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Windows 11 does not normally offer Phone Link as a removable app. Microsoft’s current support position is that Phone Link is deeply integrated with Windows and “can’t be uninstalled.” As a result, Settings > Apps > Installed apps may show Phone Link without an Uninstall button, or the button may be disabled.
You have two practical choices: sign out on both devices to stop the phone connection without removing the app, or use an elevated PowerShell command to remove the Phone Link package. The PowerShell method is documented in a Microsoft Q&A answer, not in Microsoft’s official support article, so treat it as an advanced removal method rather than a formally supported Windows setting.
Option 1: Stop Phone Link without uninstalling it
This is the safest and officially supported approach. It disconnects your phone from Windows and stops Phone Link from synchronizing notifications, messages, calls, and other phone data, while leaving the Windows app installed.
1. Sign out on the Windows 11 PC
- Open Phone Link from the Start menu.
- Select the Settings gear.
- Open Devices.
- Find the Microsoft account used by Phone Link and select Sign out.
2. Sign out on the phone
The exact steps depend on how Link to Windows is installed on your Android phone.
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| Android setup | Steps |
|---|---|
| Link to Windows is preinstalled | Open Settings > Connected Devices > Link to Windows > About Link to Windows. Select the Microsoft account, scroll to Link to Windows, then select Remove account. |
| Link to Windows was downloaded separately | Open Link to Windows > Settings > Accounts, select the Microsoft account, and choose Sign out. |
Microsoft says the phone is removed only after you sign out from both Link to Windows and Phone Link. If you later want to use the connection again, you must sign in and repeat the pairing process.
Option 2: Remove Phone Link with PowerShell
If you want the app removed from the current Windows installation, use PowerShell with administrator permissions. This removes the Windows-side Phone Link package. It does not uninstall the Link to Windows component from your phone.
Before you start
- Sign out of Phone Link and Link to Windows first if you want to disconnect the account cleanly.
- Close Phone Link and any open Settings windows.
- Use an administrator account.
- Save the command exactly as shown. The package is called
Microsoft.YourPhone, even though the app is displayed as Phone Link.
Removal steps
- Open Start and type PowerShell.
- Right-click Windows PowerShell or PowerShell, then select Run as administrator.
- Approve the User Account Control prompt.
- Run this command:
Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.YourPhone -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage- Press Enter.
- Restart Windows 11 and check the Start menu to confirm that Phone Link is no longer available.
The -AllUsers switch matters on computers with multiple accounts or a package installed for more than the currently signed-in user. A command that checks only the current user may appear to do nothing in those cases.
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What removing Phone Link disables
After removal, the PC-side Phone Link features are unavailable. You will no longer be able to use Windows to:
- Synchronize the phone with the PC through Phone Link
- View phone notifications
- Read or send SMS messages
- Make or manage phone calls from the PC
Your phone itself is not reset, and removing the Windows package does not delete unrelated data from the phone.
Why the Uninstall button is missing in Settings
The commonly suggested path is Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Phone Link > … > Uninstall. That path is not reliable for Phone Link. On current Windows 11 installations, the menu may have no Uninstall entry, or the entry may be unavailable.
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This is not necessarily a permissions problem or a fault with your Windows edition. Microsoft describes Phone Link as an integrated Windows component and does not provide a supported Settings procedure for removing it. Its explanation does not limit this behavior to a particular edition such as Home, Pro, Enterprise, or Education.
If PowerShell does not remove Phone Link
The command returns no result
First check that PowerShell was opened with Run as administrator. Then confirm that the command contains Microsoft.YourPhone and the -AllUsers switch. Current community reports suggest that user-scoped commands can fail when the app is provisioned for another account or installed system-wide. These reports are anecdotal, so there is no guarantee that the command will work on every Windows 11 build.
Phone Link comes back later
Some users report that Phone Link returns after Windows or Microsoft Store servicing. The available Microsoft sources do not document a supported policy for permanently blocking the app from being reinstalled. If it returns, run the removal command again or leave it installed and use the sign-out method to keep the phone disconnected.
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How to reinstall Phone Link
If you remove the app and later change your mind, reinstall it from the Microsoft Store by searching for Phone Link. The same Microsoft Q&A answer also provides a PowerShell registration command for cases where the package still exists but the app is not properly registered:
Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.YourPhone -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml"}Run that command from an elevated PowerShell window. If it does not restore the app, use the Microsoft Store listing instead.
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Which method should you use?
| Goal | Best method |
|---|---|
| Stop syncing your phone | Sign out on both the PC and phone. |
| Remove the Windows app package | Use the administrator PowerShell command. |
| Avoid unsupported changes | Keep Phone Link installed and sign out. |
| Reconnect later | Sign in and pair again, or reinstall from Microsoft Store if necessary. |
FAQ
Can Phone Link be uninstalled from Windows 11 Settings?
Not reliably. Microsoft’s current support position is that Phone Link is integrated into Windows and cannot be uninstalled through the normal Settings interface. The Uninstall control may be missing or disabled.
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What is the PowerShell command to remove Phone Link?
Open PowerShell as administrator and run Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.YourPhone -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage. The package name is Microsoft.YourPhone, although the app is called Phone Link in Windows.
Does removing Phone Link remove Link to Windows from my phone?
No. The PowerShell command removes the Windows-side package. To disconnect the phone account, sign out of both Phone Link on the PC and Link to Windows on the phone.
Will I lose my phone messages or photos by removing Phone Link?
Removing the Windows app disables Phone Link features on the PC. It does not reset the phone or delete unrelated data stored on it.
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Can I reinstall Phone Link after removing it?
Yes. Search for Phone Link in Microsoft Store and install it again. If the package remains on the computer but is not registered correctly, you can also try the Add-AppxPackage registration command shown above.
The Bottom Line
For a supported, low-risk solution, sign out of Phone Link on the PC and Link to Windows on the phone. If you specifically want the Windows package removed, run Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.YourPhone -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage in administrator PowerShell. The command is reported in Microsoft Q&A, but Microsoft’s official support documentation does not present it as a standard uninstall method, and Windows or Microsoft Store servicing may restore the app later.
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