Android ↔ PC Bridge

A simple tool I built to connect my Android phone with my Windows PC.

I use it daily to transfer files, stream media, mirror notifications, send text to clipboard, and quickly control my PC (like locking it) without getting up. It works over local network and can also be set up to work over the internet.

Demo

1. Lock PC from phone

Left: Android app using the "Lock PC" command
Right: PC locking instantly

2. Transfer files between phone and PC

This shows how the PC's file system is integrated directly into Android.
In this example, a file is sent from the PC to Google Drive using the Android file picker.

3. Sending to PC clipboard

Left: Sending text using Android's native context menu
Right: PC receives it instantly in the clipboard

4. Mirroring Notifications

Left: Receiving a notification on the phone
Right: PC mirrors and displays it

Why I built this

I wanted something fast and reliable that handles the basics well without getting in the way.

Most existing solutions like KDE Connect or Microsoft Phone Link felt too heavy or inconsistent for my use. I didn’t need a full ecosystem, just something simple that works every time.

I tried to make the app itself as invisible as it could get, so you can perform most actions without having to open it. I utilized the many Android features to achieve this, like DocumentProvider, and PROCESS_TEXT intent.

Features

• Transfer files between phone and PC
• Mirror phone notifications on PC
• Send text from your Phone to your PC's clipboard instantly
• Share links directly to your PC browser
• Execute simple commands (e.g. lock PC)
• Access PC files directly from Android file picker (via DocumentProvider)
• Works over local network (WiFi)
• Optional remote access over WAN (requires port forwarding)
• Secured using HTTPS

What makes it useful for me

• I can copy something on my phone and have it on my PC instantly
• I can open web links from my phone to my PC without messaging myself
• I can browse and save files on my PC directly from Android apps
• I can lock or shutdown my PC remotely
• I can access my PC's files from outside my house by using port forwarding

How it works

The system has two parts:

• Android app (client)
• PC server (Electron app)

The phone connects to the PC over the network and sends data or commands. The PC runs a lightweight server that listens and executes actions.

Communication is done over HTTPS.

Running the project

git clone

// Run the web server
cd Server
npm i // this will take some time
npm start

cd ../Android
// Open the Android project on Android Studio and 
// run it from there on your device.

How to use?

1. Pairing your phone with your PC

Before you are able to do anything, you will need to pair your phone with your server. Open the Devices screen from the desktop app, and click the icon on the top right. This will show you a QR code that you will have to scan with your Android application. Once you scan it, your phone will be connected to your PC. Make sure they are on the same local network when doing this step.

2. Start using the application

Once you are paired, you are ready to use the app. You will be presented with the file system of your PC from which you can perform many operations like opening, uploading, downloading, moving or deleting files.

You can also send text to the PC's clipboard directly from the app, or preferably do it from outside the app, by highlighing text from any app, opening the menu, and selecting Copy to PC which will send the text to your PC's clipboard without needing to open the app. You can do the exact thing with webpages' links, but this time select Browse on PC which will open the webpage on your PC's browser.

Remote access (optional)

To access your PC from outside your network you will have to manually setup port forwarding on your router. You can find the steps in the server's app.

Notes

• This started as a personal tool, so the codebase is still being cleaned up and improved. The app currently supports Windows PCs, but MacOS and Linux support will be added.

• The server is written in Electron which I believe was the wrong choice. It is too heavy and bloated for such a simple app. I will be migrating to something less heavy like Tauri or Compose in the future.

Future work

• Improve app UI and UX
• Migrate server to a lightweight UI framework
• Better connection handling
• Widgets for Android app to reduce time-to-action
• The setup is clumsy and needs to be clearer and easier