Windows 10: Phone Link "Messages" shows phone numbers, not names and photos

I know this has been an issue a number of times. They keep resolving the issue and then it comes back. I have been using Phone Link for quite a while. In the last year the number of numbers I have to keep editing and re-syncing is stupid. I have had to use a few different formats seeming to be different depending on who the other provider belongs to android, iphone... possibly even which service they are using.Why doesn't the simple matching algorithm just remove special characters and match on the digits... who can I fix this. I currently have been changing the formats from ### ###-### to

:)

 

RESOLVED: Phone Link "Messages" shows phone numbers, not names and photos

I use Phone Link on my Windows 11 PC to text message through my Samsung S22+ phone. I use the desktop Outlook client on my PC and have my Outlook contacts synchronize with the Samsung Contacts app on my phone. A couple of months ago, I began to notice that the names and photos of some of the people with whom I text were no longer showing up in the Phone Link "Messages" list; just their phone numbers. Also, when I clicked "+ New message" in Phone Link, and typed their name, they never showed up in the list of matching contacts from which to choose. This was very frustrating, especially since those contacts were the ones with whom I text most often.

I tried just about everything I could think of - uninstall/reinstalling Phone Link on the S22+ and my PC, multiple syncing options, etc., all to no avail. Then I noticed that the format of the number that showed up in Phone Link was different than what I had in my Outlook contacts. The numbers in Phone Link all showed up with a leading "+1" and had a dash after the area code without parentheses, like this: "+1 123-555-1212" but the numbers in Outlook Contacts showed up like this "(123) 555-1212". I thought the issue might be a database lookup problem, so I tried to enter the same number format in Outlook that appears in Phone Link: "+1 123-555-1212". But Outlook would NOT let me enter this format! It automatically put parentheses around the area code and removed the first hyphen, like this: "+1 (123) 555-1212".

When the new contacts manager for Outlook.com (Outlook on the web) was launched a short while ago, I used the Contacts editor on those contacts and WAS SUCCESSFUL in entering the phone number in the exact format that appears in Phone Link: "+1 123-555-1212". When I sync'd my contacts to my phone, PRESTO! The names and photos of those contacts reappeared in Phone Link "Messages"! So, if you are having problems seeing a phone number instead of names and photos in the Phone Link "Messages" app, try this!

 

YOUR PHONE not displaying photos

What functionality Phone Link (Your Phone) has depends upon the level of support it has for your phone. It seems that mostly Samsung phone have the most support. I have a Samsung S21 5G which works pretty good with Phone Link.

The first time and once in a while after that I have to retrieve my phone and give permission for Phone Link to access it. Once that is done Phone Link is allowed to access my phone any time even when the screen is locked. Naturally, my phone has to be in my home and powered on for this to work. Also, WiFi and Bluetooth need to be on.

When viewing photos at the bottom of the screen is "Showing up to 2000 photos and screenshots you've taken on your phone.". I only see that about 1300 photos plus an unknown number of screenshots are shown. The exact number is not important because I feel overwhelmed because it shows no information about individual photos or screenshots. I wish they would have separated the two. I find Phone Link most useful for recent photos and screenshots that I want to drag and drop onto my computer desktop. Beyond that it is easier to deal with the photos, screenshots, and albums by connecting my phone to my computer with a USB cable and browsing through them with Windows File Explorer.

I can also send and receive phone calls and text messages using Phone Link. Receiving text messages is really nice when I log onto a web site that wants to verify my identity by sending me a text message, After it is sent Phone Link, which is running in the background, causes a pop up notification on my computer screen. That is much easier than having to go find my phone and read it there.

Using Phone Link I can also view my phone screen and navigate the screens. I can also run any app on the phone and see it on my computer. At first I wondered why I wasn't hearing and sound. I solved that by pairing the phone with my computer via Bluetooth.

In conclusion, I find viewing and copying photos and screenshots using Phone Link is only useful for those that are fairly recent ones. Other than that retrieving text messages is the only other feature of Phone Link to be really useful.

 

Microsoft account and phone number linked

Microsoft account password recovery requires two verification codes being sent using two different verification methods. Each Microsoft account has at least two verification methods, the phone number and additional email address which are asked and required when you set up a new Microsoft account with a new hotmail.com or outlook.com email or using a third party email.

When the thief who got your phone tries to recover your password, all your verification methods / security info phone numbers and email addresses will be listed for him to select one. OK, the thief naturally selects your phone number, gets the code sent as a text message, and enters it.

But, clicking Next after entering the code he needs to select another security info contact (phone / email) from the list to receive second verification code.

Password recovery is not possible with just your phone, the system is clever enough to make it impossible by requiring two codes being sent to two different phones and / or emails.

You can add as many phone numbers and email address as you wish as security info contacts at https://account.live.com/proofs/mana...&refp=security. I wholeheartedly recommend that you add at least another security email address; if you only have one phone number and one email added, those which were required when you set up the Microsoft account, and that thief got your phone, the recovery would be as impossible to you as it is to him, you both having access to just one of required two verification methods.