Summary
- Phone Link (formerly Your Phone) is a legitimate app that connects your Android phone or iPhone to your Windows computer, providing various features like notifications, calls, and screen recording.
- The «yourphone.exe» process runs in the background with minimal impact on system performance, but you can safely disable it if it becomes resource-intensive.
- To disable the yourphone.exe process, use Task Manager to end the process and disable it from autostarting during a restart. You can also manage the app’s background permissions or uninstall it using PowerShell.
Microsoft Phone Link (formerly Your Phone) is a Windows app that connects your Android phone or iPhone to your computer. As the app runs in the background, you may notice the yourphone.exe process appear in Task Manager.
Phone Link is a legitimate utility and has minimal effect on your system’s performance. However, if you find it resource-intensive, you can safely disable it from running in the background. This guide explains the details of the yourphone.exe process and how to safely disable and remove the app in Windows 10 and 11.
What Is the YourPhone.exe (PhoneExperienceHost.exe) Process?
The Phone Link (YourPhone.exe) is a legitimate process related to the Phone Link (formerly Your Phone) app. It is a handy utility that lets you connect your iPhone and Android device to your Windows computer, receive notifications, make calls, record screens, etc.
Even when you are not actively using it, the process runs in the background with minimal effect on system performance. It also needs to connect to your network to work with your phone and sync notifications.
However, if the Phone Link process is causing system performance issues, you can safely terminate the process from Task Manager. If you still see Your Phone instead of Phone Link, open the Microsoft Store and update the app to the latest version.
How to End the Your Phone.exe Process Using Task Manager
You can end the Phone Link process from Task Manager. Here’s how to do it:
- Right-click on your Taskbar and select Task Manager to open it. If not, press Win + X and choose Task Manager from the Power Windows-X menu.
- If you use Windows 11, type Phone Link in the Task Manager search bar to locate the process. On Windows 10, you can identify the process under the Background Processes section.
- Next, select the process and click End Task.
The Phone Link app is set to auto-start during a restart. So you’ll need to disable it from the Startup Apps tab to ensure the process doesn’t restart the next time you reboot your computer.
- In Task Manager, open the Startup apps tab.
- Locate and select the Phone Link (Your Phone) app in the right pane.
- Click the Disable button in the top-right corner.
How to Stop Your Phone from Running in the Background
If killing the process didn’t help, you can disable the Phone Link app from running in the background. After the recent updates, preinstalled apps in Windows 11 need to be managed from the new System Components section. Here’s how to do it.
To stop Phone Link from running in the background on Windows 11:
- Press Win + I to open Settings.
- Next, open the System tab in the left pane.
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Scroll down and click on System Components.
- Next, click the three-dots menu beside the Phone Link app.
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Select Advanced options.
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Click the Power optimized (recommended) drop-down under Background component permissions.
- Select Never. This will stop the Phone Link app from running in the background.
To stop Phone Link from running in the background on Windows 10:
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Press Win + I to open Settings.
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Next, go to Apps and search for Phone Link.
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Select Phone Link and then click Advanced options.
- Next, toggle the Background apps switch under Apps permission to stop Phone Link from running in the background.
How to Uninstall the Phone Link App in Windows 10 and 11
If you don’t use the Phone Link app or if the yourphone.exe process continues to appear even after disabling background app permissions, you can uninstall the app completely from your Windows computer.
Like many built-in apps, Windows doesn’t offer the conventional uninstall option to remove Phone Link. Instead, you’ll need to use Windows PowerShell to remove the app.
To uninstall the Phone Link app:
- Press the Win key and type PowerShell.
- Next, right-click on PowerShell from the search results and select Run as administrator.
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In the PowerShell window, type the following command and press Enter:
Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.YourPhone -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage - Once the command is executed, it’ll remove the Phone Link app from your computer.
You can re-install the Phone Link app from the Microsoft Store if you want to give the app another shot.
Is YourPhone.exe a Virus or Trojan?
Yourphone.exe or Phone Link is not a malicious process or virus but part of the Phone Link app on Windows. Don’t be alarmed if you notice the process in Task Manager. If you need to remove it, you can do so by limiting the background permission for the app or by uninstalling it from your computer.
Managing the Phone Link Process in Windows 10 and 11
The Phone Link (yourphone.exe) process is not a security risk; allowing it to run in the background is necessary for the app to render its services. Limiting its background permission may prevent it from connecting to your phone and showing up-to-date information. That said, if you don’t have a use for the app, you can delete it using PowerShell and save some storage space on your hard drive.
YourPhone is a built-in application provided by Microsoft Windows and yourphone.exe is the process of this application.
This application of Windows 10 is commonly used by people to sync and connect various mobile devices (Android and iOS). Linking the phone with the device leads to the availing of many cross-device features and experiences.
