Cross Device Experience Host Won’t Install on Windows 11 (Fix)

Cross Device Experience Host is the background component Windows 11 installs when you let your PC connect to a phone. When you flip on the option under Bluetooth & devices, Windows tries to pull it from the Microsoft Store. On many machines that download simply reads “pending” and never finishes, or an existing copy refuses to update. Until it installs cleanly, phone linking and mobile-device features stay disabled.

Quick answer: Open Command Prompt as administrator and run winget install 9NTXGKQ8P7N0. Approve the prompt and wait for it to report success, then return to Settings and turn the mobile-devices toggle back on.

Force the install with winget

The most reliable fix bypasses the Store download that gets stuck on “pending” and installs the package directly by its product ID.

Type cmd in the Windows search box, right-click Command Prompt, and choose Run as administrator. Select Yes if a User Account Control window appears.

Enter the install command and press Enter.

winget install 9NTXGKQ8P7N0

Accept any agreement prompt. You know it worked when the tool prints a completed or “successfully installed” message. If it instead says “Found an existing package already installed” and “No available upgrade found,” the component is already current and the real problem is with the app or a service, so move to the repair and service steps below.

Clear the Microsoft Store cache

A corrupted Store cache is a common reason installs and updates hang. Resetting it forces Windows to rebuild those files.

Press Win + R to open the Run box.

Type WSReset.exe and press Enter. A blank Command Prompt window opens while the cache clears, then the Store launches on its own.

Once the Store reopens, try turning the mobile-devices option back on or rerun the winget command.

Run the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter

Because this is a Microsoft-supplied component, the built-in troubleshooter can detect and clear problems that block Store apps from installing.

Open Settings and go to System > Troubleshoot.

Click Other Troubleshooters.

Find Windows Store Apps and click Run. Apply any fix it suggests, then attempt the install again.

Check the Connected Devices Platform Service

The Connected Devices Platform Service is a core part of the cross-device experience. If it is stopped or disabled, the host can fail to install or behave erratically.

Type Services in the Windows search box and press Enter.

Scroll to Connected Devices Platform Service. If it is not running, click Start in the left panel.

While you are here, it also helps to close any running instances of the host first. Open Task Manager, look for processes named “Mobile device” or “Microsoft Cross-Device Service,” and end them before you retry the install.

Repair or reset the component in Settings

If the app installed but keeps failing to update or won’t connect, repairing it fixes damaged files without wiping your setup. Resetting is the stronger option if repair does nothing.

Open Settings, go to the System section, and select System components on the right.

Find Cross Device Host Experience or the Phone Link app, click the three-dot button next to it, and choose Advanced options.

Scroll down and click Repair. Repair keeps your data. If the problem persists, use Reset on the same page, which returns the component to its default state.

Install in a clean boot state

Third-party services or startup apps sometimes interfere with the install. A clean boot loads only the essentials so nothing gets in the way.

Press Win + R, type msconfig, and press Enter to open System Configuration.

On the Services tab, tick Hide all Microsoft services, then click Disable all and Apply.

Switch to the Startup tab, click Open Task Manager, disable every third-party startup item, and restart the PC.

Once the machine restarts in the clean environment, run winget install 9NTXGKQ8P7N0 again. After it succeeds, reopen msconfig and re-enable your services and startup items.

Temporarily disable antivirus during install

Security software, including Windows Defender, can block the host from installing or running. Turning real-time protection off briefly lets the install finish, and you should switch it back on immediately afterward.

Right-click the Windows logo button and choose Settings.

Go to Privacy & security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection, then click Manage settings under Virus & threat protection settings.

Turn Real-time protection to Off, install the component, then turn protection back on.

Update Windows 11 first if nothing works

Cross Device Experience Host depends on recent Windows 11 components and Store frameworks. On an older build, it may not appear at all, fail with a generic error, or download without completing.

Open Settings with Win + I and select Windows Update.

Click Check for updates and install every cumulative, security, .NET, and driver update offered. If a feature update is available, choose Download and install.

Restart when prompted, return to Windows Update, and keep checking until nothing more is required. Then retry the host install.

The winget command resolves the stuck “pending” install for most people, and the Store cache reset handles update loops. When the component is already present, but the feature still won’t run, the service check and the in-Settings repair are the two moves that matter most. Note: even after the host installs correctly, some phone features can take a moment to sync the first time you pair a device, so give the connection a few minutes before assuming it failed.