Samsung S8 Note. I was thinking the design philosophy behind phone link is wrong, typical MS thinking where the app and its data supersedes the data source device. The device (phone) is the source of the data and should be the master, while they have programmed phone link to be the master. Obviously, phone link is retaining useless data as all the real data is on the phone, phone link should care nothing about that data it is holding. Phone link keeps a non viable configuration. The times I have had to relink google messages, it has always accepted the QR code. Phonelink should reject the old data and it's config, should NEVER say QR code it generates itself for a connection is invalid. Phone link remembers the old configuration, won't accept a relinking, so likely what I would have to do is delete the data and it's app to do a fresh install. The data left in phone link for the phone is worthless and not important.
And sure if it works all the time for you, then you will think app is such a great thing... I am still wondering why it loses the link and quits working. Does that happen if the phone is restarted, or is it from phone link being upgraded.