How to Add Phone Link to Windows 11 Start Menu

Add or Remove Phone Link from the Start Menu

You can add or remove the Phone Link app from your Windows 11 Start menu using the Settings app. This allows you to quickly see your phone’s status right from the main menu. Follow a few steps to decide 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.

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

Using the Windows Registry (Advanced)

Advanced users can control the visibility of Phone Link in the Windows 11 Start menu by editing the Windows Registry. This method requires administrator permissions, so proceed carefully. The registry is a powerful tool that lets you make detailed changes to Windows' operation.

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`.

To turn the Phone Link feature on, double-click the IsEnabled setting in the registry editor. Change its value to 1 to activate the feature, or set the value to 0 to deactivate it.

5. Restart your computer to apply the changes.

Summary

Adding Phone Link to your Windows 11 Start menu improves how your phone and PC work together. You can manage this setting through either the Settings app or the Registry Editor.

Reference: Microsoft.com