Control Smartphone from PC

hoek

2020-03-30 2020-03-30

reviews

I like to keep an eye on my smartphone or rather what is happening on it. Not all the time, but when I need it, I use desktop app to not miss any notification, or to transfer files between smartphone and PC. Today with all smart watches and sport bands people are connected with their phones all the time. If you are looking for something that also allow you to control almost all of the smartphone options from your PC, here are some apps for you to check.

mirroring

Personally I am using scrcpy. Because, in my opinion it is the best solution for Linux users, this is why there is also short description how to install it and configure. Check other options and choose the best solution for yourself.

scrcpy

Connection: USB or TCP/IP

Version: Free/Opensource

Supported desktop OS: Windows/Linux/macOS

Supported mobile OS: Android

Download: scrcpy

Installation

Latest zip and source for each system can be downloaded on release page.

Snap packages: https://snapcraft.io/scrcpy.

Manual build from GitHub described here.

Requirements: The Android part requires at least API 21 (Android 5.0). Make sure you enabled adb debugging on your device(s). Don’t forget to install ADB sudo apt install adb.

Go wireless

Connect the device to the same Wi-Fi as your computer
Get your device IP address (in Settings → About phone → Status)
Enable adb over TCP/IP on your device: adb tcpip 5555
Connect to your device: adb connect DEVICE_IP:5555 (replace DEVICE_IP)
Unplug your device
Run scrcpy as usual

The default scrcpy bit-rate is 8Mbps, which is probably too much for a Wi-Fi connection. Depending on the use case, decreasing the bit-rate and the resolution may be a good compromise:

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scrcpy --bit-rate 2M --max-size 800
or
scrcpy -b2M -m800

To switch back to USB mode: adb usb.

Resolution

To limit both width and height to some value (e.g. 1024):

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scrcpy --max-size 1024
or
scrcpy -m 1024

Record screen

It is possible to record the screen while mirroring:

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scrcpy --record file.mp4
or
scrcpy -r file.mkv

To disable mirroring while recording:

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scrcpy --no-display --record file.mp4
or
scrcpy -Nr file.mkv

interrupt recording with Ctrl+C

Issues

When you run scrcpy and get error like this:

1 2	adb: error: failed to get feature set: more than one device/emulator ERROR: "adb push" returned with value 1

check devices:

1	adb devices

List of devices attached

1 2	YOUR_DEVICE_CODE devices YOUR_DEVICE_CODE devices

you need find YOUR_DEVICE_CODE some string or IP address

1	adb disconnect

then choose one of these, depending on how you are connecting to your device:

adb usb

for USB or

1	adb tcpip 5555

Download: Mobizen