aka.ms/linkphoneqr — fix the Phone Link QR code (or skip it)
The QR code is blank, won't scan, or won't show up on your PC. Here's the fastest way to get a fresh code — and how to link your phone with no QR code at all.
Tested on Windows 11 + Windows 10 · Android & iPhone · Last verified August 30, 2026
Seeing www.aka.ms/LinkPhoneQR on your phone? It is not meant to be opened on your phone. Type it into a browser on the Windows PC you're linking to — it reopens the Phone Link app so a new QR code appears.
Phone Link only works on Windows. There's nothing to open on a Mac, and opening the link on your phone does nothing useful.
Reopen Phone Link & get a fresh QR
- On your PC, click the button below (or type www.aka.ms/LinkPhoneQR into your browser's address bar). It opens Phone Link — or sends you to the Microsoft Store to install it if it's missing.
- Choose Android or iPhone. A new QR code appears. Check the Microsoft account shown above the code matches the one on your phone.
- On your phone, open the camera (or the Link to Windows scanner) and scan the new code.
Browser blocking the "Open Phone Link" prompt? Allow the pop-up and retry — or skip the browser entirely: press Windows key + R, type ms-phone: and hit Enter to launch the app directly.
✔ Before anything else: put both devices on the same network — same Wi-Fi, or the phone's hotspot the PC is using. In my testing this made pairing instant and stopped transfers from stalling. Why network matters →
Video transcript — tap a line to jump to that moment
💡 QR still blank or won't scan after that? Don't fight it — link with the Continue without a QR code method instead. Bonus: the no-QR path also avoids the passkey error that quietly kills the QR session in my testing.
The full walkthrough — every screen, in order (QR method)
If you'd rather follow the whole journey end to end instead of jumping to a symptom, here's exactly what you'll see on each device, in the order it happens. I've done this flow start to finish on real devices — these are the actual screens.
- PC — open Phone Link. Search "Phone Link" in the Windows search box (on Windows 11 it also sits in the pane to the right of the Start area), or type www.aka.ms/LinkPhoneQR in your browser. The first screen says "Use your mobile device from your PC", shows the Microsoft account you're signed into (with a blue Switch account button), and asks you to "Choose your device to get started" — Android or iPhone. It also notes Android must be 10.0+ and iPhone iOS 16.0+.
PC — "Use your mobile device from your PC" - PC — pick your device, get the QR. The screen changes to "Link mobile device to your account" with your Microsoft account shown above the code — check it's the same account your phone uses. Below: "Scan this QR code with your phone's camera". The code expires in 10 minutes, and there's a blue Continue without a QR code link if you'd rather skip scanning. Leave this screen open — the QR stays live while you pick up your phone. (Taking the no-QR link instead switches you to the typed-code route, where the code lasts 10 minutes.)
PC — "Link mobile device to your account" - Phone — open the scanner. First make sure Link to Windows is actually on the phone: it's preinstalled on Samsung, Honor and a few others, and a free Play Store install everywhere else. Open it, then tap "Sign in using the QR code on your PC." Your camera opens with a white-bordered square and a red line scanning up and down. (This QR is dual-use — your phone's normal camera app scans it too.)
phone — Link to Windows scanner with the white square and red scan line - Scan it. Align the code squarely inside the box; shaky hands may need a couple of tries. On success, both screens update at once.
- Phone — consent screen. "Link your mobile device to your Microsoft account — by continuing, your device will be linked…" Tap Continue.
phone — "Link your mobile device to your Microsoft account — by continuing, your device will be linked…" - Phone — "Enter the code shown on your PC." The code is on your PC, not in your email: letters and numbers, and it expires in 3 minutes, so type it promptly.
phone — "Enter the code shown on your PC." - Phone — verify your Microsoft account. Here's the trap: the screen says "We'll send a code to your email address to verify this is your email. Enter it here." Type the full email address first, then press Send code — only then is the 6-digit code sent. Check spam; in my testing it landed there often. The code auto-accepts as you type it.
phone — "We'll send a code to your email address to verify this is your email. Enter it here." - Phone — the passkey prompt (QR method only). You'll be asked to save a passkey. Save it — declining failed the session with "Your session has expired" in my testing. (The no-QR method never asks.)
phone — "Your session has expired" - PC — "Check your mobile device." Your PC now says it needs permissions on your phone. Grant the prompts on the phone as they appear — work both screens together.
