How to Disable Phone Link on Windows 11 (Complete Guide)

Phone Link is a built-in Windows 11 feature that connects your PC to your Android or iPhone. It allows you to view notifications, send messages, and access photos from your phone. While useful for some users, many prefer to disable Phone Link due to privacy concerns, background activity, or because they simply do not use it.

This guide explains how to disable Phone Link on Windows 11 using different methods, including app settings, startup controls, system permissions, and complete removal.

What Is Phone Link in Windows 11?

Phone Link is a Microsoft app that syncs your smartphone with your Windows 11 PC. It works with Android phones and limited iPhone features.

Phone Link allows you to:

• View phone notifications on your PC
• Send and receive text messages
• Access recent photos
• Make and receive calls

The app runs in the background and starts automatically with Windows unless disabled.

Why You Might Want to Disable Phone Link

Common reasons users disable Phone Link include:

• Not using phone-to-PC syncing
• Privacy concerns
• Reducing background apps
• Improving startup speed
• Preventing notifications from appearing

Disabling Phone Link does not affect core Windows features.

Disable Phone Link from App Settings

This is the easiest way to stop Phone Link from working.

Steps

1. Open the Start menu
2. Search for Phone Link
3. Open the app
4. Click the Settings icon
5. Go to the General section
6. Turn off the toggle to automatically start Phone Link

This prevents the app from running in the background.

Stop Phone Link from Running at Startup

You can also disable Phone Link using startup settings.

Steps

1. Right-click the Start button
2. Select Task Manager
3. Click the Startup apps tab
4. Find Phone Link in the list
5. Right-click it and choose Disable

This ensures Phone Link does not start when Windows boots.

Disable Phone Link Notifications

If notifications are the main issue, you can turn them off without disabling the app.

Steps

1. Open Settings
2. Go to System
3. Select Notifications
4. Scroll down to find Phone Link
5. Turn off notifications

This stops alerts while keeping the app installed.

Remove Phone Link from Windows 11

If you want to completely remove Phone Link, you can uninstall it.

Uninstall Using Settings

1. Open Settings
2. Go to Apps
3. Select Installed apps
4. Find Phone Link
5. Click the three-dot menu
6. Select Uninstall

Remove Phone Link Using PowerShell (Advanced)

1. Right-click the Start button
2. Open Windows Terminal as administrator
3. Enter the following command:

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.YourPhone -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage

• Press Enter
• Restart your PC

This fully removes Phone Link from the system.

Final Thoughts

If you do not use phone syncing features, disabling Phone Link on Windows 11 is a smart choice. You can stop it from running in the background, disable notifications, or remove it completely. All methods are reversible, so you can enable it again if you change your mind.