How do I Use KDE Connect to Control PC With Phone and Vice Versa

KDE Connect is a free open-source app that allows you to join your PC and smartphone and management one from the opposite (in each instructions).
KDE Connect has a number of helpful capabilities, resembling remotely controlling media playback, using your cellphone as a presentation controller and pointer, sharing information both means, share clipboard, controlling both gadgets remotely, and way more.

Ever wished you can seamlessly function your PC along with your cellphone or the opposite means round? Sure, there’s Microsoft’s Phone Link app that provides a number of functionalities on that entrance, however most of it are completely accessible for high-end Samsung gadgets and just a few trickle all the way down to common Android customers.

Fortunately, third-party apps like KDE Connect are right here to save lots of the day. Here’s every little thing that you must learn about KDE Connect – what it’s, how to set it up, and the varied methods wherein you should utilize it for cross-device operations. Let’s start.

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How do I arrange KDE Connect on cellphone and PC

KDE is an open-source app for smartphones and PCs that permit cross-device communication. With it, you possibly can management media playback, share clipboard, get notifications, management slideshows, switch information, and way more. You can thus management your PC along with your smartphone in addition to your smartphone along with your PC.

Here’s how one can arrange the app on the 2 gadgets to allow them to speak to one another.

Step 1: Download and Install KDE Connect on cellphone and PC

Download the KDE Connect app for Windows using this hyperlink.
Once downloaded, run the setup file.
Follow the on-screen directions to put in KDE Connect in your PC.
Next, obtain and set up the app for smartphones from the Play Store or the App Store.

Step 2: Connect smartphone with PC using KDE Connect

Once you’ve put in the app, launch it in your smartphone in addition to your PC. Make certain each the gadgets are on the identical network..
Tap on the accessible device and Request pairing.
Click on the device in your PC and Accept the request.
And identical to that, the 2 gadgets will probably be related.
Some plugins would require permissions to function. Simply faucet on them one after the other and supply the required permissions.
Allow permissions for all of the plugins that you just wish to use. If there are a number of plugins that you just wish to disable or allow later, you are able to do so from the Plugin Settings on the smartphone app.
For the KDE Connect’s PC app, go to ‘Plugin Settings’.
And make sure that all of the plugins that you just wish to use are enabled.

How do I exploit KDE Connect for cross-device communication and management [12 ways]

Once the connection is established and the all of the plugins are granted permissions, you’re all set to make use of KDE Connect’s varied functionalities to manage PC with cellphone and cellphone with PC.

1. Receive notifications

Thanks to KDE Connect notification sync, any notification you obtain on both device will probably be displayed on each gadgets. All the notifications will come below the KDE Connect banner.

Depending on the notification, you might even see particular actions you could take proper from the notification itself. Just be sure that notifications are turned on for KDE Connect.

2. Control media playback

Controlling media taking part in on one device with the one other device is a breeze.

If you’ve media taking part in in your PC, faucet on ‘Multimedia control’ on the KDE Connect’s smartphone app. Select the appliance taking part in media in your PC and use the media controls beneath.
You also can change output gadgets and the quantity ranges from the ‘Devices’ part.

Conversely, it’s also possible to management media taking part in in your Android with the KDE Connect app on the PC.

Click on “Multimedia Controls”.
Select the appliance taking part in media.
And use the media and quantity controls.

Unlike Phone-to-PC controls, PC-to-phone controls don’t allow you to change the output device. Otherwise, cross-device operations are flawless and fast.

Sharing the clipboard content material between your PC and smartphone is amongst KDE Connect’s most helpful options.

On your PC, copy some textual content.
Then click on on ‘Send Clipboard’ on the KDE Connect app to ship it to your smartphone.
The copied textual content will seem in your smartphone’s clipboard.
Additionally, it’s also possible to robotically ship every little thing you copy in your PC to your smartphone. For this, allow “Automatically share the clipboard from this device” from Plugin Settings > Clipboard settings.

Clipboard content material may also be despatched the opposite means, that’s out of your smartphone to the PC clipboard.

To accomplish that, copy one thing in your smartphone after which faucet “Send Clipboard” from the KDE notification.
The identical will now develop into accessible in your PC’s clipboard.

However, there’s no strategy to robotically ship no matter you copy to the PC. But that is solely a minor inconvenience.

4. Get notified of incoming calls

KDE Connect additionally notifies you of incoming calls.

It doesn’t allow you to Pick Up calls, which is a bummer, however we hope this will get checked out by the KDE Connect group quickly.

Along with this, it’s also possible to allow “Pause media during calls” from the Plugin settings on the KDE Connect app on PC so that you gained’t miss any necessary calls since you’re consuming media.

5. Send SMS by way of PC

The SMS notifications that you just obtain in your PC additionally permits you to reply back immediately.
If you miss this notification, it’s also possible to reply from the KDE Connect SMS window. To accomplish that, right-click the KDE Connect icon within the system tray > choose cellphone > SMS Messages.
And merely choose your thread, kind your message and hit Send.

6. Control Slideshows

With cross-device communication, you should utilize your Android device to maneuver slides ahead or backward, in addition to use it as a pointer.

Tap on “Presentation remote” on the KDE Connect app in your smartphone and use the arrow buttons to go to the earlier or the following slide. Tap and maintain the “Pointer” and level on the slides.
The pointer will seem as a blue and white circle.
You also can make the presentation full-screen or exit it by tapping on the three-dot icon within the high proper nook and choosing the respective choice.

Although most customers would use their Android gadgets to manage the shows on their PCs, the choice to do it the opposite means round is out there as effectively.

7. Transfer Files

For most customers, the flexibility to switch information between PC and cellphone would be the most used characteristic, if just for how briskly the information are transferred.

