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.

Setting up Apps in the Your Phone app

With Your Phone apps, you can instantly access the Android apps installed on your mobile device right on your PC. Using a Wi-Fi connection, Apps allows you to browse, play, order, chat, and more – all while using your PC’s larger screen and keyboard. You can add your Android apps as favorites on your PC, pin them to your Start menu and taskbar, and open them in separate windows to use side-by-side with apps on your PC – helping you stay productive.

What do I need to use Apps?

To use Apps, you will need:

A PC running the Windows 10 May 2019 Update or later. To check and update your version of Windows, on your PC go to Settings > Updates & Security > Check for update.

Your PC also needs to be using a graphics card (GPU) that supports DirectX11. Learn how to check your version of DirectX

An Android device running Android 9.0 or greater, with Link to Windows. See the full list of supported devices here.

Your Android device and PC to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

Apps works for Your Phone app versions 1.20082.141.0 or higher. Older versions of the Your Phone app will show the previous phone screen experience.

What do I need to run multiple apps on my PC at a time?

A PC running the Windows 10 May 2020 Update or later. For best performance, we recommend having at least 8GB of RAM.

An Android device running Android 11.0.

On your Android device, you need Link to Windows version 2.1.05.6 or higher, or Your Phone Companion version 1.20104.15.0 or higher.

Multiple apps works for Your Phone versions 1.20104.20.0 or higher.

How do I set up Apps?

On your PC, open the Your Phone app and select Apps. Follow the setup instructions. If you encounter issues, here are some troubleshooting tips.

What devices are supported?

Apps is available on select Samsung devices that have Link to Windows, and a few recent ones are listed below. If your Android device is running Android 11¹ or higher, you may be eligible for the multiple apps experience. Those devices have an asterisk* next to them.

Samsung Galaxy Fold*

Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G*

Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G*

Samsung Galaxy S20*

Samsung Galaxy S20+*

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE*

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra*

Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip*

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G*

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G*

The full list of supported devices can be found here.

¹ Android 11 availability depends on your mobile device, market availability, and your mobile provider.

Supported devices for Your Phone app experiences

As we share new features for the Your Phone app, some of them are dependent on the operating system or type of device you have. Please check the list below to determine if your device is eligible for these experiences.

Currently Link to Windows is only available on the following Android devices in select markets:

Recently released devices:

Samsung Galaxy Fold

Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G

Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G

Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G

Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G

Other eligible devices:

Samsung Galaxy S10e

Samsung Galaxy A8s

Samsung Galaxy A30s

Samsung Galaxy A31

Samsung Galaxy A32

Samsung Galaxy A32 5G

Samsung Galaxy A40

Samsung Galaxy A41

Samsung Galaxy A42 5G

Samsung Galaxy A50

Samsung Galaxy A50s

Samsung Galaxy A51

Samsung Galaxy A51 5G

Samsung Galaxy A52

Samsung Galaxy A52 5G

Samsung Galaxy A60

Samsung Galaxy A70

Samsung Galaxy A70s

Samsung Galaxy A71

Samsung Galaxy A71 5G

Samsung Galaxy A72

Samsung Galaxy A80

Samsung Galaxy A90s

Samsung Galaxy A90 5G

Samsung Galaxy Note9

Samsung Galaxy Note10

Samsung Galaxy Note10+

Samsung Galaxy Note10 Lite

Samsung Galaxy S9

Samsung Galaxy S9+

Samsung Galaxy S10

Samsung Galaxy S10+

Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite

Samsung Galaxy S20

Samsung Galaxy S20+

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy Xcover 5

Phone screen is available on Android devices in select markets running Android 9.0 or greater that have Link to Windows installed (for some devices, it may be preinstalled). These phones include:

Recently released devices:

Samsung Galaxy Fold

Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G

Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G

Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G

Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G

Other eligible devices:

Samsung Galaxy A8s

Samsung Galaxy A30s

Samsung Galaxy A31

Samsung Galaxy A32

Samsung Galaxy A32 5G

Samsung Galaxy A40

Samsung Galaxy A41

Samsung Galaxy A42 5G

Samsung Galaxy A50

Samsung Galaxy A50s

Samsung Galaxy A51

Samsung Galaxy A51 5G

Samsung Galaxy A52

Samsung Galaxy A52 5G

Samsung Galaxy A60

Samsung Galaxy A70

Samsung Galaxy A70s

Samsung Galaxy A71

Samsung Galaxy A71 5G

Samsung Galaxy A72

Samsung Galaxy A80

Samsung Galaxy A90s

Samsung Galaxy A90 5G

Samsung Galaxy Note9

Samsung Galaxy Note10

Samsung Galaxy Note10+

Samsung Galaxy Note10 Lite

Samsung Galaxy S9

Samsung Galaxy S9+

Samsung Galaxy S10

Samsung Galaxy S10+

Samsung Galaxy S10e

Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite

Samsung Galaxy S20

Samsung Galaxy S20+

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy A72

Apps is available on Android devices in select markets running Android 9.0 or greater that have Link to Windows installed. If your Android device is running Android 11.0¹ or higher, you may be eligible for the multiple apps experience. Those devices have an asterisk* next to them.

Recently released devices:

Samsung Galaxy Fold*

Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G*

Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G*

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G*

Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G*

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G*

Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip*

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G*

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G*

Other eligible devices:

Samsung Galaxy A8s

Samsung Galaxy A30s

Samsung Galaxy A31

Samsung Galaxy A40

Samsung Galaxy A41

Samsung Galaxy A42 5G

Samsung Galaxy A50

Samsung Galaxy A50s

Samsung Galaxy A51

Samsung Galaxy A51 5G

Samsung Galaxy A60

Samsung Galaxy A70

Samsung Galaxy A70s

Samsung Galaxy A71

Samsung Galaxy A71 5G

Samsung Galaxy A80

Samsung Galaxy A90s

Samsung Galaxy A90 5G

Samsung Galaxy Note9

Samsung Galaxy Note10*

Samsung Galaxy Note10+*

Samsung Galaxy Note10 Lite*

Samsung Galaxy S9

Samsung Galaxy S9+

Samsung Galaxy S10

Samsung Galaxy S10+

Samsung Galaxy S10e

Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite

Samsung Galaxy S20*

Samsung Galaxy S20+*

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE*

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra*

¹ Android 11 availability depends on your mobile device, market availability, and your mobile provider.

Samsung Note10 series

Samsung Galaxy Note20 series

Samsung Galaxy S10 series

Samsung Galaxy S20 series

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

RCS messaging availability is varied

Whether RCS messaging is available to you also depends on the mobile operator network that you use and the country you live in.