Microsoft has updated Windows 11 24H2 with a mobile sidebar for Start menu. Android and iPhone users can see their phone’s battery status, messages, calls, photos, etc. on the dedicated panel on the right side of the Start menu. Here is how to turn on the Mobile sidebar or Phone Link sidebar feature.
The mobile sidebar is an integrated feature of Microsoft’s Phone Link app. This enhancement enables users to view battery status, notifications, messages, calls, and photos without needing to launch the full Phone Link application, making it more easy to access and enhance usability.
Note that the mobile sidebar feature is currently available on Windows 11 build 22635.4805 or later, which is in the Beta channel. Users need to ensure they have the latest version of the Phone Link app, version 1.24121.30.0 or higher, installed. Additionally, Bluetooth LE support is required for the mobile sidebar to function smoothly.
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How to Enable/Disable Mobile Sidebar in Windows 11
1. First, link your Android or iPhone to your Windows 11 PC using the Phone Link app.
2. Next, open the Settings app on Windows 11 and navigate to the Personalization section.
3. In the Personalization settings, click on the “Start” option.
4. On the next screen, turn on the “Show mobile device in Start” toggle switch.
5. Enabling this setting will activate the mobile sidebar (also called Phone Link sidebar). To disable it turn off the toggle.
If the option is missing on your Windows 11, you can forcefully enable it using the Windows feature configuration tool called ViveTool.
Enable/Disable Mobile Sidebar Using ViveTool
1. Download the ViveTool-vx.x.x.zip file from here, unzip the file and copy the path of the extracted folder.
2. Next, open Command Prompt as administrator.
3. Next, type cd c:\folder\path\ViveTool-v0.x.x (type cd and paste the copied path) and press Enter key.
4. Now, execute below commands one-by-one and restart the computer:vivetool /enable /id:48697323
vivetool /enable /id:48433719
5. It will enable mobile sidebar on Windows 11. To disable this feature execute the below commands one-by-one:vivetool /disable /id:48697323
vivetool /disable /id:48433719
That is all how to enable and disable Windows 11 Start menu Mobile Sidebar on your computer. Enabling this setting will activate the Phone Link Sidebar, which will display your mobile device’s information, such as battery status, messages, calls, and photos, in a dedicated panel on the right side of the Windows 11 Start menu.