Enable or Disable Mobile Device Name in Windows Share

This guide explains how to show or hide your phone’s name when you use the Windows Share menu on Windows 11.

Why would you want to do this? If you frequently share files between your computer and phone, seeing your device name makes it easier to pick the right destination. What happens when you are done? You will have a cleaner Share menu that only shows the devices you actually want to see.

Windows Mobile devices (or Phone Link) lets you connect your mobile devices to your PC. This is useful when you want to transferring files, sending messages, or view phone alerts on your computer screen.

Before you start, you must sign into your Microsoft account to link your phone. Once connected, you can link your Mobile device to Windows and share files to your Android phone directly from the Windows Share window.

How to change your mobile device visibility

Note: This process requires standard user access, but ensure you are logged in with your primary account.

1. Open the Windows Settings app. You can do this by clicking the Start menu and selecting Settings, or by pressing the Windows key + I on your keyboard to open the Settings app.
2. Click on Bluetooth & devices in the left-hand menu.

1. Click the Mobile devices tile on the right side of the screen.

1. Select the Manage devices button under Allow this PC to access your mobile device.

1. Under My devices, click on the phone you want to change to expand the settings.
2. Find the option labeled Show device name in Windows Share.
3. Click the toggle switch to turn it On or Off.

Summary

By following these steps, you can control whether your phone appears in the Windows Share list. Turning this feature on makes it faster to send files to your phone. Turning it off keeps your share menu tidy if you rarely move files to your mobile device. You can change this setting at any time in your Windows Settings.