aka.ms/startlinking — pair your iPhone with Windows (Bluetooth)
Your PC is showing https://aka.ms/startLinking after you chose iPhone and "Continue without a QR code." Here's how to finish pairing your iPhone — it connects over Bluetooth, so the steps differ from Android.
Tested on iPhone · Link to Windows (iOS) 1.26081.28 · Phone Link 1.26071.164.0 · Verified August 30, 2026
You're seeing https://aka.ms/startLinking on your PC — but it's meant to be opened on your iPhone. Typing it into your computer's browser does nothing useful.
Open it on your iPhone and it launches the Link to Windows app to pair over Bluetooth.
Pair your iPhone over Bluetooth
- On your iPhone, turn on Bluetooth, open a browser and go to https://aka.ms/startLinking. Tap to open Link to Windows (install it from the App Store first if needed).
- Choose how to pair: scan the QR code on your PC (this auto-starts Bluetooth pairing — tap Pair), or continue manually and pair your PC from your iPhone's Bluetooth settings.
- Confirm the 6-digit code. Your PC and iPhone each show the same six digits — check they match, then tap Pair on both.
- Sign in and verify your Microsoft account (2FA), and allow the requested permissions. Work both screens together until it connects.
✔ Before you start: turn on Bluetooth on both devices, and put them on the same network for the smoothest connection. Why →
ℹ️ Set expectations first: iPhone gets a deliberately limited Phone Link experience — messages, calls, notifications and photos, but no app mirroring and no full screen mirroring, because Apple reserves deeper integration for its own ecosystem. It also asks for fewer permissions than Android. Full iPhone vs Android comparison →
Video transcript — tap a line to jump to that moment
Pairing an iPhone during Windows' first-run (the out-of-box experience)? Don't — finish Windows setup and reach the desktop first. Bluetooth pairing especially is far steadier once Windows is fully activated and loaded. In my testing, pairing during OOBE is far more confusing and prone to half-connecting, glitching, or failing outright — it goes smoothly nearly every time once you're past setup.
The full walkthrough — every screen, in order (tested on iPhone 17 Pro Max)
This is the complete, current iPhone-to-Windows journey, screen by screen, exactly as it ran on my iPhone 17 Pro Max and a Windows 11 PC. iPhone pairs over Bluetooth, so it differs from Android — and the real screens have specific wording most guides get wrong.
- PC — open Phone Link. Search "Phone Link" in the taskbar search box, press the Windows key (Windows 11 gives Phone Link a pane on the right: "Access your mobile device here" with Android/iPhone options), or open it in your browser with www.aka.ms/PhoneLink or www.aka.ms/LinkPhoneQR — or type ms-phone: in the Run box to launch it directly.
PC — "Access your mobile device here" - PC — choose iPhone. The screen reads "Pair your devices with Bluetooth — scan the QR code with your iPhone camera and allow Link to Windows to use Bluetooth. This code expires in 3 minutes," with Continue manually without a QR code and the iOS 16.0+ note. Leave the PC on this screen and pick up your iPhone — or take that link if you'd rather follow the typed steps in the next step.
PC — "Pair your devices with Bluetooth — scan the QR code with your iPhone camera and allow Link to Windows to use - PC — the manual steps (if you skip the QR). "Pair your devices without a QR code… Step 1: Open a browser on your mobile device and type https://aka.ms/startLinking. Step 2: When prompted, open Link to Windows at the top of the webpage, or Pair with a QR code."
PC — "Pair your devices without a QR code… Step 1: Open a browser on your mobile device and type https://aka.ms/st - iPhone — open the link exactly. In any browser, type https://aka.ms/startLinking straight into the address bar — not the search box. (Typing it as a search adds steps and you may never reach the right page.) You'll see: "Link to Windows — By selecting Get started we will help you get set up… Get started." Tap it.
iPhone — "Link to Windows — By selecting Get started we will help you get set up… Get started." - iPhone — the clipboard choice. Next: "…we will copy information to your clipboard to help you get set up… Continue / Continue without using my clipboard." Picking Continue is smoother; "without clipboard" just adds one extra step later (same overall speed). The App Store page for Link to Windows opens — Download and open it. (If you chose clipboard, it asks "Enable paste from your clipboard" → Enable paste → allow the paste permission.)
