Guide to Hiding or Showing Phone Link Sidebar in Windows 11 Start Menu

This guide provides detailed instructions on how to Toggle the Phone Link sidebar on the Start Menu in a Windows 11 PC. This feature, part of the Phone Link app (formerly Your Phone), allows users to access a sidebar on the right side of the Start menu when activated. This sidebar displays crucial information such as your mobile device’s Battery level, Connection status (indicating whether the Phone Link app is linked to your PC or not), Bluetooth status, and provides quick access to the Phone Link app for viewing and sending messages, photos, and making calls. Essentially, it enables you to interact with your mobile device directly from the Windows 11 Start menu.

Moreover, the Phone Link sidebar features a Recent section that highlights recent calls, messages, and photos. This functionality is particularly beneficial for users who frequently utilize the Phone Link app on their Windows 11 machines. After linking your mobile device to your PC via Phone Link, activating this feature is straightforward. However, it’s important to note that this capability is currently exclusive to Android, with iOS support expected to arrive in future updates.

Steps to Toggle the Phone Link Sidebar on the Start Menu in Windows 11

There are two primary methods available to toggle the visibility of the Phone Link sidebar on the Windows 11 Start menu.

Using the Settings App to Show or Hide the Phone Link Sidebar

To enable the Phone Link mobile device to appear on the Start menu through the Settings app in Windows 11, follow these steps:

1. Press the Win+I keyboard shortcut to launch the Windows Settings app.
2. Select the Personalization tab.
3. Go to the Start section.
4. Toggle the Show mobile device in Start option to On.
5. Open the Start menu, where you will now see the Phone Link Mobile Device, including a Recent section and additional options.

If you wish to remove or hide the Phone Link Sidebar from the Start menu, return to the Start section within the Settings app and disable the Show mobile device in Start toggle.

Adjusting the Phone Link Sidebar via the Windows Registry

Before proceeding with this method, it’s advisable to back up the Windows Registry as a precaution. To adjust the Phone Link sidebar visibility using the Registry Editor for the current user, follow these instructions:

• Type regedit into the Search box and press Enter to launch the Registry Editor.
• Navigate to the following path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Start\Companions\Microsoft.YourPhone_8wekyb3d8bbwe

• Look for the IsEnabled DWORD (32-bit) Value. To display the Phone Link sidebar, adjust its Value data. If this key doesn’t exist, create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value titled IsEnabled.
• Double-click the IsEnabled value, opening an edit box.
• Enter 1 into the Value data field.
• Click OK.

To disable or turn off the Phone Link sidebar on the Start menu, follow the same steps but set the Value data of the IsEnabled DWORD (32-bit) Value to 0 instead, and press OK.

Customizing the Phone Link Sidebar Personalization on the Start Menu

The Phone Link sidebar also includes personalization settings for managing notification badges and configuring the Recent section. To customize your Phone Link sidebar experience:

• Open the Phone Link app.
• Click on the Settings icon located at the top-right corner.
• Select the Start menu personalization option from the left panel. Alternatively, access this setting directly through the Settings icon on the right side of the Recent section in the Start menu.
• Utilize the Badges toggle to show or hide notifications related to unread messages in the Start menu, found within the Notifications section.
• In the Content section, you can adjust the Recent Content option. Disabling this option will hide all recent mobile device content on the Phone Link sidebar, including messages, calls, and photos. If you prefer to keep it enabled, you can select the types of recent content to display, including:
  • Recent photos in the Start menu
  • Recent messages in the Start menu
  • Recent calls in the Start menu.

Choose the options you want to activate.

How Can I Prevent Phone Link from Starting Automatically in Windows 11?

If you wish to stop the Phone Link app from launching at startup, you can easily disable it in the Startup list. Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), navigate to the Startup apps section, select Phone Link, and click on the Disable button to prevent it from starting automatically when you boot up your Windows 11 PC.

How to Adjust the Start Menu Alignment in Windows 11?

The Windows 11 Start menu is centered by default on the desktop. If you want to reposition it to the left, you’ll need to adjust the Taskbar alignment. To do this, open the Settings app, navigate to Personalization > Taskbar, and expand the Taskbar behaviors section. There, find the Taskbar alignment option, and from the drop-down menu, select Left. This change will shift the Start menu to the left side of your screen.

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