For folks who wish to keep track of the latest text messages right from their PC without hampering the ongoing work, the “Phone Link” feature has been an indispensable asset. In more ways than one, it’s a full-on alternative to Apple’s “iPhone Mirroring”. Once you’ve gone through the basic setup, it works as expected. However, there are times when it goes off track.
Recently, many PC users have complained that the Phone Link is not receiving messages or showing sent messages. So, if you are also wondering why the app has stopped receiving new messages or failed to show up the sent messages, try out these 9 effective solutions to resolve the problem.
How to Fix Phone Link Not Receiving Messages or Showing Sent Messages
So, what stops messages from appearing in the Phone Link app on Windows?
From what I’ve experienced, this syncing issue typically crops up due to several reasons –
- An unstable connection between your phone and PC
- Missing permissions
- Battery optimization
- Outdated apps
- Out of the blue, synchronization errors
- Software bugs
The good thing is that you can resolve this Windows 11 issue by taking care of the key aspects and getting rid of these usual aspects.
1. Verify That Your Phone and PC Are Properly Connected
It’s worth reiterating upfront that the phone Link depends on a stable connection between your Windows PC and your Android phone. As a result, if either device loses its connection, the app is unable to synchronize incoming or outgoing text messages, causing recent conversations to disappear or stop updating.
- To begin, launch Phone Link on your Windows computer.
- Now, confirm that your Android phone shows as Connected.
- Then, unlock your Android phone and open the Link to Windows app.
- Next, verify that the connection status is active and ensure both devices are connected to the internet.
- Next up, turn Wi-Fi or mobile data off and back on if necessary.
- Up next, wait for a few minutes for message synchronization to complete and check whether new messages now appear in Phone Link.
2. Allow All Required SMS Permissions
Bear in mind that the Phone Link can only access your text messages if the Link to Windows app has permission to read and synchronize SMS data. If these permissions are denied or accidentally revoked, the app won’t be able to receive or display messages correctly.
- Head over to Settings on your Android phone > Apps > Link to Windows.
- Tap Permissions > allow SMS permission.
- Make sure to allow Contacts permission as well.
- Be sure to allow Phone permission if requested.
- Then, close the Settings app and launch the Phone Link again to check whether messages sync properly.
3. Disable Battery Optimization for Link to Windows
In order to conserve as much battery life as possible, modern Android devices are designed to automatically restrict background apps. So, ensure that your device is not blocking the path of Link to Windows, preventing it from running in the background and receiving new text messages or syncing sent messages.
- Go to Settings on your Android phone > Apps > Link to Windows > Battery.
- Now, select Unrestricted or Don’t optimize, depending on your phone model.
- Return to the home screen > restart the Link to Windows app and find out if message synchronization has returned to normal.
4. Update Phone Link and Link to Windows
Are you dealing with the outdated versions of either application on your devices? If yes, they may contain bugs or compatibility issues that interrupt message synchronization.
- Navigate to the Microsoft Store on your PC.
- Search for Phone Link and install any available updates.
- After that, open the Google Play Store on your Android phone > Link to Windows and install the latest version.
- Once you have successfully updated the app, restart both devices.
5. Turn Off Battery Saver on Both Devices
Though Battery Saver modes are super handy for preserving the battery life of your device, they have the habit of throttling pivotal features. Note that they can limit background network activity, delay notifications, and pause synchronization services.
- Dive into the Settings app on your Windows PC > System > Power & battery.
- Turn Battery saver off if it is enabled.
- On your Android phone, open Settings > Battery.
- After that, disable Battery Saver or Power Saving Mode.
6. Reconnect Your Android Phone
At times, the connection between your phone and PC tends to get corrupted – especially after updates or network changes. But fret not; removing and reconnecting the device can let you create a fresh pairing and resolve many synchronization problems.
- Navigate to Phone Link on your PC > Settings.
- Remove your connected Android phone > open the Link to Windows app on your phone.
- Sign out if necessary and restart both devices.
- Next up, make sure to pair your phone with Phone Link again and allow all requested permissions.
7. Clear the Link to Windows App Cache
Be warned that the temporary cache files tend to get corrupted over time, making it rather difficult for the app to sync recent SMS conversations correctly. Therefore, it would be apt ot clearing the cache to remove damaged temporary files without deleting your personal data.
- Go to Settings on your Android phone > Apps > Link to Windows > Storage.
- Tap on the Clear cache button and confirm the action.
8. Restart Both Devices
Always remember the power of a simple restart since it has the ability to clear temporary system glitches, refresh wireless connections, and restart background services responsible for message synchronization. Most of the time, it works like a charm in flushing out issues that develop after long periods of uptime.
- Before going any further, do not forget to save your work on your Windows PC.
- Once that’s done, reboot your computer and the Android phone.
- Wait until both devices finish booting > unlock your phone and check if the problem has disappeared.
9. Reset the Phone Link App in Windows
If you still can’t troubleshoot the problem, take a close look at the Windows app. I suspect this app has become corrupted. In this situation, resetting it is the best bet as it allows you to restore its default configuration while removing damaged app data that may be preventing message synchronization.
- Fire up the Settings app on your device > Apps > Installed apps.
- Head over to the Phone Link.
- Click the three-dot menu next to the app > Advanced options.
- Click Reset and confirm the reset.
- Open Phone Link again > sign in and reconnect your Android phone if prompted.
Signing off…
There you have it! I bet these tips have helped you restore life to the Phone Link app. As I said above, you can take control of this classy Windows problem by sorting out the usual suspects. Now that the issue is gone, feel free to share your invaluable feedback with us.