iPhone — "…we will copy information to your clipboard to help you get set up… Continue / Continue without using my - iPhone — continue pairing with Bluetooth. Either path lands on: "Continue pairing with Bluetooth — Phone Link requires Bluetooth to access your calls, messages, and notifications. Continue." Tap Continue, Allow Bluetooth access, then it shows "Looking for your PC to start Bluetooth pairing."
iPhone — "Continue pairing with Bluetooth — Phone Link requires Bluetooth to access your calls, messages, and noti - Both screens — confirm the same 6-digit code. Your PC switches to "Pair device? Confirm that this code is shown on your iPhone… Pair," showing a 6-digit code. Your iPhone shows "Bluetooth Pairing Request — [your laptop name] would like to pair… Confirm that the code is shown…" Tap Pair on both, matching the code.
PC and iPhone — "Pair device? Confirm that this code is shown on your iPhone… Pair," - iPhone — devices paired, set up file sharing. "Your devices are paired — Share files between your iPhone and PC… Set up file sharing / Set up later." Allow notifications if asked. (Choosing Set up later still links your iPhone, but file sharing won't be active — you'll finish it later via aka.ms/addAccount.)
iPhone — "Your devices are paired — Share files between your iPhone and PC… Set up file sharing / Set up later." - Both — sign in to link the account. The PC checks your Microsoft account; the iPhone shows "Link your iPhone to your Microsoft account… Continue," then you sign in. It auto-selects the account already on your PC — make sure it matches. Then "Linking your iPhone and account — please do not close the app."
PC and iPhone — "Link your iPhone to your Microsoft account… Continue," - iPhone — done. "You're ready to share files and more with your PC… Go to Phone Link to finish granting notifications, messages, and contacts permissions. Got it." Choose your usage-data preference (I declined), and you land on the connected home screen.
iPhone — "You're ready to share files and more with your PC… Go to Phone Link to finish granting notifications, me - PC — grant the last permissions. Your PC says "You're almost there… we need permission to sync your device's content." On the iPhone, open Bluetooth Settings, tap the (i) next to your laptop's name, and turn on Share System Notifications, Show Message Notifications, and Sync Contacts. Back on the PC, click Continue.
PC — "You're almost there… we need permission to sync your device's content." - Connected. The Phone Link dashboard opens. Note: for iPhone the left pane shows your battery only — no wallpaper or phone image (unlike Android). Check messages, calls and notifications, and test a small file with right-click → Send to my phone.
phone — the connected screen, showing your PC name, battery and last-online
Don't scan Phone Link's QR directly from your iPhone camera instead of installing Link to Windows first. Doing that creates a temporary, cloud-based session — even if pairing "completes," it's wiped permanently the moment you close it, because Link to Windows was never actually installed. Always open https://aka.ms/startLinking and install the app.
Find your exact problem
Bluetooth won't pair
iPhone links over Bluetooth, so this is the most common sticking point. Make sure Bluetooth is on for both your iPhone and your PC. If scanning the QR doesn't trigger the pairing prompt, use the manual route: open your iPhone's Settings → Bluetooth, find your PC in the list, and pair it there. Then return to Link to Windows to continue.
Everyone says: "make sure Bluetooth is on." You did. Your headphones work. It still won't pair, and the spinner just times out on both screens.
What's actually going on: Phone Link on iPhone doesn't use ordinary Bluetooth — it needs Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) specifically. Some PC Bluetooth adapters handle regular Bluetooth perfectly and refuse BLE pairing, so every device you own connects fine and your iPhone alone won't. That's why "is Bluetooth on?" advice goes nowhere: Bluetooth is on. The adapter is the problem.
What to do: update the Bluetooth driver from your PC or motherboard manufacturer's site — not Windows Update, which often reports you're current when you aren't. Restart afterwards, and keep the iPhone right next to the PC while pairing. If your PC is older and its adapter genuinely predates BLE, a cheap USB Bluetooth 5.x dongle solves it outright. Worth knowing too: PCs without BLE also lose some calling features, so this can explain more than just pairing.
