Link to Windows Introduces PC Removal Feature

If you regularly test Windows Insider builds using Virtual Machines (VMs), you might have encountered the issue of "ghost PCs" lingering in the Link to Windows app. Even after deleting the VM or removing it from your Microsoft Account, these disconnected PCs would persist in the app’s Linked PCs list. Thankfully, this frustrating issue is finally being addressed.

New Feature: Remove PC Option

The Link to Windows Android app has introduced a new Remove PC option, enabling users to delete a linked computer directly from their phone—no need to access a PC. This feature is currently available in the beta version 1.26062.125.0-preprod, appearing under the Settings menu.

Interestingly, this new functionality was discovered by accident. After reading online discussions about the feature, I checked my own device and confirmed it is live for some beta testers.

How to Remove a PC from Link to Windows on Android

1. Open the Link to Windows app.
2. Tap your profile picture in the top-left corner and navigate to Settings.
3. Under Linked PCs, locate the list of PCs associated with your Microsoft account.
4. Next to each PC’s name, tap the gear icon to open the individual device settings screen.
5. On this screen, you’ll find two options:
   • Disconnect: Pauses syncing and can be reversed.
   • Remove PC: Permanently deletes the device entry.
6. Tap Remove PC, and a confirmation dialog will appear with the message: “Remove [PC name]?”
7. Confirm the action, and the PC will immediately disappear from the Linked PCs list.

Note: While this action removes the PC from your account and device list, the entry might still appear on other mobile devices or Microsoft products. In such cases, you’ll need to remove it manually from those platforms as well.

Why This Feature Was Missing Until Now

The absence of this feature wasn’t due to oversight. According to an Independent Advisor on Microsoft’s Q&A forum, a Microsoft engineer explained that the Linked PCs list is stored in a backend database that was not accessible via the app. As a result, users had no way of deleting individual entries.

Microsoft has been working on this feature since January, indicating that the development of the Remove PC option has been a long time in the making. Several users had raised concerns about the inability to clear outdated devices, with some even resorting to signing out entirely and starting over as a workaround.

Link to Windows and Phone Link: Continued Improvements

Link to Windows and Phone Link have become vital tools in the Windows and Android ecosystem. These apps bridge the gap between two distinct operating systems, enabling features like locking your PC, sending files, syncing your clipboard, and more.

Recent updates have further enhanced the user experience. For instance, cross-device resume functionality allows users to open a Vivo browser tab or an M365 Copilot document on their PC seamlessly. Meanwhile, the app’s interface has evolved significantly, moving away from its earlier, minimalist design.

The Phone Link team has hinted at additional features in development. A social media post from March mentioned ongoing improvements, though many of these updates, including the Remove PC option, have only gradually made their way to beta testers.

Availability

At the moment, the Remove PC feature is limited to the preprod beta channel. It might take some time before it becomes available in the stable version of the app. Users eager to try the feature may want to join the beta program to access it sooner.

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