How to Add Phone Link to Windows 11 Start Menu

Add or Remove Phone Link from the Start Menu

The Settings ⚙️ app handles adding or removing the Phone Link app from your Windows 11 Start menu ⊞. Checking phone status directly from the main menu becomes possible through this method. Following a few steps determines if Phone Link appears there.

1. Open the Settings app by clicking the Start menu ⊞ or pressing the Win+I.
2. Select Personalization from the left-hand menu.

3. Click on the Start option on the right side.

4. Locate 'Show mobile device in Start' and toggle the switch to your preferred setting.

Turning the Phone Link feature on places your phone as a shortcut on your Windows 11 Start menu, offering instant access to its apps and notifications.

Using the Windows Registry (Advanced)

Advanced users control the visibility of Phone Link in the Windows 11 Start menu by editing the Windows Registry. Administrator permissions are required for this method, demanding careful execution. Windows Registry handles low-level system settings, acting as a master database for the operating system.

1. Open the Windows Registry by searching for it in the Start menu.
2. Navigate to this path in the Registry Editor:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Start\Companions\Microsoft.YourPhone_8wekyb3d8bbwe

3. Look for the `IsEnabled` value in the right-hand pane. If it's not present, right-click in the empty space, choose `New`, then `DWORD (32-bit) Value`, and name it `IsEnabled`.

Enabling the Phone Link feature requires double-clicking the IsEnabled setting in the registry editor. Changing its value to 1 activates the feature, while setting the value to 0 deactivates it.

5. Restart your computer to apply the changes.

Summary

Adding Phone Link to your Windows 11 Start menu refines how your phone and PC work together. Managing this setting happens through either the Settings app or the Registry Editor.

Reference: Microsoft.com