Uninstalling Phone Link on Windows 11 and Windows 10

Phone Link is a Microsoft app that connects your phone to your Windows PC, letting you see notifications, send texts, and view photos from your phone on your computer. If you no longer use it or want to free up space, you can remove it in a few steps. The process differs slightly depending on your Windows version, but both take less than a minute.

On Windows 11, open the Start menu, type "Add or remove programs," and select it. Scroll down to find Phone Link, click it, then click "Uninstall" and confirm. On Windows 10, go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features, find Phone Link in the list, click it, and select "Uninstall."

Key Takeaways

  • Phone Link uninstalls through Settings on both Windows 11 and Windows 10, and the app will be completely removed from your PC.
  • You can reinstall Phone Link later from the Microsoft Store if you change your mind, at no cost.
  • Uninstalling Phone Link does not affect your phone or any data stored on it.
  • If Phone Link does not appear in your programs list, it may be a system app that cannot be uninstalled on your version of Windows.

Step-by-step removal on Windows 11

Open the Start menu by clicking the Windows icon in the bottom left corner of your screen. Type "Add or remove programs" into the search box and select the result that appears. Wait a moment for the full list to load — it may take a few seconds if you have many programs installed.

Scroll down through the alphabetical list until you see Phone Link. Click on it once to select it. A row of options will appear to the right, including an "Uninstall" button. Click "Uninstall," and a confirmation window will pop up asking if you want to remove the app. Click "Uninstall" again to confirm. The app will be removed within seconds.

Step-by-step removal on Windows 10

Click the Start menu and select "Settings" (the gear icon). In Settings, click "Apps" on the left side, then select "Apps & features" from the menu that appears. The list of installed programs will load — this may take a few seconds on older PCs.

Find Phone Link by scrolling or by typing "Phone Link" in the search box at the top. Click on Phone Link to select it, then click the "Uninstall" button that appears. A confirmation window will ask if you want to remove the app. Click "Uninstall" to finish. The removal is complete once the window closes and Phone Link no longer appears in your list.

What happens to your phone after uninstalling

Uninstalling Phone Link from your PC does not change anything on your phone. Your phone will continue to work normally, and no data is deleted from it. The connection between your phone and PC is simply severed — your phone will no longer send notifications or data to your computer.

If you had Phone Link set up to sync notifications or messages, those features will stop working immediately. However, you can turn them back on at any time by reinstalling the app from the Microsoft Store.

Reinstalling Phone Link later

If you uninstall Phone Link and later decide you want it back, you can download it again for free from the Microsoft Store. Open the Microsoft Store app on your PC, search for "Phone Link," and click "Install." The app will download and install in a few minutes, and you can set it up again with your phone.

Your phone will not remember the previous connection, so you will need to go through the setup process again. This typically involves scanning a QR code on your PC with your phone to re-establish the link.

If Phone Link will not uninstall

On some versions of Windows, Phone Link is a built-in system app that cannot be uninstalled through the normal method. If you do not see an "Uninstall" button when you click on Phone Link, this is likely the case. System apps are part of Windows itself and are designed to stay on your PC.

If Phone Link is a system app, you can still disable it so it does not run in the background. In the Phone Link settings page, look for an option to "Turn off" or "Disable" the app. This will prevent it from using resources or sending notifications, even though the app files remain on your PC.

Freeing up space after uninstalling

Phone Link is a small app and does not take up much storage space — typically less than 100 MB. Uninstalling it will free up only a small amount of room on your hard drive. If you are trying to make significant space available on your PC, uninstalling Phone Link alone will not help much, but it is a good start if combined with removing other unused programs.

After uninstalling, you can also run Disk Cleanup to remove temporary files and free up additional space. Open the Start menu, type "Disk Cleanup," and select it. Choose your main drive (usually C:) and click "OK." Check the boxes next to the file types you want to remove, then click "Delete Files."

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I uninstall Phone Link if I am still using it?

Yes, you can uninstall Phone Link at any time, even if it is currently running. Uninstalling will immediately stop all syncing between your phone and PC. If you change your mind later, you can reinstall it from the Microsoft Store.

Will uninstalling Phone Link delete my text messages or photos?

No. Uninstalling Phone Link removes only the app from your PC. Your phone keeps all its data, including messages, photos, and contacts. The app simply stops showing that information on your computer.

Do I need to uninstall Phone Link from my phone too?

Phone Link is a Windows app only — it does not exist as a separate app on your phone. Uninstalling it from your PC is all you need to do. Your phone will automatically stop trying to connect to your PC once the app is gone.

What if I see Phone Link in my system tray but cannot find it in Settings?

If Phone Link appears in your system tray (the icons near the clock), right-click on it and look for a "Close" or "Exit" option. This stops the app from running but does not uninstall it. To fully remove it, search for "Phone Link" in Settings > Apps > Apps & features and uninstall from there.