Despite some efforts by Google, Microsoft, or even smartphone manufacturers, there is still an ideal way to use the Android interface on a desktop computer. Ironically, one free app has been showing large companies for years how to do it right and how to comfortably integrate smartphones. The scrcpy tool has now received an update that allows it to be used with Android 12 as well.
Both the smartphone and the computer (be it desktop, laptop or hybrid) play a very important role in everyday digital life and have their own application areas for each user. Some people are working on the computer and browsing the smartphone, while others prefer browsing with a desktop browser and which platform they are running is a matter of faith anyway. It is even more surprising that despite the efforts of Google, Microsoft, Samsung and other companies, it is still not possible to create a perfect symbiosis.
No installation required
We brought you the handy scrcpy app here on the blog a long time ago and it’s always worth a tip: the app enables the user interface of your Android smartphone Without any installation or setup To reflect interactively on the desktop. All entries made on the desktop via cursor, keyboard or touch are redirected to the smartphone and thus executed in real time. All you have to do is plug in the USB cable, activate USB debugging on your smartphone and you’re ready to go. By the way, the smartphone screen should not remain on during the transfer.
Copy files and content
The application not only allows viewing and use, but also provides some ways to transfer files between the two platforms, which are usually quite separate from each other. For example, you can simply copy and paste files from your computer to your smartphone, and even the clipboard is accessible since last year’s update: just copy it to your computer and paste it into the smartphone window or vice versa. While the Android clipboard was used for this purpose in the past, content can now be copied directly.
This is “smooth copy and paste” with UTF-8 text. Unfortunately, this is so far only possible with text, but not with arguments. The copied image cannot yet be moved to the clipboard between platforms. Unfortunately, I can’t say if this is possible in the future or if there are technical hurdles.
Update for Android 12
As Android 12 brings some new security precautions, the previous scrcpy approach could no longer be used and it crashed the app immediately upon launch. This has now been addressed by a workaround in which an “unsecure view” is used on a smartphone that can intercept content. This works without any major issues, but it does come with a stumbling block: if apps block themselves against screenshots or video recordings (like online banking), it won’t be visible on the desktop with scrcpy.
Another improvement is that the video stream provided by the smartphone as a webcam can now be integrated into the Linux system. This means that it can also be transferred to other applications that have access to the webcam. Additional updates make it possible to turn off the smartphone after scrcpy has finished, to lock the screen orientation or to be able to control the 4th and 5th buttons on the smartphone remotely.
Just try it, in my opinion a very practical application that should not be missing in any toolkit. It’s great (and perhaps also terrifying in terms of malware) what possibilities a connected smartphone offers without any installation or setup. There is no more convenient way to do this, despite the efforts of Google and Microsoft.
» Chrome OS Phone Hub: Transfer Photos from Android Smartphone to Chromebook – Without Google Photos
» Windows 11: Microsoft takes inspiration from Google – the new start menu is very reminiscent of Chrome OS
[XDA Developers]Subscribe to the GoogleWatchBlog newsletter
“Certified gamer. Problem solver. Internet enthusiast. Twitter scholar. Infuriatingly humble alcohol geek. Tv guru.”
