wi Fi power saving under Settings > Connections > Wi Fi > Advanced.

These steps keep the app running so the connection stays stable instead of dropping randomly.

I see. At this point, re register the Phone Link components in Windows and restart the service used for pairing.

Open Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters, run Windows Store Apps troubleshooter, then press Windows key + R, type wsreset.exe and let it finish. After that, open Services, find Connected Devices Platform Service and Connected Devices Platform User Service, restart both, then reopen Phone Link and try connect again.

Hello, have you checked on the steps I provided?

Follow these steps in order to restore Phone Link’s ability to connect and show the QR code.

1. Confirm both apps are up to date
   • On Android (Link to Windows):
     1. Open Link to Windows.
     2. Go to Settings > About Link to Windows.
     3. Tap Check for updates and, if available, Update then Download, wait for completion, then tap Done.
   • On PC (Phone Link):
     1. Open Phone Link.
     2. Go to Settings > General.
     3. Expand Phone Link version and tap Check for updates. Install any available update.
2. Fully unlink and re‑add the Android phone
   • On Android:
     1. Open Link to Windows.
     2. Tap the Microsoft account under Linked Account.
     3. Go to Account Settings > Sign out and unlink account.
     4. Confirm with Unlink.
   • On PC:
     1. Open Phone Link.
     2. Go to Settings > Devices.
     3. Select Add new device.
     4. If the QR screen fails and jumps back, close Phone Link completely, then reopen it and try Add new device again.
3. Reconnect using the QR code When the QR code does appear:
   1. On the phone, open the Camera app.
   2. Scan the QR code shown in Phone Link on the PC.
   3. Follow the prompts on both phone and PC and sign in with the same Microsoft account.
   4. If the connection still seems stuck, use the refresh button next to the connection status indicator in Phone Link.
4. Check connection and power settings (helps with “not staying connected”)
   • On Android:
     1. Ensure Battery saver is off.
     2. Turn off battery optimization for Link to Windows:
        • Settings > Apps & notifications > App info > Link to Windows > Advanced > Battery > Manage Battery Usage > Battery optimization.
        • Scroll to Link to Windows and select Don’t optimize.
        • On some Samsung devices: Settings > Apps > Link to Windows > Battery > Optimize battery usage, choose All, find Link to Windows, and turn the toggle Off.
     3. Make sure Do not disturb is off and notifications are allowed for Link to Windows under Settings > Apps (or Apps & notifications) > Link to Windows.
   • On PC:
     1. Ensure Battery saver is off.
     2. Allow Phone Link to run in the background:
        • Start > Settings > Privacy > Background apps.
        • In Choose which apps can run in the background, enable Phone Link.
     3. Check Shared experiences:
        • Start > Settings > System > Shared experiences.
        • If Fix now appears under Accounts, select it and follow the instructions.
5. If the QR window is still blank or flashing
   • Restart both devices (PC and phone).
   • If the problem persists even after all steps above, follow the documented guidance to reset/unlink and re‑set up the apps completely using the “reset your app” and “unlink your Android device” procedures referenced in the Phone Link troubleshooting article.

These steps address both the unstable connection and the issue where the QR code screen fails and returns to the device selection.

References:

• Troubleshooting the Phone Link
• Phone Link giving a blank window when trying to add an Android device - Microsoft Q&A