aka.ms/linkphone explained

What Phone Link does

Phone Link is a Microsoft app that comes with most Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs. Once your phone is paired, Microsoft says you can read and reply to texts, view recent photos, make and receive calls and manage phone notifications from the PC, and with supported Android devices you can also use phone apps on the PC. On Android, the phone side is the Link to Windows app, which is preinstalled on some devices and otherwise available from Google Play or the Samsung Galaxy Store.

The family of Phone Link short links

Several aka.ms links belong to Phone Link, and they do not all behave like normal web links. This is what we saw when we tested them in October 2026:

That explains a common complaint: open aka.ms/linkphone on a phone or a Mac and it seems to do nothing. The link is meant to launch an app on a Windows PC, so it only works there, and only if Phone Link is installed. Your browser may ask permission to open the app first.

What you need

• A Windows PC. For Android, Microsoft lists Windows 10 (October 2022 update or later) or Windows 11, and recommends the latest Windows 11. Microsoft states Phone Link is only available on PCs running Windows 10 or Windows 11.
• An Android phone running Android 10 or later, on the same Wi-Fi network as the PC during setup; or an iPhone, which connects over Bluetooth. Microsoft publishes the current iPhone and PC requirements on its setup page, so check there for the latest versions.
• A personal Microsoft account. Microsoft notes that Phone Link does not currently support work or school accounts, or multiple Android profiles.

How to pair an Android phone

1. On the PC, open Phone Link — search for it from the taskbar, or open aka.ms/linkphone. Sign in with your Microsoft account if asked.
2. On the phone, open a browser and go to aka.ms/yourpc (the PC shows this address) to install or open Link to Windows.
3. Sign in to Link to Windows with the same Microsoft account you used on the PC.
4. Back on the PC, confirm the app is ready and choose Pair with QR code. A QR code appears. If you prefer, choose Pair manually and enter a code on the phone instead.
5. Scan the QR code with the camera inside Link to Windows (not your regular camera app), then allow the permissions the app asks for and finish the prompts.

On Android 13 and later you also need to allow notifications for Link to Windows. Microsoft explains that this permission is what lets content and notifications move between the two devices.

If pairing is not working

• The link does nothing: make sure you are on a Windows PC with Phone Link installed. Microsoft says it is available by default on most Windows 10 and 11 PCs and can be turned on from Settings by searching for Phone Link.
• The QR code will not scan: scan from inside Link to Windows, and allow the app to use the camera when asked.
• The codes do not match: Microsoft blocks linking after more than three failed attempts. Close and reopen Phone Link on the PC and start again from there.
• Nothing syncs: check both devices are on, nearby and on the same Wi-Fi network, and signed in to the same Microsoft account.
• You are using a work account: switch to a personal Microsoft account, since work or school accounts are not supported.

Privacy and control

Pairing gives the PC access to content from your phone, so only link a PC you own and trust. In Phone Link settings you can turn individual features — messages, photos, calls, notifications and others — on or off, and you can unlink a device at any time.

Other links in the same family are listed in our aka.ms links directory, and our guide on how to use an aka.ms link covers the basics.

Sources

• Microsoft Support: Phone Link requirements and setup
• Microsoft Support: Troubleshooting setup for the Phone Link
• Microsoft Support: Troubleshooting the Phone Link