One of the various system processes and apps offered by Windows is YourPhone, which, unlike the svchost.exe, yourphone.exe is a new process introduced in Windows 10.
Some of the features offered by the YourPhone application are:
- Using mobile apps on PC Apps by viewing and interacting with the Android apps on PC.
- Just drag and drop the files from the computer to the mobile phones, therefore, there will be no need to search for other ways to save files from computer to mobile phone or vice-versa.
- The user can copy it on one device and paste it over on the other device. For example, if you have copied something on the smartphone, you can paste the same on the computer.
For turning this feature on, open Your Phone application and go to:
Settings > Cross-device copy and paste
Ensuring that toggle is on, for Allow this app to access and transfer content I copy and paste between my phone and PC.
- Viewing and interacting with the 2000 most recent photos. For enabling this feature, open the YourPhone application, click on Settings, turn on the Allow this app to show photos from my phone option under the Photos option.
- Making and receiving calls on your PC.
- Your Phone Companion is now Link to Windows- Linking Phone Companion to Windows. This can be achieved by opening the YourPhone application and then clicking on Settings > Advanced Features > Link to Windows.
For example, the users can sync the photos, videos, and messages using the Your Phone app on Windows 10 and smartphone which eliminates the need for third-party file-sharing services and other complex ways to transfer the files.
However, for ensuring that the files are always synchronized and up-to-date, yourphone.exe keeps running in the background which the user cans see in the Task Manager.
The users can sync the various files on the Windows 10, Android, and Apple devices, till the user is using the same Microsoft account for both phone and Windows.
This is the reason that the process keeps running in the background, as the YourPhone.exe needs to send the notifications on the Android or iOS phone to the desktop.
Some of the best practices that can be done for resolving YourPhone issues include –
- A clean and tidy computer.
- Running a scan for malware
- Cleaning your hard drive
- Uninstalling programs
- Checking for Autostart programs
- Enabling Windows 5Automatic Update.
- Performing periodic backups or at least set restore points.
If the user is encountering any problem while using the YourPhone application, the following points can be implemented:
- Try to remember the last thing installed before the problem appeared for the first time.
- The 6resmon command can be used for identifying and analyzing the processes that are causing the problem in the application.
- Trying to repair installation while for Windows 8 and later versions, following command can be executed:
7DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth- Some programs can be used for analyzing the problem such as a Security Task Manager which displays all the tasks running on system Windows.
- To detect and remove sleeping spyware, adware, Trojans, keyloggers, malware, and trackers from the hard drive of the system using B Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.
Windows 10 offers an application, YourPhone to connect mobile phones, both, Android and iPhone with Windows and receive the notifications of the phone on the desktop. The users can receive and make calls, manage their notifications, and view the recent photos of the gallery.
The YourPhone.exe application keeping running at all times in the background. The users can have a better experience by linking the apps by using the same Microsoft account for both phone and the computer.
If the program worries the user, they can get rid of it by 2 methods either disabling the YourPhone.exe application from running in the background or removing the application.
Disabling YourPhone.exe from running in the background:
Step 1: — Settings App, select Go to Privacy, and then go to the Background Apps.
Step 2: — Find and click on the YourPhone app in the list and select the Advanced options.
Step 3: — The user can turn off the option for the Background apps.
Uninstalling YourPhone.exe:
Step 1: Open the Windows PowerShell and run as Administrator by right-clicking on the Start button at the corner.
Step 2: Run the following command by typing in the PowerShell and pressing enter.
Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.YourPhone -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackageThe YourPhone app will be uninstalled from your computer. This application is not malware or spyware, it comes preinstalled with Windows 10 and can be found on the following location:
C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.YourPhone_1.19102.525.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe.
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- What Is YourPhone.exe Windows 10 & Can You Disable It
By Irene |
Last Updated
You may notice the YourPhone.exe process in task manager but don’t know what it is and whether you can disable it or not. Don’t worry. If you are curious about the YourPhone.exe process, you can read this article from MiniTool for more detailed information.
YourPhone.exe is a part of the Your Phone app which is preinstalled in Windows 10. However, many users find that YourPhone.exe is always running in the background and wonder if the process can be disabled. If you want to learn more about the YourPhone.exe Windows 10 process, please keep on reading.
What Is YourPhone.exe
YourPhone.exe is a Microsoft app which synchronizes your Windows 10 PC with Android or iOS phones. It links your phone and PC to unlock a variety of cross-device experiences. For example, users can sync photos and messages across Windows 10, Android, and Apple devices, as long as you are using the same Microsoft account both on the phone, and the Windows PC.
That’s also the reason why the process keeps running in the background: YourPhone.exe needs to keep sending any notification on your Android or iOS phone to desktop.
