Your Phone app help & learning

You love your phone. So does your PC.

Leave your Android device in your pocket. With the Your Phone app, you can make and receive calls and texts, check notifications, and instantly access your Android device’s photos and apps – all on your PC.

Microsoft and Samsung—a productivity partnership

With Link to Windows on your Samsung device and the Your Phone app on your PC, you’re connected on a new level. Learn how to connect your devices so you can stay productive wherever you are.

Explore Your Phone app

Want new features first?

Become a Windows Insider and get early access to the newest experiences in the Your Phone app.

Your app, your way.

Learn more about accessibility options to help you use the Your Phone app in a way that best suits your needs.

Learn more about the latest Your Phone app features.

A few tips & tricks

Find time-saving hacks and explore how you can use the Your Phone app.

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.

You Phone/Companion Connection-Link

Replies (129) 

* Please try a lower page number.

* Please enter only numbers.

* Please try a lower page number.

* Please enter only numbers.

4 people found this reply helpful

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn’t help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

If possible, connect the Pc and the phone directly to the wifi router, not to a device’s hotspot.
However I suggest you to shutdown the app both on your Pc and on your phone, then retry.
Then tell me if the problem shows up again.

8 people found this reply helpful

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn’t help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

If possible, connect the Pc and the phone directly to the wifi router, not to a device’s hotspot.
However I suggest you to shutdown the app both on your Pc and on your phone, then retry.
Then tell me if the problem shows up again.

Does this mean that everytime i want to us the Your Phone/Companion app i must be connected via wifi router??

Because if this is the case, i regret downloading the Feature update 1809. i’m ****.

i work freelance and mobile using my laptop and when i use my phone as a WI-FI Hotspot it really helps alot.

5 people found this reply helpful

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn’t help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

Why you absolutely, by no means should even consider buying a Windows Phone

Microsoft fans waited nearly 18 months for the prestigious Lumia 950 and Lumia 950XL to arrive. And after their unveiling less than a month ago, you’ve probably already forgotten about the duo. That’s because a total of zero socks were blown off when Microsoft trumpeted their arrival.

It’s an amazing achievement on Microsoft’s part — deflating more than a year’s worth of anticipation in minutes. How is this possible? It’s simple: Microsoft doesn’t care enough about phones, the people who may buy its phones in the near future, or the people that have bought its phones in the past. When it comes to mobile, Microsoft just doesn’t deserve your money or attention anymore.

Windows Phone was a breath of fresh air back in 2011, but its failure to evolve and keep up with Android and iOS in features and apps has been difficult to watch. Microsoft’s consistently poor handling of new Windows Phones — which are now almost exclusively limited to these Lumia phones in the United States — is all the reason you should need not to ever buy one.

Unimaginative hardware

There’s an odd saying that fits here: “If you can’t fight, wear a big hat.” That’s the best way to describe the big Lumia 950 reveal. The saying could be taken various ways, but to me, it has always meant that those who lack something special make up for it by shouting loudly. Microsoft, bereft of anything to actually say about its new phones, decided to let Panos Panay — a man so intense, if he shaved his head he’d be Robert De Niro from Taxi Driver — terrify us into listening at its much-hyped event. He was joined by Brian Roper, who actually wore a hat on stage, proving how appropriate that old phrase is.

In contrast, think about how a Galaxy phone is introduced, or an iPhone. Apple and Samsung reveal these devices in almost pornographic ways, and we’re left wanting them. Microsoft’s big attempt to fire us up was to highlight the Lumia’s hardware camera button — a feature it has touted for nearly half a decade.

But presentation is only a small part of Microsoft’s problems with Windows Phone.

This has been going on for a while

Windows Phone has been treated like an unwanted fashion accessory by the company for years. It’s like the ironic “Charles in Charge” t-shirt in the back of Microsoft’s closet: Maybe it looked cool in 2011, but it’s not seeing the light of day much.

Windows Phone has done a spectacular job at becoming steadily less popular since its introduction five years ago, thanks to errors like charging developers for access, limited manufacturer support — remember the crushing dullness of hardware like the LG Optimus 7 and the Samsung Ativ SE? — and ridiculously lengthy waits for basic features that every other phone has, like a notification drawer.

