What Is YourPhone.exe Process in Windows 10 and Is It Safe?

You open Task Manager on your Windows 10 computer and notice a process called YourPhone.exe running in the background. You did not start it and you have no idea what it does. Before you panic and assume it is malware, here is everything you need to know about this process and what to do about it.

What Is YourPhone.exe?

YourPhone.exe is a legitimate Microsoft process that belongs to the Your Phone app built into Windows 10. This app lets you connect your Android phone or iPhone to your PC so you can see phone notifications on your desktop, send and receive text messages, view recent photos from your phone, and even make phone calls through your computer. The process runs in the background to maintain the connection between your phone and your PC.

Is YourPhone.exe a Virus or Malware?

No, YourPhone.exe is not a virus. It is a genuine Windows 10 system application signed by Microsoft. You can verify this by opening Task Manager, right-clicking on YourPhone.exe, and selecting Open File Location. The file should be located in the WindowsApps folder under Program Files. If it is located anywhere else like a temp folder or your downloads folder, then it could be malware disguised as the Your Phone app. In that case run a full scan with Windows Security or your antivirus software immediately.

Why Is YourPhone.exe Running If I Never Set It Up?

Windows 10 enables the Your Phone app by default and it starts automatically when you log in. Even if you have never linked a phone to your PC, the process may still run in the background waiting for a connection. This is normal behavior and it does not mean someone has accessed your computer or installed something without your knowledge.

Does YourPhone.exe Use a Lot of CPU or Memory?

Under normal conditions YourPhone.exe uses very little CPU and around 20 to 50 MB of memory. If you notice it consuming high CPU or memory, try restarting the process by right-clicking it in Task Manager and selecting End Task. If the high usage continues after restart, there might be a bug in the current version. Check for Windows updates as Microsoft regularly patches performance issues with built-in apps.

How to Disable YourPhone.exe

If you do not use the Your Phone app and want to stop the process from running, you have several options. The easiest way is to go to Settings then Apps then Apps and Features. Search for Your Phone, click on it, and select Advanced Options. Turn off the toggle for Background Apps to prevent it from running in the background. You can also disable it from starting at login by opening Task Manager, clicking the Startup tab, finding Your Phone Companion, and setting it to Disabled.

How to Completely Uninstall the Your Phone App

You cannot uninstall the Your Phone app through the normal Settings menu because it is a built-in Windows app. However you can remove it using PowerShell. Open PowerShell as Administrator and run this command: Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.YourPhone -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage. This will completely remove the app and the YourPhone.exe process will no longer appear in Task Manager. Keep in mind that a major Windows update might reinstall the app automatically.

Should You Keep or Remove YourPhone.exe?

If you use the Your Phone app to mirror notifications or send texts from your PC, keep it running. It is a useful productivity tool that saves you from picking up your phone every time you get a message. If you never use the feature and do not plan to, disabling or removing it will free up a small amount of system resources and reduce the number of background processes on your computer. Either way it is completely safe to have on your system.