Microsoft Phone Link makes it easy to stay connected by allowing you to send and receive text messages, view notifications, make calls, and access photos from your Android or iPhone directly on your Windows 11 PC. However, some users encounter an issue where Phone Link stops receiving new messages or fails to display messages they’ve sent, making it difficult to keep conversations synchronized across devices.

This problem can occur for several reasons, including permission issues, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity problems, battery optimization settings, outdated versions of Phone Link or Link to Windows, or temporary syncing glitches. In some cases, the messaging service may work on your phone but fail to update properly in the Phone Link app.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the most effective methods to fix Phone Link not receiving messages or showing sent messages on Windows 11.

How to Fix Phone Link Not Receiving Messages or Showing Sent Messages

Before you begin troubleshooting, ensure that both your Windows 11 PC and your phone are connected to a stable internet connection. Also, verify that your phone remains unlocked during the initial synchronization and that Phone Link and Link to Windows have all the required permissions. Follow the methods below in order, starting with the simplest solutions before moving on to more advanced fixes.

1. Restart Your PC and Phone

Temporary software glitches can interrupt communication between Phone Link and your mobile device.

1. Save any open work on your PC.
2. Restart your Windows 11 computer.
3. Restart your Android phone or iPhone.
4. Open Phone Link again after both devices have restarted.
5. Check whether messages are syncing normally.

A simple restart refreshes system services and often resolves temporary syncing issues.

2. Check Your Internet Connection

Phone Link requires both your PC and phone to have an active internet connection for message synchronization.

1. Connect your PC to a stable Wi-Fi or Ethernet network.
2. Ensure your phone is connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data.
3. Open a web browser on both devices to verify internet access.
4. Reopen Phone Link and check if messages appear.

Poor or unstable network connectivity can delay or prevent message synchronization.

3. Verify Phone Link Permissions

Missing permissions can prevent Phone Link from accessing your SMS messages.

On Your Android Phone

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Apps > Link to Windows.
3. Tap Permissions.
4. Allow access to:
   • SMS
   • Contacts
   • Phone
   • Notifications
5. Return to the app and refresh the connection.

Granting all required permissions ensures Phone Link can sync your messages properly.

4. Refresh the Phone Link Connection

The connection between your PC and phone may become out of sync over time.

1. Open Phone Link on your PC.
2. Click the Settings icon.
3. Select your connected phone.
4. Choose Refresh or Reconnect, if available.
5. Wait for synchronization to complete.

Refreshing the connection often restores missing conversations.

5. Update Phone Link and Link to Windows

Older versions of either app may contain bugs that affect message synchronization.

Update Phone Link on Windows

1. Open the Microsoft Store.
2. Click Library.
3. Select Get updates.
4. Install any available update for Phone Link.

Update Link to Windows on Android

1. Open the Google Play Store.
2. Search for Link to Windows.
3. Tap Update if available.

Using the latest versions ensures compatibility between both devices.

6. Disable Battery Optimization for Link to Windows

Battery-saving features may prevent the Link to Windows app from syncing messages in the background.

1. Open Settings on your Android phone.
2. Go to Apps > Link to Windows.
3. Tap Battery.
4. Select Unrestricted or Don’t optimize, depending on your device.
5. Restart the app.

This allows the app to continue syncing messages even when running in the background.

7. Sign Out and Sign Back In

Problems with your Microsoft account can interrupt synchronization.

1. Open Phone Link.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Sign out of your Microsoft account.
4. Restart the application.
5. Sign back in using the same account linked to your phone.

This refreshes the authentication session between your devices.

8. Unlink and Reconnect Your Phone

If syncing has stopped completely, reconnecting your phone often resolves the issue.

1. Open Phone Link.
2. Go to Settings > My Devices.
3. Remove your connected phone.
4. Open Link to Windows on your phone.
5. Sign in again.
6. Pair the phone with your PC by following the on-screen instructions.

A fresh connection rebuilds the synchronization database.

9. Check Windows Notification Permissions

Phone Link relies on notification services for certain messaging features.

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Go to System > Notifications.
3. Ensure Phone Link is allowed to send and receive notifications.
4. Restart the application.

Proper notification permissions improve communication between Windows and your phone.

10. Repair or Reset the Phone Link App

If the app itself has become corrupted, repairing or resetting it may restore normal functionality.

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Navigate to Apps > Installed apps.
3. Find Phone Link.
4. Click the three-dot menu and select Advanced options.
5. Click Repair.
6. If the issue persists, return and click Reset.

Repairing fixes damaged app files without affecting your Microsoft account.

11. Reinstall Phone Link

If none of the previous methods work, reinstalling Phone Link can replace corrupted application files.

1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
2. Locate Phone Link.
3. Uninstall the application.
4. Restart your computer.
5. Reinstall Phone Link from the Microsoft Store.
6. Pair your phone again.

A clean installation often resolves persistent synchronization problems.

Conclusion

If Phone Link is not receiving messages or showing sent messages on Windows 11, the issue is usually caused by missing permissions, connectivity problems, battery optimization, or temporary synchronization errors. In most cases, updating both Phone Link and Link to Windows, refreshing the connection, or reconnecting your phone is enough to restore message syncing.

If the problem persists after trying all the methods above, repair or reinstall the Phone Link app and ensure both devices are running the latest software updates. Once everything is configured correctly, Phone Link should synchronize your conversations seamlessly, allowing you to send and receive messages directly from your Windows 11 PC.