Troubleshooting the Your Phone app

Data syncing and connectivity issues

To keep your devices synced, your Windows PC and Android device need to be on, connected to the Internet, and we recommend having Battery saver turned Off (it may interfere with important notifications for the app).

Yes, you can use your mobile data to sync with your PC. However, if you’re concerned about the effect on your data allowance, we recommend remaining on a Wi-Fi connection.

On your Android device:

Open the Your Phone Companion app.

Select Sync over mobile data.

Turn this option On.

To ensure the fastest, most reliable connection, your Android device and PC must be connected to the same trusted Wi-FI network. This optimization isn’t possible on a public connection—for example, in a coffee shop, hotel, or airport.

When you first connect to a Wi-Fi network through Windows 10, you’ll be prompted to set it as public or private (trusted). You can also change it at any time.

These changes might not always be possible—for example, if your workplace controls your network connection.

Before we begin to change settings, we recommend quickly running through the following checks:

Double-check you’re using the same Microsoft account to sign in to both the Your Phone app and the companion app on your Android device.

Ensure Battery saver isn’t running on your PC or Android device, as this might affect connectivity.

You have an active Wi-Fi connection. Can you open your browser and navigate to your favorite website?

For some Android devices, your Battery Optimization settings may interrupt your connection. We recommend turning it off for the companion app on your Android device (either Your Phone Companion or Link to Windows). Here’s how to turn it off based on which companion app you have:

If you have Your Phone Companion*:

Open Android Settings > Apps & notifications > App info > Your Phone Companion > Advanced > Battery > Manage Battery Usage > Battery optimization. Scroll down to Your Phone Companion and select Don’t optimize.

If you have Link to Windows*:

Open Android Settings > Apps > Link to Windows Service > Battery > Optimize battery usage. Select All from the drop-down list, scroll to find Link to Windows service, and turn the toggle Off.

*Note: These steps may vary based on your Android device model.

Still not working? Continue with the following troubleshooting advice.

Check if the Your Phone app can run in the background.

Select Start (or press the Windows logo key on your keyboard), then select Settings > Privacy > Background apps.

In the list Choose which apps can run in the background, ensure Your Phone is enabled.

Ensure nothing is stopping you from sharing across devices.

Select Start (or press the Windows logo key on your keyboard), then select Settings > System > Shared experiences.

If you see Fix now in Accounts, select it and follow the instructions.

On your Android device:

Make sure you can receive app notifications.

Go to your Android device Settings > Apps (or Apps & Notification on some devices) > Your Phone Companion and check that notifications are enabled.

Make sure Do not disturb is turned Off.

Go to your Android device Settings > Sounds (on some devices this may be Sounds & Vibration or Sounds & Notifications) and check that Do not disturb is turned Off.

If you’re still having trouble, follow the steps to unlink your Android device.

If both of your devices are using the same Wi-Fi network but you still see an error message, this could be caused by a setting on your router.

Many routers have a Wireless isolation feature that allows you to lock down the network. If this Wireless Isolation (or AP Isolation) is enabled, then all devices connected to the Wi-Fi network will be blocked from communicating with other.

To disable Wireless/AP Isolation:

On most routers look for the Wireless > Advanced Wireless Setting, and uncheck/toggle AP Isolation.

Updates

Updates will be installed automatically if this option is enabled on your Android device/PC. To ensure a smooth experience to we recommend updating to the latest version where available. Before doing this, ensure both your Android device and PC are connected to Wi-Fi.

On your Android device:

Open the Your Phone Companion app.

Tap Check for Updates.

Wait for the update to complete successfully, then close and reopen the Your Phone app.

Open the Microsoft Store.

Search for Your Phone.

If an update is available to you, you will see an Update button. Select Update and wait for the update to complete successfully, then select Launch.

You can also try this:

Open the Microsoft Store.

Select More … (located next to your Microsoft account picture).

Select Downloads and Updates.

If a Your Phone update is available, you will see an Update button. Select Update and wait for the update to complete successfully, then select Launch.

Note: It can take a few minutes for the updates to be recognized by the app. If the Your Phone app is still in an “update state,» wait a few minutes, then restart your Android device. On your PC, close and reopen the Your Phone app.

After updating to Android 10, if you are unable to launch permissions for features (notifications, messages, photos) please complete the following steps:

To get photos and messages working:

Go to Settings on your Android device.

Search for App Info and tap on it.

Tap on See all apps.

Find Your Phone Companion and tap on it.

Tap on Permissions and allow the following:

To get notifications working:

Go to Settings on your Android device.

Search for “ Notification access.”

Find Your Phone Companion in the list and tap to toggle off/on.

A pop-up will appear; select Allow when prompted.

Troubleshooting features in the Your Phone app

If you’re looking for troubleshooting for a specific feature in the Your Phone app, find it in the list below:

How do I check I’m using the same Microsoft account for all my devices?

In order to successfully link your PC and Android device, you should sign in to the same Microsoft account on both. You can check this by following these steps:

Open your browser and visit accounts.microsoft.com/devices/android-ios. Sign in with your Microsoft account.

Check if you Android device is listed under your account information.

On your Android device:

If you have the Your Phone Companion app:

Go to Settings > Accounts.

If you have the Link to Windows app (for select Samsung devices):

Go to Settings > Advanced features > Link to Windows.

Review the email address under Microsoft account.

I’m having issues with the Your Phone app when using Samsung DeX at the same time

Having both the Your Phone app and DeX open may cause issues with both apps. To ensure the best experience, only have one of these apps open at a time.

Why can’t I use the Your Phone app as a non-default user or two phone mode user (available in Korea only)?

You may encounter two phone mode if your mobile provider is in Korea. The Your Phone app does not currently support two phone mode or multiple profiles mode. Please contact your mobile provider to disable two phone mode so you can use the Your Phone app.

