How to turn off Phone Link Recent Apps from Windows 11 notification area

Phone Link Recent Apps is a feature in Windows 11 version 22H2 and later that displays your mobile phone app icons directly in the notification area 🔔 and taskbar for quick device switching. Turning off this feature stops phone notifications and app shortcuts from crowding your screen.

Hiding these phone shortcuts takes only a few clicks inside your Windows settings. Open the Phone Link app on your PC, go to settings ⚙️, and turn off the option for recent apps to keep your desktop clean.

Step 1Open the Phone Link App

Open the Phone Link app by typing Phone Link into the Windows search bar 🔍 on your taskbar 🖥️ and clicking the app result when it appears. You can also open it from your Start menu ⊞ if you pinned it there before. This brings up the main settings window where you can change how your phone and computer connect.

1. Locate the Phone Link app. You can usually find it by typing “Phone Link” into the Windows search bar and clicking on the app when it appears.
2. Alternatively, if you’ve pinned it to your Start menu ⊞ or taskbar, you can open it from there.

Step 2Navigate to Settings

Click the gear icon in the top right corner to open the settings ⚙️ panel.

1. Look for the settings ⚙️ icon within the Phone Link app. It’s often represented by a gear or cogwheel icon.
2. Click on this icon to open the Phone Link settings panel.

Step 3Access the Features Section

In the Phone Link settings, look for the ‘Features’ section to manage app-related options.

1. In the settings ⚙️ menu, find and click on the “Features” option. This section typically contains toggles and options for different aspects of the Phone Link experience, like calls, messages, photos, and apps.

Step 4Locate the “Apps” Setting

Locate the Apps setting in Phone Link by clicking the gear icon for settings and selecting the Apps tab from the menu. This section controls which of your phone’s applications can send notifications or appear on your Windows computer screen, allowing you to manage your connected devices easily.

1. Look for a heading or a specific option labeled "Apps" or something similar.
2. Underneath this "Apps" section, you should see an option that controls the display of recently used apps in the Windows notification area.

Step 5Turn Off "Show recently used apps"

Turn off recent apps by finding the toggle switch for Show recently used apps in Windows notification area and clicking it to the off position. This stops your phone's recently opened applications from popping up on your computer screen, keeping your taskbar and notification area clean.

1. Find the toggle switch or checkbox associated with "Show recently used apps in Windows notification area" (or a very similar phrasing).
2. Click on the toggle switch to turn it off. It will usually change color or move to an "off" position to indicate it's disabled.

Reference:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/use-apps-from-your-android-device-on-your-pc-07d3d029-236e-e71f-3561-d40d7491d435

Conclusion

Disabling recent apps in the Windows 11 notification area keeps your workspace tidy and your experience smoother.