How to fix Phone Link clipboard not working?

Phone Link copy and paste between an Android phone and a Windows PC works only on supported phones and only after you turn it on inside Phone Link. Most failures are that toggle, a phone that does not support it, or a link that dropped. Open Phone Link, go to Settings > Features and check Cross-device copy and paste first.

Facts checked on 16 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What Phone Link cross-device copy and paste is, and what "not working" looks like

Phone Link is the Windows app that links your phone to the PC. On the phone the partner app is Link to Windows. On supported Android phones, the two apps share one clipboard: what you copy on either device replaces the clipboard on both, and you paste it with the usual shortcuts. Microsoft calls this Cross-device copy and paste.

There is no error message when it fails. You copy a line on the phone, press Ctrl + V on the PC, and the old PC clipboard comes out, or nothing at all. That is why people search for it under many names: Phone Link clipboard, clipboard sync, Link to Windows copy paste, cross device copy and paste.

Why Phone Link copy and paste stops working, most likely first

• Most often: the toggle in Phone Link is off. Microsoft says you must turn the feature on before the first use, and its troubleshooting starts with the same check (Fix 1).
• Often: the phone does not support it. Only Surface Duo and select Samsung, HONOR, OPPO, ASUS, vivo and Xiaomi phones have it. An iPhone or another Android brand has no shared clipboard in Phone Link (Fix 2).
• Often: what you copied is too big or not supported. Only text and images pass. A large block of text may exceed the limit, and Secure Folder content stays on the phone (Fix 3).
• Sometimes: the link between the two apps dropped. Microsoft's answer is to close and reopen Phone Link and Link to Windows, then restart the PC (Fix 4).
• Sometimes: the network. Without Wi-Fi the clipboard syncs only when mobile data syncing is allowed (Fix 5).
• Rarely: account, version or app damage. A different Microsoft account on one side, an old app version, Phone Link not allowed to run in the background, or a damaged install (Fix 6 to Fix 9).

How to fix Phone Link copy and paste not working

Start with Fix 1 and Fix 2; together they explain most cases and take two minutes. If the feature is on and your phone is supported, go down the list. The last three fixes are for the rare case when the app itself is the problem.

Fix 1. Turn on Cross-device copy and paste in Phone Link

1 minuteNo riskAnyone whose phone and PC are linked but copied text does not cross between them.

Microsoft says the feature must be turned on before you use it for the first time, and its troubleshooting starts with this same toggle. A reset or reinstall of Phone Link turns it off again.

1. On the PC, open Phone Link from Start.
2. Select Settings (the gear icon) in the Phone Link window.
3. Open Features.
4. Find Cross-device copy and paste.
5. Turn On the toggle for Allow this app to access and transfer content I copy and paste between my phone and PC.
6. Copy a short word on the phone and press Ctrl + V in Notepad on the PC to test.

In some Phone Link versions the entry sits directly under Settings > Cross-device copy and paste, the path Microsoft's troubleshooting section uses. If you cannot find it under Features, look there.

Fix 2. Check that your phone supports cross-device copy and paste

2 minutesNo riskYou cannot find the toggle, you use an iPhone, or your phone is not a Samsung model.

Microsoft limits the feature to Surface Duo and select Samsung, HONOR, OPPO, ASUS, vivo and Xiaomi phones. On any other phone no setting on the PC makes it work, so checking first saves time.

1. On the phone, open Settings > About phone > Software information (Microsoft writes it as Settings > About > Software Information).
2. On a Samsung phone, check that One UI version is 2.1 or higher.
3. On other brands, compare your model with Microsoft's list in the table below.
4. If you use an iPhone, stop here: Phone Link on iPhone has messages, calls and notifications, but no shared clipboard.

Fix 3. Copy text or a picture in smaller pieces

2 minutesNo riskShort text pastes, but a long text, a file or a large picture does not arrive.

Microsoft says only text and images cross, and that a large section of text that does not paste has likely exceeded the allowed amount. The fix is to send it in parts.

1. Copy one paragraph instead of the whole page and paste it on the other device.
2. If it arrives, copy the rest in a few more parts.
3. For pictures, expect that an image larger than 1 MB arrives resized.
4. For files, use the Share menu with Phone Link on the PC or Send to PC on the phone, not copy and paste.
5. If the text came from a Samsung Secure Folder, move it out of the Secure Folder first.

• Formatting lost: Microsoft says apps read copied text differently, so bold, links or layout may not survive. The text itself still pastes.
• The PC clipboard was replaced: every copy on either device replaces the clipboard on both. Copying something on the phone overwrites what you copied on the PC.
• Secure Folder: you can paste into it, but its content cannot be pasted on the PC, and copying from it still clears the PC clipboard.

