Imitating legitimate/authentic applications and processes is one of the most common techniques used by hackers to camouflage viruses. You might notice certain unknown processes running in the background on Task Manager and you might want to remove or disable them altogether. But what if, deleting them results in system errors or issues? Before you take, any such step, it is important for users to do their research and grasp all the knowledge around What is YourPhone.exe On Windows 10? Is the YourPhone.exe process a virus? How to disable YourPhone.exe from running in Task Manager?
What Is YourPhone.exe Process
Well, whenever you connect your smartphone to your computer, a phone app icon pops up on your Settings app. Further, the in-built application Your Phone app will help you manage all your phone notifications right on your computer screen. Basically, the YourPhone.exe process is a built-in application (Your Phone App) that comes pre-installed on devices running Windows 10 October 2018 Update or later.
It is a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) that works dedicatedly to sync pictures, contact, data, read messages, device notifications, and soon. You can even share files and images between your devices without compromising on quality. The only prerequisite is, you need to have the same Microsoft Account on your computer as on your smartphone.
| Additional Information: Your Phone App is not restricted to just Android users. If you own an iPhone or iPad, you can still use this wonderful tool. Although, you will be limited to browser link-sharing only and you need to have Microsoft Edge browser installed on your iOS device. |
Is YourPhone.exe a Virus?
As per our understanding from the explanation mentioned above, YourPhone.exe is a dedicated program, designed and developed by Microsoft. Hence, it is not malware, but a legitimate process running on your computer. But cybercriminals, sometimes disguise the YourPhone.exe process with malicious content and viruses to cause harm to your devices.
This is a clever technique used by hackers to hide a potential malware, phishing or virus attack in plain sight. But don’t worry, today we’ll be sharing a few tips and tactics through which you can detect whether the YourPhone.exe process running on your computer is a virus or a legitimate process by Microsoft.
Also Read about What is Vulkaninfo.exe, What is MSASCuil.exe , What is LockApp.exe , Avast Remediation.exe and different methods to remove these files from windows pc.
Common Tips To Identify If YourPhone.exe Is A Virus
Follow the tips shared below to easily detect the legitimacy of the YourPhone.exe process running in the background on Task Manager:
1. Verify Its Digital Signature
If you are unaware of what Digital Signature is, note down that it is an electronically coded document that proves the authenticity of a device or software. It is equipped with metadata that verifies the legitimacy. In layman terms, Digital Signature can be considered a certificate for authenticity.
To check the digital signature of YourPhone.exe and verify it is signed by Microsoft or not, follow the steps below:
STEP 1 = To check YourPhone.exe digital signature, simply launch the Task Manager. Simply, right-click on the Taskbar and choose Task Manager from the context menu.
STEP 2 = Navigate to the Processes tab and locate Your Phone app. Once found, simply expand the category.
STEP 3 = Here you will find – Runtime Broker item under the YourPhone category. Simply, right-click on it and choose Properties.
STEP 4 = At this step, you need to head towards the Digital Signatures tab and you should see Microsoft Windows under the Name of signer. If you see some other name or empty entry, then you need to worry a little and concentrate on how to uninstall the YourPhone.exe file from your Windows computer.
To know more about the process, you can click the Details button as shown in the screenshot below:
In case you’ve already detected no digital signatures or name of a signer other than Microsoft, then you should immediately skip to the section How To Disable YourPhone.exe on Windows 10? If everything’s fine till here, try out the next tip to check the legitimacy of the YourPhone.exe process.
2. Use Windows Defender
You can consider scanning the file running the YourPhone.exe process to check whether it’s a virus or not. Try using Windows Defender to check the legitimacy, all you have to do is:
STEP 1 = Launch Task Manager on your Windows computer and navigate to the Processes tab. Look for the Your Phone entry and expand it.
STEP 2 = At this point, you need to right-click and choose the option Open file location.
STEP 3 = As soon as you do that, YourPhone.exe related files will be opened in the File Explorer. Simply, locate the YourPhone.exe item and right-click to choose the option Scan with Microsoft Defender.
STEP 4 = A new pop-up window will appear; you need to select the Custom Scan option followed by Scan now button to initiate the process.
Windows Defender will now perform a scan and present the results. If it detects something suspicious, you can perform the necessary actions to remove the YourPhone.exe process on Windows 10.
How to Disable YourPhone.exe on Windows 10?
If you have discovered YourPhone.exe to be a virus, here’re the necessary steps to be taken to disable YourPhone.exe from the background.
METHOD 1 = Disable Background Apps Using Settings
STEP 1 = Launch Windows Settings. You can press the shortcut keys Windows + I to open the Settings app on your Windows 10.
STEP 2 = Navigate to the Privacy module.
STEP 3 = From the left-hand side menu, simply locate the Background Apps option and click on the same.
STEP 4 = At this point, you need to toggle off the first option that will allows you to disable all the apps from running in the background. This includes Your Phone app as well!
STEP 5 = In case you are looking for a specific way to disable the YourPhone.exe process on Windows 10, simply scroll below and search for the Your Phone app, once found, turn off the toggle next to it to disable YourPhone.exe altogether.
How to Remove YourPhone.exe From Windows 10?
Wondering how you can easily remove the YourPhone.exe process from your Windows 10, simply follow the instructions mentioned below.
STEP 1 = There’s an effective way to remove YourPhone.exe running on Windows 10. All you need to do is, navigate to the Start button and right-click to choose Windows PowerShell (Admin) option.
STEP 2 = On the Windows PowerShell window, simply copy and paste the following command line mentioned below and hit the Enter button!
Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.YourPhone -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage
Once the command line is successfully executed, YourPhone.exe will be deleted permanently.
How Do I Reinstall the YourPhone App On Your Windows Computer?
In case you change your mind and wishes to reinstall Your Phone application on Windows 10, simply follow the instructions mentioned below:
STEP 1 = Launch Microsoft Store on your Windows 10. Search for the Your Phone application. Click on the relevant results to open the page.
STEP 2 = Click on the Get button to initiate the download process.
Next, you just need to follow the on-screen instructions to initiate the installation process of Your Phone app.
How to Reset YourPhone.exe in Windows 10?
If you are searching for a way to simply reset Your Phone application on Windows 10, you can follow the steps shared below.
Note: This method should be implemented if you are facing issues with Your Phone app before reinstalling it.
STEP 1 = Upon the launch of Windows Settings, go to the Apps > Apps & features.
STEP 2 = Now you need to locate Your Phone app under this list and click on the same to unveil the Advanced options link. Refer to the screenshot shared below to get cleared idea!
STEP 3 = On the next pop-up window, you need to scroll down and look for the Reset section. To move ahead, hit the Reset button to complete the process!
That’s it! This is how you can easily reset Your Phone app on Windows 10.
Conclusion on YourPhone.exe process
Well, after reading this blog post, we believe you’ve learnt about What exactly the YourPhone.exe process is? How to disable YourPhone.exe on Windows 10? We have also shared the detailed process of removing the Your Phone app, alongside the instructions for reinstalling and resetting Your Phone application.
In the end, we would like to state that YourPhone.exe is a completely safe process to run. But there can be a possibility that it might be camouflaged by an attacker. Hence, you need to be aware of the potential signs that support that YourPhone.exe is a virus or not!
If you are looking for any other relevant information related to the app, do share your suggestions in the comments section below! We’ll try our best to get back to you in the least time possible. Till then, stay tuned!