To switch information out of your smartphone, faucet on ‘Send files’ on the KDE Connect app. Alternatively, faucet on ‘Send files’ from the persistent notification within the notification bar. Select the information out of your file explorer or the gallery, and faucet ‘Select’.
The information will probably be despatched to your PC.
You can examine the place the information are being saved from ‘Plugin Settings > Share and receive’. You’ll be capable to select a unique location for receiving information right here as effectively.
To ship information within the different course, that’s from PC to cellphone, click on on ‘Share File’ on the KDE Connect app in your PC.
Select your file and click on Open.
If the above methodology doesn’t work, it’s also possible to share file from the KDE Connect icon within the system tray. Right click on on the KDE Connect icon > choose device > Send a file/URL.
Select ‘Send File’. Then click on on the file icon next to the ‘Enter file location here’ area.
Select your file and click on Open as earlier than.
The file will probably be accessible in your cellphone’s Downloads folder.

8. Remote Input (management PC cursor and keyboard with cellphone)

This is one more tremendous spectacular KDE Connect characteristic that is available in particularly helpful if you’re seated away from the device that you just wish to management.

To management your PC along with your smartphone, faucet on ‘Remote enter.
Then use your finger to maneuver the cursor in your PC. Use the buttons on the backside to left, center, and proper click on respectively.
But that’s not all. If you don’t like using your fingers dragging throughout the display screen to manage the PC cursor, it’s also possible to use the gyro mouse performance and transfer your cellphone itself to manage the cursor. To do that, faucet on Settings (gear icon) within the high proper nook. And allow ‘Enable gyroscope mouse’.
Additionally, it’s also possible to use your cellphone’s keyboard and kind in your PC. To accomplish that, faucet on the keyboard icon on the high. Then merely kind and the inputs will seem in your PC.

9. Remote Input (management Phone with mouse and use PC keyboard to kind on cellphone)

Remote Input works within the different course as effectively, that’s from the PC to the cellphone. Here’s how to manage your cellphone along with your mouse:

Click on ‘Remote input’ on the KDE Connect app in your PC.
The left click on is a Single Tap, proper click on is for going Back, and center click on is for attending to the Home display screen. You can click on and drag within the KDE Connect app to maneuver the cursor level round in your cellphone’s display screen. However, a greater means is to ‘Lock’ the distant management.
This means, you possibly can merely drag the mouse and transfer the cursor level in your cellphone’s display screen. Use the mouse clicks to carry out the completely different capabilities. To get out of the Lock, press Alt+X.
To use your PC’s keyboard in your cellphone, first open the app in your cellphone the place you wish to kind. Tap to convey up the keyboard. Then faucet on the keyboard switcher icon within the backside proper nook. Select the KDE Connect Remote Keyboard.
Now click on on ‘Remote input’ on PC.
Click within the area on the backside and begin typing away.
The keystrokes will probably be now be registered in your cellphone’s app.

10. Browse your cellphone’s storage from PC

KDE Connect additionally permits you to browse your information and folders in your cellphone using your PC (in addition to switch information that means).

To accomplish that, right-click the KDE Connect icon within the system tray, choose your device > Browse device.
Windows will ask you to put in an software that may open the sftp hyperlink. But for those who browse Microsoft Store, you’ll obtain solely paid apps.
Instead, obtain and set up WinSCP.
Once put in, strive searching the information using the identical steps as given above.
When prompted by WinSCP, click on Accept.
Your Android’s information and folders will open within the WinSCP app.

11. Find your smartphone using the PC

If you misplace your cellphone and it’s nonetheless related, you possibly can merely click on on ‘Find Device’ on the KDE Connect app on PC. Your cellphone will begin ringing. Once you discover it, merely press ‘Found it’ to cease it from ringing.

12. Execute instructions out of your cellphone

KDE Connect has varied helpful capabilities. But the place it comes up brief, it additionally permits you to fill within the gaps and run instructions to execute a particular perform. To be certain, these instructions are executed from the cellphone for the PC solely. Here’s how to set them up:

On the KDE Connect PC app, click on on ‘Plugin settings’.
Scroll all the way down to ‘Run commands’ and click on on the setting icon next to it.
Click on ‘+ Add command’.
You can choose from one of many pattern instructions. and hit ‘Save’.
Alternatively, it’s also possible to enter your personal instructions. The KDE Connect web site lists a number of instance instructions you could check out.
Once you’ve saved the instructions that you just wish to run, open the KDE Connect app in your cellphone and faucet on ‘Run Command’. Then faucet on the command and it will likely be executed in your PC.

Note: There are a number of instructions that will not work due to bugs on the most recent app. However, we hope this to get mounted as and when an update is launched.

FAQ

Let’s take into account a number of generally requested questions on using KDE Connect.

Does KDE Connect have display screen mirroring?

Unfortunately, no. For all its a number of functionalities, display screen mirroring is just not certainly one of KDE Connect’s options.

Difference between Microsoft’s Phone Link app and KDE Connect

Although Microsoft’s Phone Link app has some cool options resembling accessing Android screenshots on Windows and using your cellphone’s digicam as webcam on Windows, there’s little else. KDE Connect, compared, has a number of options which might be way more helpful than what the Phone Link presents.

FIX: KDE Connect can’t detect both device

If KDE Connect can’t detect the opposite device, be sure that the app is allowed on Windows’ Firewall. You might also wish to restart your PC and examine the connection once more.

How does KDE Connect acquire your information for switch?

KDE Connect doesn’t acquire or switch your information. All the information that’s being transferred between your gadgets stays is completed domestically.

KDE Connect is likely one of the best apps on the market in terms of establishing a connection between your PC and your smartphone and controlling one with the opposite. We hope this information helped you get began with KDE Connect’s options. Until next time! Stay related.

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