PC — "Check your mobile device." - Phone — "Share optional diagnostic data." Accept or decline; it doesn't affect linking.
phone — "Share optional diagnostic data." - Connected. Your phone shows your PC's wallpaper, name, connection type, battery and last-online, with Lock PC, Send files and Mirror to PC buttons — and your PC's left pane shows your phone. Done.
phone — the connected screen, showing your PC name, battery and last-online
Find your exact problem
Before diving into anything complicated, these three solved the large majority of connection problems in my testing — and they save you from the deep-settings nightmare:
- Restart both devices — the phone and the PC.
- Restart both apps — fully close Phone Link and Link to Windows, then reopen them.
- Reset the connection — as a last resort, remove the pairing and re-link (full removal steps for Android and iPhone: how to disconnect or remove Phone Link). Exactly where you do this depends on your device:
How to reset / re-link, step by step
On Windows (the PC side):
- Press Windows key + I to open Settings (or click Start → the gear icon).
- Go to Bluetooth & devices, find your phone in the list, click the ⋯ (three dots) next to it, and choose Remove device.
- To reset the app itself: Settings → Apps → Installed apps, find Phone Link, click the ⋯ → Advanced options → scroll down → Reset.
On an Android phone (Link to Windows):
- Open your phone's Settings app.
- Tap Apps (or "Apps & notifications"), then find Link to Windows. On many Samsung phones it's under Settings → Advanced features → Link to Windows instead.
- Tap Storage → Clear data (this signs the app out and resets it — you'll re-link fresh).
- Also un-pair the PC: Settings → Connected devices → Bluetooth, tap the gear next to your PC's name, choose Forget.
On an iPhone:
- Open Settings → Bluetooth.
- Tap the ⓘ next to your PC's name, then Forget This Device.
- If you installed the Link to Windows app, delete and reinstall it to reset it; otherwise just re-run pairing from the PC.
Still stuck after these? Work through the full "won't connect" fixes in order — including how to tell when it's actually a Microsoft server outage.
The QR code area is blank on my PC
A blank white box where the code should be usually means the Phone Link window hasn't finished loading or the session timed out (the code only lives for 10 minutes). Close Phone Link completely, reopen it with the button above, and re-select your device for a fresh code. If it's still blank, make sure Windows and Phone Link are updated — a version mismatch between the two apps is a common, hidden cause of pairing failures, because Microsoft rotates the pairing signature and an out-of-date app can't match it. More on keeping both apps in sync →
The code shows, but my phone won't scan it
This QR is dual-use — you can scan it with your phone's normal camera app or with the scanner inside the Link to Windows app. Hold steady and line the code up squarely inside the white box; the red scan line should pass over it. It can take a few tries with shaky hands or a dim screen. Turn your PC brightness up, clean the camera lens, and don't tilt.
Tried several times and it just won't catch? Use the no-QR method below — it skips the camera entirely.
One device says "connected," but my PC is still stuck
This is the single biggest reason people get stranded, and almost no guide mentions it. During setup you get prompts on both the phone and the PC. If you keep tapping Continue on just one device while ignoring the other, the flow desyncs: one side races ahead and shows "connected," while the other sits frozen on an earlier screen like "Choose your device to get started" or "Check your mobile device."
The fix is to work both screens together. Follow each prompt on the phone and the PC in step, not one device all the way through.
"Verify your email" after skipping the QR code
At sign-in Microsoft shows something like: "We'll send a code to your email address to verify this is your email — enter it here." Almost everyone skims this, assumes a code is already on its way, and runs to their inbox hunting for an OTP. That's a dead end.