Is YourPhone.exe Process a Virus?
Just as mentioned above, YourPhone.exe is a program developed by Microsoft. So YourPhone.exe is not malware but a legit process. However, sometimes, some malware or virus can still disguise itself to YourPhone.exe process by using the same name.
Although it’s not very common, it is recommended to install an anti-virus program such as Avast to protect your computer and perform a virus scan on a regular basis.
How to Disable YourPhone.exe from Running in the Background
You can disable the YourPhone.exe process if you do not want it running in the background and you do not need to use it to link your phone and PC. To disable YourPhone.exe from running in the background, you can follow the steps below.
Step 1. Right-click Windows Start menu and choose Settings from the menu.
Step 2. On the Settings window, choose Privacy.
Step 3. Locate to the Background Apps. Scroll down to find Your Phone app in the list of Background apps. Then toggle off the application for Background apps.
Then the YourPhone.exe process will no longer run in the background. If you find this is not enough and you want to totally remove it from your computer, you can follow the steps below.
How to Remove Your Phone App from Windows 10
Here are the detailed steps for you to remove Your Phone app from Windows.
Step 1. Right click on the Windows 10 Start menu and select Windows PowerShell (Administrator).
Step 2. In the Windows PowerShell window, type the following command and hit Enter:
Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.YourPhone -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage
After running this command, the Your Phone app will be completely removed from your PC. and you will not see the YourPhone.exe process running in the background.
Conclusion
After reading this post, you should know what YourPhone.exe is and how to disable or remove it on your Windows PC. If you have different opinions about the YourPhone.exe Windows 10, you can share it with us by leaving a message in the following comment zone.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Irene joined MiniTool in 2018 and has since become a professional in the areas of disk management and Windows tricks. Irene’s expertise allows her to assist clients with managing their hard drives, optimizing their Windows operating system, and troubleshooting any technical issues that arise.
Microsoft is infamous among experts in the industry for adding services and functions that don’t have a description. We have witnessed a specific number of tasks that are running in the background, but it doesn’t serve anything. Even Microsoft does not provide in-depth information on the official news portal. You do have to research to understand what is running in the background.
Contents
- What is YourPhone.exe Windows 10?
- Is YourPhone.exe harmful?
- Terminate YourPhone.exe
- Remove YourPhone.exe using PowerShell
- Bottom Line
What is YourPhone.exe Windows 10?
Microsoft is introducing new features in Windows 10 platform, and the official developers are working towards empowering compatibility between Android & iOS smartphones. Fortunately, Microsoft officially announced to the world about YourPhone.exe on many platforms, including YouTube.
The application YourPhone.exe is not a malware or unknown function that monitors your activity. The application intended for Android and iOS phones, which is an excellent application to Receive, Reply, and Create a message from PC to Mobile.
You can manage your photos from the Windows application, and it offers native experience from the machine. Microsoft creates a user-friendly environment for Android with a good number of features, and we can expect advanced features coming to the platform.
However, Apple restricted environment limits the YourPhone.exe feature in Windows 10. Consumers can connect an iPhone with Windows 10 PC, but the limitations don’t make it worth your time. iPhone can send a webpage to Windows PC, and that’s all you can do with an iPhone.
Is YourPhone.exe harmful?
The process “YourPhone.exe” is not harmful at all, and you do have the ability to control and disable it from your machine. I did research the service, and it consumes 30MB RAM and 0.7% CPU. Overall, I won’t say that it would impact your computer negatively and won’t harm the performance of the machine whatsoever.
Windows RAM management will keep it on the sideline until or unless you are connecting a smartphone via USB cable. I did notice that it pop-ups in the Task Manager, even when I don’t have an Android phone or iOS device in contact with the machine.
During my minor observation, I found no threat from the “YourPhone.exe” application, and it is entirely safe. You don’t have to uninstall it or disable it and leave it the way it is. Of course, if you own a low-end machine, and you do not want extra services popping up, then you can disable it.
Terminate YourPhone.exe
Allow me to show you how you can terminate the service instantly by following easy-to-follow instructions. I would not say that this is a permanent solution, but it concludes the service immediately from all formats. The application won’t come back in the Task Manager and won’t run in the background until the session is ended.
Step 1: Press Windows Key + S, then type “YourPhone” to right-mouse click for more options and then click on “App Settings” to begin the process.
Step 2: A window shows up on the screen and then click on “Terminate” to close the application from the background.
Step 3: Nothing much happens, but Windows has successfully terminated the services from all formats.
Don’t celebrate yet because this is a temporary solution that applies to the current session. You can repeat the same instructions next-time when you boot the computer.
Remove YourPhone.exe using PowerShell
Do you want to remove YourPhone.exe permanently from Windows 10 PC? I have double-checked our method to remove the function from my Windows 10 machine. Yes, it worked flawlessly, and it will work on your machine, so follow my lead.
