How to Link Android Mobile Device to Windows 11

What You Need

• A PC running Windows 11. Home and Pro both work, and Phone Link is already installed.
• An Android phone running Android 8.0 or newer. To check, open the phone’s Settings and look under About phone.
• Your phone and PC must be connected to Wi-Fi 📶 network (either directly or through a router). If pairing fails later, a mismatched network is one of the first things to check.

Which Devices Work?

• Android phones running Android 8.0 or newer.
• Link to Windows app version 1.23112.189 or newer. Windows normally updates this app through the Microsoft Store. If your copy is older, update it before you start.

How to Connect Your Android Phone to 🪟 Windows 11

Android users can connect their phones to Windows 11 using the Link to Windows app. You start on the PC, scan a QR code with the phone, then approve a few permissions on the phone.

Keep the phone next to you and unlocked, because you will need it partway through.

Step 1Open the Settings App

1. Press Win+I on the PC.

The Settings ⚙️ app opens.

Step 2Go to Bluetooth & Devices

1. In the Settings ⚙️ app, click Bluetooth 🔷 & devices in the left sidebar.

The device options for the PC appear on the right.

Step 3Select Mobile Devices

1. On the right side, find Mobile devices under Bluetooth 🔷 & devices and click it to expand it.

You should see a toggle that lets the PC access your mobile devices, plus a Manage devices button. If you can’t find the entry, update Windows through Settings › Windows Update 🔃, because older builds of Windows 11 may not show it in this place.

Step 4Manage Your Devices

1. If the toggle for allowing this PC to access your mobile devices is off, turn it on. Without it, the button below may not work.
2. Click the “Manage devices” button under “Allow this PC to access your mobile device.”

A new window opens. It lists any phones already linked to this PC, or it is empty if this is your first one.

Step 5Sign In to Your Microsoft Account

1. If the window asks you to sign in, click the Sign in button. This happens when no Microsoft account is signed in on the PC. Finish the sign-in and return to the window.
2. Click the “Add device” button to link the phone.

If Add device is greyed out, check that the sign-in completed and that the PC is online.

Step 6Scan the QR Code

Leave it open and scan the code with the phone camera in the next steps. If the popup closes or the code stops working, click Add device again to get a fresh one.

Step 7Open Link to Windows on Your Phone

1. On the phone, swipe down from the top of the screen to open the Quick Settings panel.
2. Find the Link to Windows icon.

On many Samsung phones the app is already installed. If you don’t see the icon, swipe down again to expand the panel and look for an edit (pencil) button. Use it to add the Link to Windows tile. On other phones, install the 💿 Link to Windows app from the Google Play Store first.

1. Press and hold the Link to Windows button inside Quick Settings.
2. Select “Sign in using the QR code on your PC.”

The phone camera opens, ready to scan. If prompted, allow the app to use the camera. Point it at the QR code on the PC screen.

Step 8Confirm Your Connection

1. After the scan, check that the verification code on your phone matches the code shown on the PC screen.
2. If the codes match, approve the permission requests that pop up on the phone. These let the PC access your phone content, such as messages, contacts and notifications.

If the codes don’t match, stop and start the pairing again from the PC.

The phone may also ask for special permissions, such as File Access, so you can browse its content from the PC. Follow the on-screen prompts on the phone to grant them. You can skip a permission, but the matching feature in Phone Link won’t work until you grant it. You can change these later in the phone’s app settings.

1. Tap Done on the phone to finish.

Step 9Check Your Windows PC

1. Go back to the mobile devices settings on the PC: Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Mobile devices

The connected phone should now appear in the list as active and ready to use. If it doesn't show up right away, give it a moment, then reopen the page.

Setup is complete. To unlink the phone later, go back to Manage devices in the same Settings page and remove it there. No restart of the PC or phone is needed for linking or unlinking.

Summary

Linking an Android phone to Windows 11 lets you control mobile features directly from the PC. The key requirements are Android 8.0 or newer, a current Phone Link app, and both devices on the same network during pairing. If something fails, check those three things first.