Microsoft is asking you to type the full email address shown in the mask first (e.g. the complete vs…@gmail.com), then press Send code. Only after that does the 6-digit code actually get sent and the "Enter your code" screen appear.
The 6-digit code never arrives
Once you've entered the email and pressed Send code, the code should land in seconds. In my testing it very often went to the spam/junk folder — check there first. Occasionally it simply doesn't arrive (a server/glitch hiccup); press "Didn't get the code" to resend and check spam again. You don't press anything to submit the code — once you type the correct 6 digits, the screen accepts (or rejects) it automatically.
A VPN with a mismatched location blocks it
Everyone says "turn off your VPN," but in my testing the VPN itself wasn't the problem — a location mismatch was. If you're physically in one place and your VPN exits through another country, Phone Link's security check sees the mismatch and refuses to connect. I ran a VPN while keeping its location the same as where I actually was, and pairing worked fine. So you don't have to drop the VPN — just make sure it isn't faking a different country while you pair. More →
I skipped a permission by accident
Missed a prompt — background access, notifications, contacts? You don't have to start over. Turn it back on manually: on the phone go to Link to Windows → app info → Permissions; on the PC go to Windows Settings → Apps → Phone Link. If that feels fiddly, just close both apps and reopen them — about 4 times out of 5 it simply asks again or re-triggers the permission.
Skip the QR — use the no-code pairing path instead
If the QR simply won't cooperate, don't fight it. In Phone Link on your PC, click the blue Continue without a QR code link under the QR — then follow the complete, tested walkthrough for your phone. This path is more reliable anyway: it never asks you to save a passkey, so it sidesteps the session-expiry trap that quietly kills QR sessions.
- Android phone: Link your Android to Windows without a QR code (aka.ms/PairPC) — sign in and enter the short code your PC shows.
- iPhone: Pair your iPhone with Windows over Bluetooth (aka.ms/startLinking) — no QR or code needed.
"Your session has expired" after the passkey prompt
With the QR method specifically, after you enter the verification code your phone asks you to save a passkey. In my testing, if you decline that prompt, the session fails with "Your session has expired." The no-QR method never asks for this.
So either accept and save the passkey, or use the no-QR method above. (Oddly, in several attempts, even after declining I closed and reopened the app and it was on the verge of connecting anyway — so reopening is always worth a try before starting over.)
Once it connects
You'll get a "Share optional diagnostic data" prompt — either answer is fine and neither changes the QR flow. Then your phone shows your PC's wallpaper, name, battery and connection status, with Lock PC, Send files and Mirror options. You're linked.
A note on privacy
Scanning a QR code doesn't hand over anything extra — it only carries the pairing handshake. What gets shared afterwards is whatever features you leave switched on. If you'd rather limit data collection, use Microsoft's privacy & opt-out settings, and you can review or clear what's already stored in the Microsoft Privacy Dashboard. For the official setup reference, see Microsoft's Phone Link support page.
Known limits of the QR route
Honest, tested notes on what works and what doesn't once you're connected — the things Microsoft's page won't tell you:
- A mismatched network can look like a broken QR code. Before blaming the code, check both devices are on the same Wi-Fi or hotspot: in my testing a split network was enough to make scanning hang or the code refuse to complete, while same-network pairing went through immediately. Details →
- Outdated apps cause most pairing pain. An old Phone Link or old Link to Windows breaks the handshake because the pairing signature won't match. Update both before troubleshooting anything else.
- Borderline-supported hardware ruins the experience. Both apps are resource-hungry; on minimum-spec devices everything lags. See recommended configurations →.
- Lock PC is one-way. You can lock your PC from your phone, but you can't unlock it from the phone — you'll unlock at the PC itself.
- Two transfer paths, two limits. Through File Explorer your phone acts like a USB drive with no practical size cap (a 2.08 GB video moved fine); the older share/send-files method caps at 100 files per batch and 512 MB per file. Full details on the features page →
- Mirror to PC works; opening individual apps is hit-or-miss. We had better luck mirroring the whole screen first, then opening the app inside the mirror.
