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How to Connect an Android Phone to Linux via KDE Connect?

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Nowadays while working on a PC most of the time we need to use our phones to transfer data and files to or from a computer. Therefore there is always a need for software that connects our mobile phones to a  PC so that we can not only share our files between them but also gain complete remote control of them in order to see important notifications and emails. One such software is KDE Connect, a Linux-based open-source application developed by the KDE community with the aim to enable our devices to communicate with each other. KDE-Connect is basically a mobile companion that we can use to remotely control and manage our computer system via our android device and vice versa.

Salient Features: KDE-Connect

  1. The application is completely free and open-source.
  2. User-friendly and easy to use.
  3. We can use it for sharing files between connected devices.
  4. We can give remote input control for mouse & keyboard.
  5. Sharing Clipboards between the connected devices.
  6. We can use it to find our phone by giving it a ring.
  7. Multimedia Applications can be remotely controlled.
  8. Smartphone notifications can be seen on our system.
  9. KDE-Connect uses the RSA Encryption mechanism to ensure each endpoint is secure on the network so that there are no privacy issues.

Installing KDE Connect on Linux and Android

Linux:

The KDE-Connect comes pre-installed with the KDE-Plasma desktop environment but to install the KDE-Connect component on other desktop environments(GNOME, Xfce, and MATE) first update and upgrade your system using the following command :

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

Now run the below installation command for KDE Connect

sudo apt install kdeconnect

Android:

To connect our phone with the Linux system, we have to install the KDE Connect application on android. We can either download an install it from Google Play Store or from F-Droid.

KDE-Connect Google Play Store

KDE-Connect Google Play Store

Connecting Android with Linux

The first and foremost thing is that both the device must be connected to the same network so that they can pair with each other. Both devices must share a common Wi-Fi connection otherwise, the device will not show in the KDE-Connect interface. Now once you are connected to the same network open the application on both the Linux system and Android device. We will be able to see the names of the devices that have KDE-Connect installed and running:

Android:

KDE-Connect Interface Android

KDE-Connect Interface Android

Linux:

KDE-Connect Interface Linux

KDE-Connect Interface Linux

Now on the android device, we click on the device or system we want to pair with from the list of available devices. When we click on “Request Pair” it will send a connection request to our Linux system.

Android:

 

Linux:

Connection request to Linux system for pairing with the android.

Pairing request

Pairing request

Click on “Accept” to connect with the android.  Once we accept the connection request we will see :

Android:

 

Linux:

 

Now we can start using our Android device to control operations on our Linux system. But, before that, we must have given all the necessary permission to the KDE Connect application on our Android device. Otherwise, we will not be able to perform tasks that require those permissions. Below is the list of permission that we need to give on android:

List of Permissions

List of Permissions


Last Updated : 30 Jun, 2022
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