Fix 4. Close and reopen Phone Link and Link to Windows, then restart the PC

3 minutesNo riskThe toggle is on, the phone is supported, and nothing pastes in either direction.

When the feature is on and still fails, Microsoft points to a connection issue between the two apps. Reopening both starts a new session, and a restart of the PC is Microsoft's last step for this.

1. On the PC, close the Phone Link window. If Phone Link sits in the system tray, right-click its icon and close it there too.
2. On the phone, close Link to Windows from the recent apps screen.
3. Open Phone Link on the PC and Link to Windows on the phone again.
4. In Phone Link, open Messages or Photos and check that your latest content appears.
5. Test copy and paste. If it still fails, restart the PC and test once more.

Fix 5. Put both devices on the same Wi-Fi or allow syncing over mobile data

3 minutesNo riskCopy and paste works at home but not elsewhere, or the phone is on mobile data.

Microsoft says that with mobile data syncing turned off, copy and paste works only when both the phone and the PC are on Wi-Fi. Phone Link also needs both on the same Wi-Fi network for its setup.

1. On the phone, check that Wi-Fi is on and note the network name.
2. On the PC, check that it is connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
3. If you want the clipboard to work without Wi-Fi, on a phone with Link to Windows built in open Settings > Advanced features > Link to Windows and turn on Use mobile data.
4. On some Android phones the setting is Settings > Sync over mobile data instead.
5. In Phone Link on the PC, check Settings > Features for Sync your content over mobile data and turn it on if you want the same.

Syncing over mobile data uses your data plan, as Microsoft notes. If the PC has no network at all, work through How to check your internet connection in Windows first.

Fix 6. Use the same Microsoft account on the PC and in Link to Windows

5 minutesNo riskThe phone was linked with another account, or you changed accounts on the PC.

Microsoft's setup asks you to sign in to Link to Windows with the same Microsoft account you use on the PC. A phone linked under another account cannot share a clipboard with this PC.

1. On the phone, open Link to Windows and note the Microsoft account it uses.
2. On the PC, open Settings > Accounts > Your info and compare.
3. On the PC, open Settings > System > Shared experiences (search Settings for Shared experiences if you do not see it there) and fix any account problem it reports.
4. If the accounts differ, sign out of Link to Windows and sign in again with the account you use on the PC.
5. Use a personal Microsoft account: Phone Link does not support work or school accounts.

Fix 7. Update Phone Link, Link to Windows and Microsoft Edge

5 minutesNo riskIt stopped after one side updated, or pasting fails mostly in the Edge browser.

The clipboard passes through both apps, so an old version on one side can break it, and Microsoft's troubleshooting adds one more item: if you use Microsoft Edge, update it to the latest version.

1. On the PC, open Microsoft Store, select Library, then Get updates, and install any Phone Link update.
2. On the phone, update Link to Windows from Google Play, or from the Galaxy Store on a Samsung phone.
3. In Edge, open Settings and more > Help and feedback > About Microsoft Edge and let it update.
4. Restart Edge and test copy and paste.

Fix 8. Let Phone Link run in the background

2 minutesNo riskCopy and paste works while Phone Link is open and stops after you close or minimize it.

The shared clipboard needs Phone Link running on the PC. If Windows is set never to let it run in the background, nothing is there to receive the phone's clipboard once the window is closed.

1. On Windows 11, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
2. Find Phone Link, select the three dots (More options) and select Advanced options.
3. Under Background app permissions, set Let this app run in background to Always or Power optimized (recommended), not Never.
4. On Windows 10, open Settings > Privacy > Background apps and check that Phone Link is allowed.

The same setting for any app, with Windows 11 screenshots: Stop apps from running in the background.

Fix 9. Repair or reset Phone Link, and reinstall it if that fails

15 minutesLow riskFixes 1 to 8 did not help, or Phone Link itself behaves oddly on this PC.

Repair fixes damaged app files and keeps its data. Reset clears Phone Link's data, including the stored link and its settings, so the phone is linked again from a clean state.

Select Terminate, then Repair, and test. Use Reset only if Repair does not help. After a Reset, link the phone again and turn the toggle in Fix 1 back on, because a reset turns it off.

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

If Reset does not help, remove Phone Link and install it again. Phone Link's package name is Microsoft.YourPhone. Run the command below in Terminal (Admin), then reinstall Phone Link from Microsoft Store.

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.YourPhone -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage

1. Open Microsoft Store, search for Phone Link and select Install.
2. If Store does not offer it, open Settings, search for Phone Link, select Enable or disable Phone Link and turn the toggle on, as Microsoft describes.
3. Open Phone Link, link the phone again, then turn on Cross-device copy and paste (Fix 1).

