There can be various reasons why you might need to control your Android smartphone from your computer. You may want to see and interact with the notifications on your phone directly from your computer or play Android games on a larger screen. It can also be quite handy if you are a developer and instantly want to check how your apps are performing on an actual device while interacting with it remotely. Whatever the case, you can use the Scrcpy tool to easily control your Android device from your Windows PC. It is quite easy to use, works across multiple platforms, and is completely free.

Step 1: Download and install Scrcpy

Scrcpy, short for 'screen-copy', basically lets you mirror your Android screen on your computer so you can control it remotely. Depending on your OS, there are different ways by which you can download and install it.

  1. If you're using Windows, open your web browser and head to the GitHub page of the program.
  2. You can download the .zip file from there and extract it. Make sure to download the version that is suitable for your system.
  1. Alternatively, open the Start menu, type cmd, and open Command Prompt.
  1. Type winget install --exact Genymobile.scrcpy in the Command Prompt window and press Enter. Wait for Scrcpy to install on your system.

Step 2: Prepare your Android device

Once you've installed Scrcpy on your computer, it is time to get your Android device ready so it can be controlled remotely.

  1. Open the Settings app on your Android phone and tap on 'About Phone'.
  2. On the 'About Phone' page, search for 'Build number'. When you find it, tap on it seven times until you see the notification saying 'You are now a developer'.
  1. Go back and tap on the newly visible 'Developer Options' in the Settings app. If you don't find the option directly, look for it within the 'System' section.
  2. Within the Developer Options, tap on the 'USB Debugging' toggle to enable it and tap on 'OK' in the pop-up notification.

Step 3: Control your Android device from your computer

Now, you're ready to control your Android smartphone from your computer. With the Scrcpy tool, you can essentially interact with your Android device from your computer just like you would if you were actually using it. So, you can open all your apps and access various settings easily.

  1. Connect your phone to your computer via a USB cable. If you see a notification about USB Debugging, tap 'OK' to accept.
  2. Open a Command Prompt window on your computer, type adb devices, and hit Enter.
  1. If you've followed all the previous steps correctly, your Android device should appear in the Command Prompt window as a string of random numbers and letters below 'List of devices attached'.
  1. Now type scrcpy in the Command Prompt window and press Enter.
  1. Alternatively, if you've downloaded the Scrcpy .zip file and extracted it, just open the extracted folder and run scrcpy.exe.
  1. Whichever method you follow, a new window should appear on your screen showing your Android device. You can now interact with your smartphone from your computer.
  1. Drag your cursor in any direction in the window and it will function as swiping on the screen of your Android device. Double-click on an app, like the calculator app and you will see it open on your device as well as in the window that displays the Android device on your Windows PC. All actions you perform using your computer will take place on your Android device simultaneously.
  1. When an app is open, drag upwards with your cursor to return to the home screen. You can also drag upward from the home screen to open the app drawer. Use a single click to open folders on your home screen.
  1. When controlling your Android device from your computer via Scrcpy, you can use various shortcuts to perform different actions. For instance, you can the Ctrl + F shortcut to toggle fullscreen, or the Ctrl + Shift + S shortcut to take a screenshot.

Things to know

  • Scrcpy requires a lot of system resources, especially if you're using it for controlling devices with high-resolution displays, or for purposes like gaming. If you notice any stuttering while controlling your Android device, check whether your computer's GPU and CPU are under strain.
  • You can resize and reposition the Scrcpy window that displays your Android device in any way you like. Additionally, the tool lets you set a specific resolution for the device you are connecting. So, you can go with a higher resolution for better picture quality or a lower one for better performance.
  • The Scrcpy tool even lets you connect your phone via a wireless connection, though connecting it with a USB cable ensures greater stability. If you want to connect it using Wifi, you will still need to configure it by first connecting via USB the first time.
  • Scrcpy does not fully support touch gestures when you are remotely controlling your Android device from your computer. So, you may need to use your phone's touchscreen for certain actions, such as entering the PIN when unlocking the device.