Windows · Accounts & Family
See and Manage Phones and Devices Linked to Your Microsoft Account
Linked Devices shows phones and other PCs connected to your Microsoft account, enabling features like continuing a browser tab from your phone on this PC, or seeing your phone's photos and notifications through the Link to Windows / Phone Link app.
How to open Linked Devices
- Open Settings > Accounts > Linked devices (or Settings > Mobile devices, depending on Windows version).
- Select 'Add a device' and follow the prompt to scan a QR code with your phone or open the Phone Link app.
- Grant the requested permissions on your phone (notifications, contacts, messages) for the features you want.
- Your phone now appears in Linked Devices, and Phone Link becomes fully functional.
What you should know
- Shows every phone or device currently linked to your Microsoft account for cross-device features.
- Link an Android or iPhone using the Phone Link app for messages, photos, and notification mirroring.
- Remove a linked device here to stop cross-device features without changing anything on the phone itself.
- Cross-device copy-paste and 'continue on PC' features rely on devices listed here.
Why it matters
This is the setting people forget exists but rely on constantly once set up — it's what lets you answer a text message or check a notification without picking up your phone while working on this PC.
Best practices
- Only grant notification and message access to devices you personally own and trust.
- Remove a device from this list promptly if you sell, lose, or replace the linked phone.
- If cross-device copy-paste feels unreliable, confirm Bluetooth is on for both devices — it's used for the nearby-device handshake.
Common problems and fixes
- Phone Link shows 'device not linked' even after setup.
- Confirm both the phone and PC are signed into the same Microsoft account, and that the phone has an active internet connection — linking relies on both being online simultaneously during setup.
- Notifications from the phone stop appearing on the PC.
- Reopen the Phone Link app and confirm notification access permission is still granted on the phone — Android sometimes revokes it after a phone restart or update.
Tips and tricks
- Use the 'continue on PC' feature to hand off a webpage you're reading on your phone straight to this PC's browser.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the same Microsoft account on my phone and PC?
Yes — linking requires both devices to be signed into the same Microsoft account.
Can I link more than one phone?
Yes, Windows supports linking multiple phones, though only one can be the 'active' device for certain features like calling at a time.
Related settings
- Nearby SharingNearby Sharing lets you send files, photos, and links wirelessly to another nearby Windows PC using Bluetooth and WiFi together, without needing a shared network drive, email, or a USB stick. Both the sending and receiving PC need Nearby Sharing turned on and Bluetooth enabled for it to work.
- Your InfoYour Info shows the account currently signed into this PC — your name, profile picture, and whether it's a local or Microsoft account — with quick links to manage your Microsoft account online.
More Accounts & Family guides for Windows
- Family SafetyMicrosoft Family Safety lets you create a family group to manage screen time limits, content filters, spending, and location sharing for children's Windows, Xbox, and mobile devices from one place.
- Email & AccountsEmail & Accounts lists every account — Microsoft, work/school, or other — that your installed apps (Mail, Calendar, OneDrive, and third-party apps) are allowed to use to sync data. You can add new accounts here or remove ones apps no longer need.
- Other UsersOther Users lets you add separate sign-in accounts for other people who share this PC — family members, guests, or coworkers — each getting their own desktop, files, and settings, isolated from yours.
- Access Work or SchoolAccess Work or School lets you connect this PC to an organization's Azure AD / Microsoft Entra environment so you can access company or school email, apps, and resources, and so IT can apply required security policies.
- PasskeysPasskeys let you sign into supported websites and apps using Windows Hello (your face, fingerprint, or PIN) instead of typing a password — they're stored securely on this device and can't be phished or reused if a website is breached.
- Sign-in OptionsSign-in Options controls every way you can sign into this PC — Windows Hello face and fingerprint recognition, PIN, security key, or password — and lets you require sign-in after sleep for extra security.