Windows Phone has done a spectacular job at becoming steadily less popular since its introduction five years ago.

Then there’s the app store. Sure, it’s better than it used to be, but big names are still missing — Snapchat and Tinder to name just two. How Microsoft expects anyone to take its platform seriously without any official Google apps is probably the most baffling. It’s possible to work around some of the gaps, but why go to all that trouble when every app you could conceivably want is available right now on an iPhone or an Android device?

Then there’s the issue of abandonment. If you’ve owned a Windows Phone, you live with the knowledge that Microsoft may change its mind and start over with the OS yet again, leaving your phone out in the cold. Windows Phone was a starting over point from Windows Mobile, and even some early Windows Phone 7 devices didn’t make the cut for Windows Phone 8. This is less likely to happen with its grand Windows-10-for-all plan, but there is a worse possibility: Microsoft may give up on the Lumia line altogether, and move on to a Surface phone.

In July, it wrote off $7.6 billion from buying Nokia’s Devices division and laid off 7,800 workers, almost all of them from the phone side of the business. That came after 12,500 Nokia employees were laid off in 2014. Want conclusive proof that Microsoft doesn’t care about building a desirable, user friendly, comprehensive mobile ecosystem? It’s firing the people who could actually do it.

No one’s selling Windows Phones

If, after all this, a new Lumia is still the phone for you, Microsoft’s not going to make it easy to buy one. Why would it? The Lumia 950 is available only at AT&T so far. The 950XL is nowhere to be seen, except through Microsoft’s own store.

It’s a shame, because the price is competitive at $550 and $650 for the 950 and 950XL respectively, and regardless of the many problems with Windows Phone, they’re by all accounts really good devices.

The new Lumias also have Continuum, the cool feature where your phone can link up to a monitor and work like a Windows PC. It’s the killer feature that really does make Windows 10 different. So should you grab the Lumia 950 or the Lumia 950XL? No. If you’re intrigued, wait for Acer’s Jade Primo instead. It’s going to come as a complete package with dock, mouse, keyboard, and phone — all ready for Continuum-based fun.

Microsoft waited until a few days after the big Windows 10 hardware launch to tell everyone that the Windows 10 phone update won’t come until December. This update was announced almost a year ago! Getting Windows 10 on older Lumias will likely stretch well into 2016. Sadly, we may see a number of high-profile Android phones get Android 6.0 Marshmallow before Windows 10 comes around.

Want to check out a Windows Phone that’s not a Lumia? We wish you luck finding one.

Desperate to be contrary? Buy a BlackBerry

If you really must be contrary, and won’t buy an actual Android phone or an iPhone — which are the most sensible options — then ignore Windows 10 and throw BlackBerry a bone. It’ll be a whole lot more grateful than Microsoft. Yes, seriously.

We warned you not to buy a BlackBerry a couple years ago, but even that limping dark horse would be a better bet than a Windows Phone. Microsoft doesn’t seem to care about smartphones much anymore, but BlackBerry listened to critics and made a phone that people may actually want to own. Yes, it has taken years to learn from its mistakes, and it has saddled the resulting product with a stupid name, but the Priv runs Android, can access the Google Play Store, has a slide-out keyboard, and bundles in lots of added security to keep the BlackBerry brand alive.

It’s an unknown quantity at the moment, but it’ll have more than enough popular apps available to download when you buy it, and the slide-out keyboard does make it almost unique. Sure, it may be awful, but you’re the one wanting to live life on the edge and not buy a sensible smartphone.

Endless stagnation

The cancelation of the Lumia 940 gave us hope we were in for a treat with the Lumia 950. Instead, we were given two afterthoughts with little innovation and absolutely no love inside. I still love my brick-like Lumia 920, but I’d never upgrade it for another Windows phone. What’s the point? None of them are really any better. That’s bad considering the 920 came out in 2012.

Microsoft continually reinvents itself, particularly when it comes to mobile, and this reinvention is resulting in stagnation. It’s sad. Microsoft’s poor treatment of Windows Phone has continued with its disinterest in Lumia. Why then, should you invest time and money in its Lumia 950 or 950XL?