"Confirm the code shown on your PC"
Nothing is emailed to you, and on iPhone there's usually nothing to type. Because iPhone pairs over Bluetooth, your PC and your iPhone each display the same 6-digit number: your PC says "Pair device? Confirm that this code is shown on your iPhone," and your iPhone shows a "Bluetooth Pairing Request." Check the digits match, then tap Pair on both — promptly, as the request times out. (Android is different: there you really do type a short alphanumeric code from the PC — see the Android guide.)
"Verify your email" on iPhone — the address goes in that box
During Microsoft account verification you'll see: "We'll send a code to your email address to verify this is your email — enter it here." Most people skim it and go hunting for an OTP. That's a dead end. Type the full email address shown in the mask first, then press Send code — only then is the 6-digit code sent. Check your spam folder; in my testing it often landed there. Use "Didn't get the code" to resend.
iPhone says paired, PC is still waiting
Prompts appear on both the iPhone and the PC. Tapping Continue on only one device desyncs the flow — one side shows connected while the other freezes. Work both screens together.
Once it connects
You'll get a diagnostic-data prompt (accept or decline — it doesn't affect linking), then your iPhone is linked. Remember the iPhone feature set is intentionally smaller than Android's. Wondering whether to use an Android phone instead for the full experience? See the iPhone vs Android comparison.
A note on privacy
Pairing over Bluetooth carries only the features you switch on, and iPhone shares less than Android. To limit data collection, use Microsoft's privacy & opt-out settings; review or clear stored data in the Microsoft Privacy Dashboard. Official reference: Microsoft's Phone Link support page.
Known iPhone limits I hit in testing
- No app mirroring on iPhone. This is by Apple's design, not a bug — Android only. Comparison →
- Bluetooth must stay on. The link runs over Bluetooth; if it's off, the connection drops.
- Outdated apps break pairing. Update Link to Windows on the iPhone and Phone Link on the PC — version mismatches won't match Microsoft's rotating pairing signature. More →
- iOS 16.0 or later required; newer iOS connected more reliably in my testing. Specs →
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for the feedback — it helps me keep this accurate.
Questions & answers
Comments are moderated — real setup questions get answered, spam and links are removed.
FAQ
The link is on my PC screen — why does my iPhone need it?
On your iPhone. It's shown on your PC but meant to be opened on the iPhone, where it launches Link to Windows to pair over Bluetooth.
Why does my iPhone pair over Bluetooth?
iPhone connects to Phone Link over Bluetooth rather than the deeper link Android uses, so Bluetooth must be on for both devices.
Can I mirror iPhone apps to my PC?
No — app mirroring is Android-only. Apple reserves that kind of integration for its own ecosystem. See the comparison for what iPhone can do.
Where's the code it asks for?
On both screens at once. iPhone pairs over Bluetooth, so your PC and your iPhone each show the same 6-digit number — check they match and tap Pair on both. Nothing is emailed, and there's usually nothing to type. (Android is the one that uses a typed letters-and-numbers code.)
I have an Android phone — wrong page?
Yes. Android uses aka.ms/PairPC. See the Android setup guide.
The email verification code isn't arriving.
Type the full email and press Send code first, then check spam where it often lands. Press "Didn't get the code" to resend.
More for iPhone users: the iMessage catch · file transfer on iPhone · turn on iPhone file sharing · is Phone Link safe?
A curious techy from Traverse City, Michigan. I built SyncYourDevice.com after running into these pairing failures myself — if someone comfortable with tech was getting stuck, most people were getting stuck worse. I keep this updated from my own rigorous testing — every fix is one I've reproduced myself in the actual problem environment. Community discussion (Reddit, Microsoft Forums) is sometimes a starting lead, never an untested source; I also lean on official Microsoft documentation and report issues to Microsoft directly.
Tested on: Link to Windows (iOS) 1.26081.28 · Phone Link (Windows) 1.26071.164.0 — verified August 30, 2026.
Article updates
August 2026
- Corrected the iPhone pairing code throughout: iPhone confirms a 6-digit Bluetooth code on both screens rather than typing an alphanumeric one (that's Android).
- Verified against Phone Link 1.26071.164.0, Link to Windows 1.26071.104.0 (Android) and 1.26081.28 (iOS).
- Tracking what changes across the apps themselves? That lives on the what's new in Phone Link timeline.
July 2026
- Reviewed and updated for the current Phone Link and Link to Windows versions.