More about removing built-in apps with PowerShell: Remove built-in Windows apps with PowerShell.

Phone Link copy and paste still not working: what to check

• Does only the clipboard fail? If Messages, Photos and notifications are current, the link works and the problem is the feature, the phone model or the content you copy.
• Is it a work PC or a work phone profile? Phone Link does not support work or school accounts or multiple Android profiles, and an administrator can limit it.
• Is a third-party security app filtering the PC? Pause its protection for one test with Turn off Microsoft Defender protection for a moment, test copy and paste, and turn it back on. If that fixes it, allow Phone Link in that app's settings instead of leaving protection off.
• Does it fail on one PC only? Then the PC is the place to look: its account, its background setting or its copy of Phone Link (Fix 6, Fix 8, Fix 9).

To report it, open Phone Link Settings and use the feedback form under Feedback & Community, or open Feedback Hub from the taskbar search. Give the phone model, its One UI or Android version, the Phone Link and Link to Windows versions, whether you copy text or a picture, and which fixes you tried.

How to keep Phone Link copy and paste working

Frequently asked questions

Why is Phone Link copy and paste not working?

Most often the Cross-device copy and paste toggle in Phone Link is off. Microsoft says you must turn it on before the first use, under Phone Link Settings > Features. The next common reason is a phone that does not support the feature: only Surface Duo and select Samsung, HONOR, OPPO, ASUS, vivo and Xiaomi phones have it. After that come text that is too long, a dropped link between the apps, and the network. Fix 1 to Fix 5 cover these in that order.

How do I turn on Phone Link clipboard sync?

Open Phone Link on the PC, select Settings, open Features and find Cross-device copy and paste. Turn on the toggle for Allow this app to access and transfer content I copy and paste between my phone and PC. Then copy a word on the phone and paste it on the PC with Ctrl + V to test. If you do not see the entry, your phone may not support the feature; check Fix 2.

Does Phone Link copy and paste work with an iPhone?

No. Microsoft lists cross-device copy and paste only for Surface Duo and select Android phones from Samsung, HONOR, OPPO, ASUS, vivo and Xiaomi. An iPhone linked to Phone Link gets messages, calls and notifications over Bluetooth, but no shared clipboard. No setting on the PC or on the iPhone adds it. To move text from an iPhone to a Windows PC, you need another way, such as a note or message you open on both devices.

Is Link to Windows copy paste the same as Phone Link copy paste?

Yes, it is one feature seen from two sides. Link to Windows is the app on the Android phone and Phone Link is the app on the PC; the clipboard passes between them. So a search for Link to Windows clipboard not working has the same fixes as this page. The toggle is in Phone Link on the PC, while mobile data syncing is set on the phone in Link to Windows.

Can I copy files or pictures with Phone Link cross-device copy and paste?

Pictures yes, files no. Microsoft says only text and images can be copied between the devices, and images above 1 MB are resized. For files, use the Share menu: on the PC, right-click a file, select Share and pick Phone Link; on the phone, share it to Send to PC in Link to Windows. Files from the PC land in the phone's Downloads folder under Sent from your PC.

Why does copied text lose its formatting when I paste it?

Because the apps on each side read copied text in different ways. Microsoft says this is expected: the app you copy from and the app you paste into may not support the same formatting, so bold text, links or layout can be lost. The words still arrive. If you need the formatting, paste into an app that supports rich text, such as Word, or share the document itself instead of copying from it.

Does Phone Link copy and paste use mobile data?

Only if you allow it. Microsoft says the feature exchanges data between the phone and the PC. If mobile data syncing is on and you are not on Wi-Fi, copy and paste uses your data plan. If it is off, copy and paste works only when both devices are on Wi-Fi. On phones with Link to Windows built in, the switch is Settings > Advanced features > Link to Windows > Use mobile data.

Is the Windows clipboard sync setting the same as Phone Link's?

No. Windows has its own clipboard setting under Settings > System > Clipboard, which syncs the Windows clipboard with your Microsoft account. Microsoft's Phone Link pages do not list it as a requirement for copying between your phone and the PC. The switch for the phone feature is in the Phone Link app, under Settings > Features > Cross-device copy and paste, as in Fix 1.

What if my phone does not support cross-device copy and paste?

Then Phone Link cannot share a clipboard with it, and the fixes on this page will not add the feature. Other parts of Phone Link may still work, such as messages and photos. To move text, send it to yourself in a note or chat app you open on both devices. For files on a supported Android phone, use Share with Phone Link or Send to PC instead of the clipboard.