Step 1: Press Windows Key + X together and then click on “PowerShell (Admin)” to begin the process.
Step 2: Copy and paste the code in the PowerShell, and it will automatically begin the removal process.
Step 3: Wait for one minute to two minutes to finish the removal process, and you won’t receive any notification.
The YourPhone.exe function is removed from Windows 10, and I have opened the shortcut, and I got this error.
I have also searched for the app using the Search Bar, and I could not find it.
Overall, I have successfully uninstalled or removed the Microsoft unnecessary function from Windows 10 (1909) build version.
Please don’t panic about the removal because you can install it again from Microsoft Store.
Don’t worry about the unexpected removal because it is a Microsoft Store application.
Bottom Line
Now, you finally learned to remove YourPhone.exe from Windows 10. Do not forget that it is a Microsoft store app that you can download again, and it will work typically. Let us know which solution worked for you in the comment section below.
Overview:
- What are Your Phone and YourPhone.exe?
- Is YourPhone.exe process virus? Can I Remove It?
- How to Disable YourPhone.exe on Windows 10?
- How to Uninstall Your Phone App on Windows 10?
For some users, you may have noticed that there is a process named YourPhone.exe on your PC. But you don’t know what it is used to do and how you can prevent it from working in case there are any errors caused by it. So you are strongly recommended to follow up to get the details about this process or program on Windows 10.
What are Your Phone and YourPhone.exe? What are they used for?
Your Phone is an application preinstalled on your PC along with Windows 10 October update and it is mainly used to bridge the connection between your smartphone with the computer. And it is said either your mobile phone is on Android or iOS, Your Phone can come into play for your convenience to transfer files between the phone and the PC. With this Windows-based application, users are able to view the photos and texting messages from your phone on the computer.
While, as for YourPhone.exe, it is a process running in the background showing that Your Phone application is working on Windows 10. And you can check the condition of this process in task manager in which you are able to end the Your Phone task instantly.
Related: What is Microsoft AU Daemon?
Is YourPhone.exe process virus? Can I Remove It?
No, YourPhone.exe is not a virus or Trojan unless it has been infected. As shown above, it is a window-based process to indicate the presence of Your Phone application. That is to say, usually, YourPhone.exe will run in the background without causing any interrupts for you.
However, this YourPhone exe keeps reminding you of full disk or CPU resources, it may have been corrupted and transformed into a virus eating up your system resources. And on that condition, it also makes sense for you to disable or remove this Your Phone related app or process from Windows 10.
How to Disable YourPhone.exe and YourPhone on Windows 10?
When it comes to disabling YourPhone.exe, it is understandable for people who show no interest in this feature on Windows 10 update. In other cases, once you hit upon YourPhone.exe high CPU usage or high disk usage, you would better try to stop it on Windows 10. And at the same time, it is available for you to disable the YourPhone application if it is necessary.
1. Open Task Manager.
2. Under the Processes tab, find out YourPhone.exe process and right click it to End task.
You can see that Your Phone won’t work and use many resources on Windows 10 and results in system crashes on Windows 10. However, if you are afraid that YourPhone.exe will lead to other problems, you may as well prevent Your Phone app from working on your PC. In this way, YourPhone EXE won’t run in the background without your permission.
1. Go to Start > Settings > Privacy.
2. On the left pane, scroll down to locate Background apps, and then on the right side, find out Your Phone and switch it off here.
3. Reboot Windows 10 to take effect.
Now, you will have disabled YourPhone from working in the background and used up Windows 10 resources. And if you need it to transfer files or manage your phone on the computer, you can enable it. However, if YourPhone is infected as a virus and keeps occupying high CPU or disk usage, it is advisable that you try to uninstall this app from your PC permanently.
How to Uninstall Your Phone App on Windows 10?
For a complete uninstallation of the Your Phone app and YourPhone.exe process, you are in need to run a command in the PowerShell since this process is installed on your PC with Windows 10 October update.
1. Search PowerShell in the search box and then right click it to Run as administrator. Then you will elevate the Windows PowerShell program.
2. In Windows PowerShell, copy and paste the command below and then press Enter to run it.
Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.YourPhone -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage
After that, Your Phone app and YourPhone.exe process will be uninstalled from your PC. You will notice there is no more question like “is Your Phone a virus” in your mind.
To conclude, if you are encountering any problems with YourPhone.exe process or Your Phone application, you can view this tutorial for specific information and solutions.
Brian Peng
Brian Peng is a PC technician and network engineer with over 13 years of IT experience. He has worked in the IT industry for a long time, providing IT support and network service support for various companies. Currently, he has written over 1000 articles about computers, games, and mobile.