YourPhone.exe: What It Is, Phone Link, and Safe Disable

YourPhone.exe is the legacy process name for Microsoft’s Your Phone app, which Microsoft renamed Phone Link in 2022. A genuine copy belongs to the signed Microsoft app package under C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\. Current Windows builds usually show PhoneExperienceHost.exe instead, so the old filename may appear on an older or not-yet-updated package. You can end it once, disable Phone Link startup, or unlink the phone without deleting the executable. Treat it as suspicious only when the path, package, or Microsoft signature does not match.

What Is YourPhone.exe Today?

YourPhone.exe launched the Windows app once called Your Phone. The app connects a Windows PC to an Android phone or iPhone for features such as notifications, messages, calls, recent photos, and device sharing. Microsoft changed the product name to Phone Link, while the companion mobile app became Link to Windows.

The product rename did not require every package identifier, folder, or historical process reference to change at the same time. That is why you may still see Microsoft.YourPhone in a WindowsApps package path even when the Start menu says Phone Link. On newer builds, the active process is more commonly PhoneExperienceHost.exe. If that current process is using sustained CPU or memory, use the separate PhoneExperienceHost.exe troubleshooting guide.

Where Should YourPhone.exe Be Located?

A legitimate copy should resolve to a versioned Microsoft Phone Link package below C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\. Do not compare the complete folder name with a screenshot from another PC: package versions and processor architecture change through Microsoft Store updates.

1. Open Task Manager and find YourPhone.exe or PhoneExperienceHost.exe.
2. Right-click the process and choose Open file location. Do not take ownership of WindowsApps if Windows protects the folder.
3. Open the file’s Properties and check Digital Signatures. The signer should be Microsoft.
4. Confirm the installed package and its current location with PowerShell:

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.YourPhone | Select-Object Name, Publisher, Version, InstallLocation

The command can return no row if the package is not installed for that account. It should not be used as a reason to download the executable from a file-library site. Install or update Phone Link through Windows and Microsoft Store channels instead of replacing one EXE manually.

If you need a broader decision checklist for an unknown executable, follow the EXE safety verification guide and preserve the path, signer, and parent process before removing anything.

Why Does YourPhone.exe Keep Running or Come Back?

Phone Link is designed to receive notifications and reconnect to a paired device, so Windows may keep its process suspended in memory or start it again when a cross-device feature needs it. A suspended process is not actively consuming the same CPU as a busy process; Windows keeps app state ready so reopening is faster.

• A brief process start after sign-in, resume, or phone reconnection can be normal.
• Ending it in Task Manager stops only the current instance. Phone Link, a notification, or Windows cross-device integration can launch it again.
• Disabling app startup is different from unlinking the phone. Startup controls whether the app opens automatically; unlinking removes the device relationship.
• If the current PhoneExperienceHost.exe stays busy, grows continuously, or crashes, troubleshoot that symptom rather than deleting the legacy file.

How to Disable Phone Link Safely

Choose the least disruptive action that solves your actual problem. Windows labels and available switches vary by build, so use the option your system exposes instead of forcing package or registry changes.

1. Turn off automatic launch. In Phone Link, open Settings and disable the option to start Phone Link when you sign in if it is available. Also check Windows Settings > Apps > Startup apps for a Phone Link entry.
2. Close the current session. Exit Phone Link from its tray or app menu, then end YourPhone.exe or PhoneExperienceHost.exe once in Task Manager. This is a diagnostic stop, not permanent removal.
3. Limit cross-device access. In Windows 11, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mobile devices. Turn off the features you do not want, or remove the device from Manage devices.
4. Unlink the phone completely. In Phone Link, go to Settings > Devices and remove the phone. Then remove it from Windows Mobile devices and sign out of Link to Windows on the phone. Unpair Bluetooth on both sides if it remains paired.
5. Uninstall only where supported. If Settings offers an Uninstall option for Phone Link on your build and you do not use cross-device features, use that supported control. Do not delete the EXE or package folder.

Unlinking stops calls, messages, photos, notifications, phone-camera access, and other connected experiences until you pair the devices again. It does not erase the original photos or messages stored on your phone, but Phone Link should never be treated as their backup.

Repair or Reset Phone Link When It Is Broken

If the app starts by itself because it is stuck in setup, shows a blank window, reports an application error, or will not unlink correctly, repair the app before removing it.

1. Install pending Windows and Microsoft Store app updates, then restart both the PC and phone.
2. Open Windows Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Find Phone Link, open its advanced options where available, and select Repair.
3. If Repair does not fix the state, select Reset. Reset clears local Phone Link app data and normally requires pairing again.
4. For a persistent connection loop, sign out and unlink on both devices, restart them, and pair again with the same Microsoft account.

Do not run old removal commands copied from an obsolete Windows 10 guide simply to stop a background process. Package removal can differ between Windows releases, and Microsoft may integrate Phone Link with broader Mobile devices features.

When YourPhone.exe May Be Suspicious

The filename alone cannot prove that a file is safe. Investigate when YourPhone.exe runs from %TEMP%, %LOCALAPPDATA%, Downloads, a user-created folder, or another location unrelated to the Microsoft package; has no valid Microsoft signature; starts through an unknown scheduled task or startup value; or appears after an unofficial installer.

Do not delete only the visible process if it returns after reboot. First record its path, signer, parent process, and startup source. Then review suspicious startup apps and persistence. A wrong-path copy can be recreated by a scheduled task, loader, service, or bundled program even after the visible EXE is quarantined.

When those suspicious conditions apply, keep the file blocked and run a full Gridinsoft Anti-Malware scan through the official download path. Remove confirmed detections, reboot, and scan again if the process returns. A scan can find malicious files and persistence, but it cannot prove that no account data was exposed.

FAQ

References

1. Gerald Haslhofer. “Evolving the connection between your phone and your Windows PC.” Windows Experience Blog, Microsoft, March 31, 2022.
2. Microsoft. “Troubleshooting the Phone Link.” Microsoft Support, living documentation, accessed September 1, 2026.
3. Microsoft. “Remove your mobile device from Phone Link, Link to Windows, and Windows Settings.” Microsoft Support, living documentation, accessed September 1, 2026.