What is YourPhone.EXE Windows 11? Remove or Disable it

YourPhone.exe—also branded as Phone Link—is a built-in Windows 11 application designed to sync your Android phone or iPhone with your PC. It enables features like mirrored notifications, SMS texting, phone calls, photo transfers, and seamless app interactions across devices.

Under the hood, YourPhone.exe runs as a background service that relays this connectivity. When linked, it launches at startup to remain synced and responsive reasonably and invisibly.

However, many Windows 11 users notice high CPU usage, frequent pop-ups, or even the process restarting automatically—even when not in use.

This behavior is often triggered by a phone previously connected and still registered in the system settings. Even with “Allow this PC to access your mobile devices” turned off, the app’s background service remains active and attempts to reconnect periodically.

The app’s tendency to auto-launch—even when disabled—points to how deeply Phone Link is integrated into Windows. Microsoft’s design often lumps it into system provisioning, meaning even uninstall attempts may not prevent it from reinstalling later via system updates or user profile provisioning.

In short YourPhone.exe (also called Phone Link) is Microsoft’s app for syncing your smartphone to Windows 11. While useful for some, it’s notorious for:

• High CPU/RAM usage – Slows down older PCs
• Unwanted background activity – Runs even when disabled
• Privacy concerns – Continuously relays data between devices

Why Is YourPhone.exe Always Running?

Microsoft deeply integrates Phone Link into Windows 11 to enable:

• Texting from your PC (SMS sync)
• Mirroring phone notifications
• Quick photo/file transfers

But problems arise because:

• It auto-starts with Windows (even if unused)
• Reconnects persistently if you ever linked a phone
• Reinstalls after updates due to system provisioning

How to Fix High CPU Usage or Unwanted Background Running?

If YourPhone.exe is causing performance issues or unnecessary resource drain:

Method 1. Terminate via Task Manager

• Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc)
• Locate (Your Phone) or Phone Link
• Right-click and choose End Task. This halts the process but only temporarily.

Tip: Sort by CPU to spot it fast!

Method 2. Disable background permissions

• Open Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Your Phone > Advanced Options.
• Set “Let this app run in background” to Never, and click Terminate to immediately stop running services.

Method 3. Unlink your device

If you previously linked a phone, remove it first:

Open Your Phone app > Settings > My Devices.

Unlink any connected devices to stop automatic relaunching or syncing prompts.

Method 4. Kill process in a loop or with automation

For aggressive cases:

Create a batch file named “noyourphone.bat”:

@echo off

:a

taskkill /F /IM YourPhone.exe nul 2>&1

timeout /t 5 >nul

goto a

Run as Administrator to continuously kill the process. Alternatively, schedule via Task Scheduler for it to run on login.

How to Permanently Uninstall YourPhone.exe from Windows 11?

If you’ve decided you don’t need it at all, here’s how to remove it persistently:

Method 1: Use PowerShell to Uninstall it

Open Windows Terminal (Admin) and run:

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

This removes the installed app from all user profiles. To prevent auto-reinstall on new users or reboots, follow with:

Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online | Where-Object {$_.DisplayName -eq "Microsoft.YourPhone"} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online

This removes the provisioned copy so new users won’t reinstall it automatically. It also prevents reinstall on installing new updates too.

Method 2: Disable via Group Policy or Registry

For Pro/Enterprise editions:

1. Press “Win+R” & type “gpedit.msc” and navigate to:
2. Now navigate through:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Phone-PC linking.

• Set it to Disabled.

Or edit registry value “PhoneLinkEnabled” under “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Mobility” to “0” to disable background services completely.

Method 3: Third-Party Tools

Use utilities like Wise Program Uninstaller to remove Metro apps comprehensively. It also clears residual registry and installer references.

What If Uninstall Doesn’t Stick? Stop YourPhone.exe from Coming Back

Some users report that YourPhone.exe magically returns after reboot—especially if Windows updates re-provision it. To prevent reinstallation:

• Run the above PowerShell provisioned package removal command.
• Ensure you don’t log in with fresh user profiles that might inherit the default app.
• For enterprise-managed systems, ensure Group Policy is applied at domain level to block re-provisioning.
• Block with Firewall – Prevent “YourPhone.exe” from accessing the internet 
• Use Autoruns – Disable all Phone Link startup entries 
• Monitor with Batch File – Automatically kill the process. We have already given the method above.

Preventive Measures: Keep Your System Clean Long-Term

After removal or disablement, here’s how to prevent YourPhone.exe from creeping back:

1. Avoid linking phones again unless needed. Once unlinked, background triggers cease.

2. Regularly check background apps permissions for Your Phone in Settings.

3. Avoid third-party linking setups (like Huawei Share or Samsung Flow) that may relaunch Phone Link.

4. Monitor Task Manager & Autoruns for entries related to YourPhone.exe or Phone Link processes—disable them proactively if found.

5. Keep Windows updated, but review update notes for feature reinstatements—in case Microsoft reintroduces Phone Link as a core service after a major update.

Should You Keep or Remove It?

Keep Phone Link If…	Remove It If…
You text from your PC often	You never use phone-PC sync
You like notification mirroring	It’s causing high CPU usage
You transfer files regularly	You prefer privacy/performance

FAQ

Q: Is YourPhone.exe a virus?

A: No—it’s a legitimate Microsoft app, but some malware disguises itself as it. Verify its location is “C:\Windows\System32”. 

Q: Will removing it break Windows?

A: No, but you’ll lose phone-PC sync features. 

Q: Why does it keep coming back?

A: Windows Updates or new user profiles may reinstall it. Use provisioned package removal to stop this. 

Final Thoughts

YourPhone.exe (Phone Link) exists to let Windows 11 bridge your phone and PC—but that integration comes at the cost of performance, privacy, or annoyance. If unused, it’s better disabled or removed. You can end it via Task Manager, adjust permissions, unlink devices, or fully uninstall it using PowerShell and provisioned package removal. If the app keeps coming back, use registry, GP, or batch automation to lock it down for good.

Need help? Comment below, and I’ll troubleshoot with you!