How to fix Phone Link app error 37 in Windows?

Phone Link error 37 appears when you open one of your Android phone's apps on the PC and the session to the phone drops. Messages and calls often keep working, because Apps needs a live Wi-Fi link. Unlock and wake both devices first, then check that they share one Wi-Fi network.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What Phone Link error 37 means

Phone Link is the Windows app that links an Android phone to the PC. On supported phones its Apps feature runs the phone's apps in a window on the PC. The phone does the work and sends the picture over Wi-Fi to the PC, through the Link to Windows app.

Error 37 shows up at the moment you open such an app. Users on Microsoft Q&A quote the message as Something's not quite right. Wait a few moments, then try again. with Error Code: 37 under it. Microsoft's own page calls the same situation a "Something went wrong" error and says it usually means the phone and the PC have lost the connection to each other.

Why Phone Link error 37 happens, most likely first

• Most often: one side is locked, asleep or out of reach. Microsoft lists a locked PC, a phone out of Wi-Fi range and a phone in airplane mode as reasons for this error (Fix 1).
• Often: the two devices are not on the same network. Apps works only when both are on the same Wi-Fi. A 2.4 GHz and a 5 GHz network with different names count as two, and a VPN or firewall can block the link (Fix 3).
• Often: battery saving. Microsoft asks for Battery Saver off on both devices and says battery optimization on some phones interrupts the connection (Fix 4).
• Sometimes: the app itself. Some apps block casting, and apps in a work or second profile do not appear at all (Fix 2).
• Rarely: account or app damage. A broken account in Shared experiences, an old Phone Link or Link to Windows, or a damaged Phone Link install (Fix 5, Fix 6, Fix 7).

How to fix Phone Link error 37

Start with Fix 1; it is the cause Microsoft names first and takes two minutes. If only one app fails, go to Fix 2. If error 37 comes back on every try, work down from Fix 3.

Fix 1. Unlock the PC, wake the phone and open the app again

2 minutesNo riskError 37 appeared after the PC locked, the phone screen went dark, or the phone was in another room.

Microsoft's answer to this error is that the two devices lost the connection, and the first reasons it lists are a locked PC, a phone out of Wi-Fi range and airplane mode. Clearing those restores the session.

1. Unlock the PC with your password, PIN or Windows Hello.
2. Pick up the phone, wake it and unlock it.
3. Check that Airplane mode is off on the phone.
4. Bring the phone close to your Wi-Fi router, or at least into the same room as the PC.
5. In Phone Link, close the app window that showed error 37 and open the app again from Apps.

Fix 2. Check whether the app itself can be shown on the PC

2 minutesNo riskOne Android app fails or shows a black window, while other apps open.

Microsoft says some apps block casting to other screens and some apps may not work in Phone Link at all. Testing a second app tells you in two minutes whether the link or the app is the problem.

1. In Phone Link, open Apps and start a simple app such as the phone's own Settings or Calculator.
2. If that app opens, the link is fine and the first app is the problem.
3. If the failing app was pinned to Start or the taskbar, unpin it, open it once from the Apps list in Phone Link, then pin it again.
4. If the app sits in a work profile or a second Android profile, open it on the phone instead.

Fix 3. Put the phone and the PC on the same Wi-Fi network

5 minutesNo riskEvery app fails, the phone may be on mobile data, or your router has two networks.

Microsoft states that Apps works only when both devices are on and connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Two band names, mobile data or a VPN put them out of reach of each other, even when both have internet.

1. On the phone, open Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi, check that Wi-Fi is On and that the status says Connected. Note the network name.
2. On the PC, open Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi and check that Wi-Fi is On and the same network is connected.
3. If your router shows two names, for example one for 2.4 GHz and one for 5 GHz, connect both devices to the same one.
4. If a VPN is running on the phone or the PC, pause it for one test, open the app again, then turn the VPN back on.
5. At work, school or on hotel Wi-Fi, try a home network or a phone hotspot that the PC joins.

If the PC has no internet at all, fix that first; the full set of checks is here: How to check your internet connection in Windows.

Fix 4. Turn off Battery Saver on both devices and battery optimization for Link to Windows

3 minutesNo riskError 37 comes back after a pause, or Battery Saver is on on the phone or the PC.

Microsoft asks for Battery Saver off on both sides and says battery optimization on some phones interrupts the connection. A paused Link to Windows cannot answer when Phone Link asks it to start an app.

1. On the PC, open Settings > System > Power & battery (Windows 10: Settings > System > Battery) and turn Battery saver off.
2. On the phone, turn Battery Saver off from the quick settings.
3. On the phone, open Settings > Apps & notifications > App info > Link to Windows > Advanced > Battery > Manage Battery Usage > Battery optimization.
4. Scroll to Link to Windows and select Don't optimize.
5. On some phones the path is Settings > Apps > Link to Windows > Battery > Optimize battery usage. Select All, find Link to Windows and turn the toggle Off.

Menus differ between phone makers. If you cannot find these names, search the phone's Settings for battery optimization and look for Link to Windows in the list.

Fix 5. Check the Microsoft account on both devices and in Shared experiences

3 minutesNo riskApps works with another PC, or Link to Windows may be signed in with a different account.

Microsoft requires the same Microsoft account in Link to Windows and on the PC, and its connection checklist includes the account check in Shared experiences. A broken account there stops the PC from reaching the phone.

1. On the phone, open Link to Windows and note the Microsoft account it is signed in with.
2. On the PC, open Settings > Accounts > Your info and check that it is the same account.
3. On the PC, open Settings > System > Shared experiences, the path Microsoft gives. If your Settings shows it elsewhere, search Settings for Shared experiences.
4. If you see Fix now under Accounts, select it and follow the steps.
5. Phone Link is not compatible with work or school accounts, so use your personal Microsoft account on both sides.

