How to fix
Phone Link clipboard not working
on Windows

Hello. I tried to use the Phone Link clipboard feature but it is not working. How do I fix it?

Phone Link is a Microsoft app that connects your Android or iOS phone to your computer. This app allows you to receive and make calls, send and receive texts, access photos and files, and use the phone's apps directly on the computer. Phone Link includes clipboard syncing as one of its features. This feature allows you to copy and paste text between your phone and your Windows device, making data transfer between the two devices more seamless.

However, users may occasionally encounter problems with the Phone Link clipboard not working. This problem can be caused by a variety of factors, including outdated app versions, connectivity issues, or third-party antivirus programs that prevent the clipboard syncing feature from working.

Users may find it difficult to transfer data between their phone and Windows device when the Phone Link clipboard is not working, which can have an impact on productivity and workflow. For example, if you copy important information on your phone but are unable to paste it on your computer, you may have to rely on alternative methods such as emailing or using a USB drive to transfer the data, which can be time-consuming and inconvenient.

There are several possible solutions that users can try to resolve the Phone Link clipboard not working issue, including installing the most recent version of the app, checking the device's internet connectivity, temporarily disabling third-party antivirus programs, resetting or repairing the app, and ensuring that the app's permissions are enabled.

In this guide, you will find 6 steps that should help you fix Phone Link clipboard not working. You can also try using a maintenance tool like [d1] that can fix most system errors, BSODs,[ref en-1] corrupted files, and registry[ref en-2] issues. Otherwise, follow the step-by-step instructions below.

Method 1. Allow to Run in Background

• Open the Settings app on your device.
• Click on the Apps & features option.
• Scroll down and locate Phone Link from the list of installed apps.
• Click the three-dot menu button located next to Phone Link.

• Select Advanced options from the drop-down menu that appears.
• Click on the Background apps permissions option.
• From the drop-down menu that appears, select Always.
• Close the settings app.

Method 2. Reset or Repair Phone Link

• Open the Settings app on your Windows device.
• Click on the Apps option.
• Locate the Phone Link app from the list of installed apps and click on it.
• Click on the Advanced options link.
• Scroll down to the Repair section and click on the Repair button.
• Wait for the repair process to complete.
• If this did not help, press the Reset button.

Method 3. Enable Data Sharing Across Linked Devices

• Open the Settings app on your Windows PC.
• Click on the System option.
• Select Shared experiences from the list of options.
• Click on Share across devices to view the sharing settings.

• Select the My devices only radio button to restrict sharing to only your own devices.
• Make sure that you are using the same Microsoft user account on both your Windows PC and your Android mobile device where the Phone Link app is installed.
• If you are not using the same Microsoft account on both devices, log out of the accounts and log back in using the same account on both devices.
• Close the Settings app.

Method 4. Disable Third-Party Antivirus

Disabling a third-party antivirus program may help fix the Phone Link clipboard not working issue because antivirus software is designed to protect the system from unauthorized access, including blocking or limiting certain features of apps that access system resources. Sometimes, the antivirus software may detect the Phone Link app as a potential threat, or it may block its access to system resources, including the clipboard.

As a result, when you copy something to the clipboard on your phone, it may not sync with your Windows device through the Phone Link app, causing the clipboard not working issue. By disabling the third-party antivirus temporarily, you can determine whether it is causing the issue. If the clipboard syncing works after disabling the antivirus, you may need to add the Phone Link app to the antivirus exception list or configure the antivirus settings to allow it to access system resources.

Method 5. Enable Clipboard Sync

• Open the Settings app on your device.
• Click on the System option.
• Select Clipboard from the list of options.
• Toggle on the Sync Across Devices option.

• Select the Automatically sync text that I copy option.
• Close the Settings app.

Method 6. Reinstall Phone Link

• Open the Windows search box by clicking on the Windows logo on your taskbar or pressing the Windows key on your keyboard.
• Type PowerShell in the search box.
• Right-click on Windows PowerShell in the search results and select Run as administrator.
• Enter the following command in the PowerShell window:

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

• This will uninstall the Phone Link app from your device.
• Open the Microsoft Store.
• Search for the Phone Link app and select it from the search results.
• Click on the Install button to reinstall the Phone Link app.
• Wait for the installation to complete and then close the Microsoft Store.