- Call audio can lag on a weak connection — calls add an extra layer, so connection strength matters.
- Photos is being retired into Windows File Explorer — look for your phone's name in the File Explorer left pane instead.
- iPhone gets fewer features by design (no app mirroring) — full breakdown in our iPhone vs Android comparison →.
Questions & answers
Comments are moderated — real setup questions get answered, spam and links are removed. Ask below and I'll reply.
FAQ
Is it safe to scan a QR code from aka.ms/linkphoneqr?
Yes — aka.ms is Microsoft's own official URL shortener, and this link simply opens the Phone Link app on your Windows PC. Always type it on your PC, not your phone.
Why is my QR code blank on the PC?
Usually the window hasn't finished loading or the code expired (it lasts 10 minutes). Reopen Phone Link, re-select your device for a new code, and make sure Windows and Phone Link are updated.
Do I have to scan the QR code?
No. Click Continue without a QR code in Phone Link and link using a short code instead. It's more reliable when the camera or QR misbehaves.
Does aka.ms/linkphoneqr work for iPhone?
The QR step works for both, but iPhone pairs over Bluetooth. If you skip the QR, iPhone users go to https://aka.ms/startLinking rather than aka.ms/PairPC.
The verification code isn't coming to my email.
First make sure you typed the full email and pressed Send code — the code isn't sent until you do. Then check your spam/junk folder; in my testing it landed there often. Still nothing? Press "Didn't get the code" to resend.
One device says connected but the other is frozen — what now?
Close (X) the frozen app and reopen it; it often shows connected on reopen. If not, restart the phone, then the PC. Going forward, follow the prompts on both devices together so the flow doesn't desync.
My codes won't match and now it won't let me link.
Repeated failed attempts at matching the code will block linking for a while, as a security measure. The way out is a clean restart of setup rather than more retries — full steps in fixes when it won't connect. Close and reopen Phone Link on your PC and start again — you'll be prompted to accept permissions instead of matching a code.
The code expires the instant it appears.
Usually a clock problem on the PC — the code is time-limited, so if your PC's clock is off, it can read as already expired. On the PC go to Settings → Time & language → Date & time and choose Sync now (and turn on "Set time automatically"), then generate a fresh code.
The "Continue" button on my PC is greyed out.
The PC is waiting on the phone. Open Link to Windows on your phone and sign in with the same Microsoft account first — once the phone side is ready, the Continue button on the PC becomes active.
I have two monitors and can't find the QR code.
Phone Link usually opens on your primary monitor. If you don't see it, check the taskbar — hover the Phone Link icon, right-click the preview, and choose Move to drag the window to your main screen.
Did this fix it for you?
Thanks for the feedback — it helps me keep this accurate.
A curious techy from Traverse City, Michigan. I built SyncYourDevice.com after running into these pairing failures myself — I figured if someone comfortable with tech was getting stuck, most people were getting stuck worse. I keep this site updated with the latest Phone Link / Link to Windows changes, bugs, and fixes, drawing on my own rigorous testing — every fix here I've reproduced and verified myself in the actual problem environment. Where a tip first surfaced in a community like Reddit or the Microsoft Forums, I tested it before publishing it; I also use official Microsoft documentation and report issues to Microsoft through their feedback channels.
Tested on: Link to Windows (Android) 1.26071.104.0 · Link to Windows (iOS) 1.26081.28 · Phone Link (Windows) 1.26071.164.0 — verified August 30, 2026.
Article updates
August 2026
- Added the step that was missing before scanning: making sure Link to Windows is installed on the phone at all.
- Separated the QR guidance from the general network advice, and pointed lockout recovery at the full fix ladder.
- 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
- Updated for the Phone Link and Link to Windows builds current at the time.
- Added the multi-monitor "where's the QR" fix and the code-mismatch lockout note.
August 30, 2026
- Added the no-QR "Continue without a QR code" path and passkey-error workaround.
May 2026
- First published — full QR walkthrough, tested on Windows 11 and Windows 10.