How to Show Phone Links Notifications on Windows 11 Taskbar
Phone Link is a built-in Windows 11 tool that connects your phone to your PC over Bluetooth so you can see text messages, missed calls, and app alerts directly on your taskbar. Turning on this feature lets you check phone updates in real time without picking up your device or looking away from your screen.
Open the Phone Link app, click the Settings gear icon, navigate to General, and toggle on “Show badges for unread messages and notifications on your PC’s taskbar.” This displays alerts directly on your taskbar icons.
Why Control Notification Badges?
Controlling notification badges on your Windows 11 taskbar helps maintain focus by reducing distractions from constant alerts.
How to Turn Notification Badges On or Off in Phone Link
Managing Windows 11 taskbar notifications for your mobile device requires changing a few settings inside the Phone Link app. You can control whether small red badges appear on your app icons to show you unread texts and missed calls. Open the app, go to Settings , and adjust the features under the features list to turn these alert badges on or off whenever you want.
Step 2: If you haven’t paired a device yet, follow the on-screen prompts to set one up. Connected already? Click the gear icon in the top-right corner to open Settings .
Step 3: Click on ‘General’ in the menu that appears.
Step 4: Scroll down on the right side until you find the ‘Badges’ section.
Step 5: Look for the option that says "Show badges for unread messages and notifications on your PC's taskbar." A toggle switch sits next to this setting.
Step 6: Move the switch to the 'On' position to activate badges, or flip it to the 'Off' position to disable them.
Step 7: Changes save automatically. The app can now be closed.
Troubleshooting Missing Notifications
Troubleshooting steps resolve the issue if Windows 11 taskbar notifications fail to appear.
How to restart Windows Explorer:
Step 1: Press `Ctrl + Shift + Esc` to open Task Manager.
Step 2: Find `Windows Explorer` in the list of processes.
Step 3: Right-click it and select `Restart`. This refreshes your taskbar and system tray icons.
Customizing Your Taskbar Behavior
Hide the taskbar automatically or change its icon alignment through the main Taskbar settings if you want a cleaner workspace.
Summary
Tidying Windows 11 taskbar notifications requires adjusting badge settings and fixing common glitches to maintain a clean, productive desktop.
Why are my 🪟 Windows 11 taskbar notifications not showing up?
Windows 11 taskbar notifications may fail to appear if Focus Assist or Do Not Disturb mode is active, or if the Windows Explorer process requires a restart.
How do I stop taskbar icons from flashing in 🪟 Windows 11?
Stopping flashing taskbar icons in Windows 11 generally requires addressing the pending action or alert inside the specific app causing the flash.
What is the difference between notification badges and toast notifications?
Notification badges are the small numbers or dots appearing on top of an app icon in the taskbar to indicate unread items. Toast notifications are the pop-up banners that show up in the corner of your screen with alerts and info from your apps or the system.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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