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My Phone Link is dropping the connection for no reason.

MR McIntire 0 Reputation points
2026-03-11T16:10:08.6266667+00:00

After making the connection to Phone Link with my Android phone, the connection is dropped soon after connecting.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Connect Phone and PC
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  1. AI answer

    2026-03-11T16:10:27.95+00:00

    Try the following steps in order, as each can cause Phone Link to drop the connection shortly after connecting.

    1. Basic checks
    • Confirm the same Microsoft account is used in both Phone Link on the PC and Link to Windows on the Android device.
    • Turn off Battery saver on both PC and Android, as it can suspend background connectivity.
    • Make sure both devices have a stable internet/Wi‑Fi connection (open a website on each to verify).
    1. Disable battery optimization for Link to Windows (Android) Battery optimization can kill the Link to Windows app in the background and cause drops.
    • Go to Android 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 devices:

    • Go to Android Settings > Apps > Link to Windows > Battery > Optimize battery usage.
    • From the drop-down, choose All, find Link to Windows, and turn the toggle Off.
    1. Allow Phone Link to run in the background (Windows)
    • Select Start > Settings > Privacy > Background apps.
    • Under Choose which apps can run in the background, ensure Phone Link is enabled.
    1. Fix account issues and shared experiences (Windows)
    • Select Start > Settings > System > Shared experiences.
    • If Fix now appears under Accounts, select it and follow the prompts.
    1. Wi‑Fi and network checks
    • Ensure both devices are on the same Wi‑Fi network:
      • On Android: Settings > Connections > Wi‑Fi, confirm it shows Connected and note the network name.
      • On PC: Settings > Network & Internet > Wi‑Fi, confirm Wi‑Fi is On and connected to the same network name.
    • If the router has separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks, connect both devices to the same band.
    • If using a firewall or VPN on either device, temporarily disable it to see if it stops the disconnects.
    • If using a public or work network, restrictions may cause instability; try a private home network instead.
    1. Router wireless isolation (AP Isolation) If both devices are on the same Wi‑Fi but still keep disconnecting, the router may be blocking device‑to‑device traffic.
    • Sign in to the router’s admin page.
    • Look for Wireless > Advanced Wireless Setting (or similar) and uncheck/turn off AP Isolation or Wireless Isolation.
    1. Soft reset the apps If the problem persists after the above:
    • On PC:
      • Select Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices.
      • Select Phone Link, toggle it Off and then On.
      • Relaunch Phone Link.
    • On Android:
      • Go to Settings > Apps (or Apps & Notifications) > Link to Windows.
      • Tap Force Stop and confirm.
    1. Full reset and relink (last resort) If disconnects continue, fully reset the link:
    • On PC:
      1. In a browser, go to https://accounts.microsoft.com/devices/android-ios and sign in.
      2. For each listed phone, select Show details > More actions > Unlink this phone.
      3. Go to Start > Settings > Phone > Unlink this PC.
      4. Go back to Settings > Apps.
      5. In Apps & features, select Phone Link > Advanced options > Reset.
    • Then open Phone Link again and follow the setup steps to pair the Android device from scratch.

    If the connection still drops after all of these steps, collect details (network type, VPN/firewall, device models) and use the Provide Feedback option in Phone Link or Link to Windows so logs can be reviewed.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Norah-L 6,590 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-03-12T08:08:18.4133333+00:00

    Welcome MR McIntire

    Thank you for reaching out!

    Based on what you described, Phone Link on your Windows 11 PC is able to connect to your Android phone, but the connection drops shortly after.

    If the issue continues after trying all the methods suggested in the Q&A Assist, please try the following method to reset Phone Link to a clean default state without uninstalling Windows or affecting other apps:

    1. Type PowerShell
    2. Right‑click > Run as administrator
    3. Run: 
         Get-AppxPackage *Microsoft.YourPhone* | Reset-AppxPackage
    4. Restart the PC
    5. Reopen Phone Link and re‑pair the phone

    Tip: Remove the Bluetooth pairing from both sides: unpair the PC on the phone and unpair the phone on the PC to force Phone Link to avoid interference.

    Hope this helps. Please let me know how it goes!

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