Windows 10 lets you link an Android or iPhone to your PC and use the Continue on PC feature. If you’d rather now allow phones to be linked, you can disable the feature with a Group Policy setting (if you have Windows Pro) or a quick Registry hack (no matter what version of Windows you have).
Note: The phone linking feature we’re talking about here is the one that debuted in the Fall Creators Update in 2017, and that’s built into Windows 10. You can access it through Settings > Phone. This is different than the “Your Phone” app Microsoft debuted in the October 2018 Update that gives Android users advanced features like texting from your PC and access your photos more easily.
All Windows 10 Users: Disable the Phone Linking by Editing the Registry
If you have Windows Home edition, you will have to use the Registry to make these changes. You can also do it this way if you have Windows Pro or Enterprise, but just feel more comfortable working in the Registry. (If you have Pro or Enterprise, though, we recommend using the easier Local Group Policy Editor, as described later in the article.)
Standard warning: Registry Editor is a powerful tool and misusing it can render your system unstable or even inoperable. This is a pretty simple hack, and as long as you stick to the instructions, you shouldn’t have any problems. That said, if you’ve never worked with it before, consider reading about how to use the Registry Editor before you get started. And definitely back up the Registry (and your computer!) before making changes.
To get started open the Registry Editor by hitting Start and typing “regedit.” Press Enter to open Registry Editor and then permit it to make changes to your PC.
In the Registry Editor, use the left sidebar to navigate to the following key (or copy and paste it into the Registry Editor address bar):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows
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