If you have multiple profiles on your mobile device, the Your Phone app will only work if your mobile device is set to the default profile.

Provide feedback

We’re still actively working on making the Your Phone experience the best we possibly can and we welcome your ideas and insights.

On your Android device:

Open the Your Phone Companion app or the Link to Windows app, depending on your device.

Select the Provide Feedback option.

Open Your Phone > Settings > Help & Feedback.

Fill out the form with as much detail as you can provide.

Troubleshooting calls in the Your Phone app

There are a few common issues that can prevent calling from working. To troubleshoot, start by trying this:

Make sure F ocus assist is turned off. To do this: right click the Action Center icon on the taskbar, select Focus Assist, then Off.

Close the Your Phone app and reopen it.

If none of above work, please reboot your PC.

On your Android device:

Turn Bluetooth off and on again. To do this, swipe downward from the top of your screen to reveal the Android Notification panel, tap the Bluetooth icon to turn it off/on.

If calling still isn’t working, continue on to additional troubleshooting below.

Your Android device and PC may have failed to automatically connect via Bluetooth. From your Android device, try to connect your devices manually by:

Swiping downwards from the top of your screen to reveal the Android Notification panel. Tap and hold the Bluetooth icon.

A list of nearby devices will be displayed. Locate the name of your PC in this list and tap on it.

You should see notifications on both your Android device and Windows 10 PC. Tap or click on these toasts to confirm.

The connection process should now be complete, and you’ll be able to use the Calls feature.

If you’re still unable to use Calls, make sure the Your Phone app on your PC is closed, then do the following:

On your Android device:

Open your device Settings.

Tap Connected devices > Connection preferences > Bluetooth.

Make sure Bluetooth is turned On.

Next to the paired device that you’d like to change, tap Settings.

Select Unpair (or ‘forget’).

Select Start > Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices.

Select your Android device from the list.

Select Remove device.

Confirm the removal.

If there’s another entry for your Android device, make sure you unpair it, too, by following steps 2-4. Make sure your Android device is not on the list.

Open the Your Phone app and set up Calls again.

For some Android devices, your Battery Optimization settings may interrupt your connection. We recommend turning it off for the companion app on your Android device (either Your Phone Companion or Link to Windows). Here’s how to turn it off based on which companion app you have:

If you have Your Phone Companion*:

Open Android Settings > Apps & notifications > App info > Your Phone Companion > Advanced > Battery > Manage Battery Usage > Battery optimization. Scroll down to Your Phone Companion and select Don’t optimize.

If you have Link to Windows*:

Open Android Settings > Apps > Link to Windows Service > Battery > Optimize battery usage. Select All from the drop-down list, scroll to find Link to Windows service, and turn the toggle Off.

*Note: These steps may vary based on your Android device model.

Some apps may be interfering with making calls. What does this mean?

This error is appearing because you may have paired your Android device to your PC with a third-party app, or your devices may be paired through a pre-installed app from your hardware manufacturer (like Dell Mobile Connect or Virtoo by LG). Some of these apps conflict with being able to make calls, so we recommend uninstalling them, then unpairing your Android device and pairing it again with Calls.

To uninstall apps, go to Windows Settings > Apps > Apps & features. Select the app you want, then Uninstall.

To unpair your Android device from your PC, go to your Windows Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices > Other devices. Select your device from the list, then Remove device. Then, in the Your Phone app, go to Calls and pair your devices again.

Why doesn’t calls doesn’t work after changing my Android device name?

Start by unpairing your Android device from your PC. Go to Start > Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices > Other devices). In your Android device settings (typically under the About your device page), change the name to the one you want. Then, go back to your PC’s Bluetooth settings and pair your phone again to establish the connection with your phone’s updated name.

Why can’t I use my Bluetooth headphone on my PC to get calls from the Your Phone app?

The Your Phone app does not currently support relaying a phone call from your Android device to a headset over Bluetooth.

Can I choose which SIM to use with calling if I have dual SIM capability on my Android device?

The Your Phone app doesn’t support dual SIM options. Your call will be placed or received using your primary SIM.

I’m experiencing audio quality issues while making calls

There are a few things you can do to improve your audio connection while making calls:

If you’re using a Bluetooth mouse or accessory and experiencing poor quality during a call, try temporarily disconnecting it to see if your audio quality improves.

If you’re experiencing a bad echo, try using a wired headset to improve the experience.

«Always use this app to open .* files» checkbox on program selection dialog is by default checked

The Always use this app to open .*** files option is checked by default if your file does not have associated default program. We understand that you want it to be unchecked. However, this feature is currently not available in Windows 10. If there is a possible registry key that needs to be modified in order to have it, we don’t recommend to do it because it might cause a lot of problems on your computer. Having said that, we suggest that you post a feedback in our Feedback Hub app. Our engineers and developers would be looking further into this concern once you posted your feedback.

For more information on Feedback Hub, see our support article and YouTube video

In order to submit new feedback, please follow these steps:

1. Search for FeedbackHub in Cortanasearch, then launch the app.
2. Navigate to Feedbackin the left menu, then click on + Add new feedback.
3. Select the Problem, and share any details you think are relevant, and choose an appropriate category and subcategory.
4. Important: If possible, reproduce the problem(s) after clicking on Begin monitoring (or Start capture) near the end of the form; Stop monitoring when you’re done.
5. Once you’ve completed the form and monitoring, click on Submit.
6. Click on Continue using Feedback Hub.
7. Click on My feedback at the top, then find the item you submitted (it may take a while to appear).
8. Open the item you submitted, then click on Share.
9. Click on Copylink , then paste the link here in your response (it will look like https://aka.ms/ ).

Let us know if you have other concerns.