Fix 6. Update Phone Link on the PC and Link to Windows on the phone

5 minutesNo riskError 37 began after one side updated, or one of the apps has not updated in a long time.

Apps needs Phone Link and Link to Windows to work together, and a fix on one side may need the other side updated too. Updating both is cheap and rules out a version mismatch.

1. On the PC, open Microsoft Store, select Library and then Get updates.
2. Install any update for Phone Link.
3. On the phone, update Link to Windows from Google Play, or from the Galaxy Store on Samsung phones.
4. Restart the PC and the phone, then open an app from Apps again.

Fix 7. Repair or reset Phone Link and link the phone again

10 minutesLow riskFixes 1 to 6 did not help, or apps fail on this PC only.

Repair fixes damaged app files and keeps Phone Link's data. Reset clears its data on this PC, including the stored link to the phone, so the next pairing starts a clean session.

Select Terminate first, then Repair, and test an app. Use Reset only if Repair does not help. After a Reset, open Phone Link and pair the phone again; your messages and photos stay on the phone.

1. Open Installed apps. Select Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
2. Open the app's advanced options. Find the app in the list, select the three dots next to it and select Advanced options. Some apps do not have this option: for those, see the section about desktop programs below.

   

3. Repair first. On the page that opens, select Repair if it is there. The app's data stays. Open the app and check whether it works.

   

4. Reset if Repair did not help. Select Reset. This deletes the app's data on this PC, including sign-in details and settings. Open the app and set it up again.

These steps were written for Windows 11 25H2 and 26H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: How to repair or reset an app in Windows

Still getting Phone Link error 37: what to check

• Does the phone support Apps? Apps is only offered on some Android phones with Link to Windows. If you never had an Apps tab, the feature is not there for your phone.
• Is the network a work or public one? Microsoft says those may block the connection and suggests asking the network administrator at work.
• Does it fail on one PC only? A user on Microsoft Q&A had Apps working on a laptop and failing on a desktop. That points to the failing PC, not the phone.
• Is Samsung Smart Lock in use? Microsoft lists it as a known cause of unlock problems through Phone Link; unlock on the phone instead.

To report it, open Feedback Hub on the PC and give the exact message with Error Code: 37, the Phone Link version, the phone model and Android version, how the PC is connected (Wi-Fi or cable) and which fixes you tried. Microsoft Q&A asks for the same details.

How to keep Phone Link error 37 from coming back

Frequently asked questions

What is Phone Link error 37?

It is the code Phone Link shows when an Android app cannot start on the PC because the session to the phone dropped. Users quote it as "Something's not quite right. Wait a few moments, then try again." with Error Code: 37. Microsoft does not publish a description of the number itself. Its Apps troubleshooting page says this kind of error usually means the phone and the PC lost the connection: a locked PC, Wi-Fi trouble, a phone out of range or in airplane mode.

Why do messages and calls work but apps do not?

Because they use different links. Calls run over Bluetooth between the PC and the phone, while Apps sends the phone's screen to the PC over Wi-Fi, and Microsoft says both devices must be on the same Wi-Fi network for it. So Bluetooth can work while the Wi-Fi session for Apps cannot start. Check the network on both sides first (Fix 3), then battery saving (Fix 4).

What does Phone Link error code 48 mean?

We could not find a Microsoft description of a Phone Link error 48. Search results for that query mostly lead to two other problems: Device Manager's code 48, which is about driver software blocked from starting, and Phone Link blocked by an administrator on a work PC. Neither is the same as error 37. If you see code 48 inside Phone Link while opening an app, the connection checks on this page are the safe place to start.

What should I do first when Phone Link shows an error?

Unlock the PC, wake and unlock the phone, check that airplane mode is off and that the phone is near the router, then open the app again. That covers the reasons Microsoft lists first for a lost connection, and it takes about two minutes. If the error comes back, check that both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network and that battery saving is off on both. The steps are in Fix 1, Fix 3 and Fix 4.

Does Phone Link error 37 mean something is wrong with my phone or laptop?

Usually not. The error is about the link between the two devices, not a fault in either one. Both can work normally on their own and still fail to reach each other because of the network, a lock screen or battery saving. If apps work with the same phone on another PC, the problem sits on the PC that fails: its account, its power settings or its copy of Phone Link (Fix 5 to Fix 7).

Why does one app open as a black screen?

Microsoft says some apps block casting to other screens, and those apps cannot be used on the PC. The black window is not error 37 and no setting on the PC changes it. Use that app on the phone. If every app is black or fails, the problem is the link, and the fixes on this page apply.

Can I use apps from my work profile in Phone Link?

No. Microsoft says Phone Link does not support multiple Android profiles or work accounts, and only apps on your default profile appear. It is also not compatible with work or school Microsoft accounts. If the app you need lives in a work profile, open it on the phone. A work PC may also have Phone Link limited by its administrator, which this page cannot change.

Does this work with an iPhone?

No. The Apps feature that shows error 37 is for Android phones with Link to Windows. An iPhone linked to Phone Link has messages, calls and notifications, but no Apps tab, so this error does not come from it. If you see a similar error with an iPhone, it comes from another feature and the fixes here may not apply.

I searched in another language. Is this the same error?

Yes. Phone Link shows the same error in the language of Windows, so readers who search "erreur 37", "como resolver", "apareceu isso", "помоги", "điện thoại cơ", "اندرويد" or "سامسونج" with a Samsung phone reach this page with the same problem. The fixes are the same in every language; only the menu names are translated. This page is about the Phone Link error code 37, not about a website or app called code37.