Sometimes, you might want to view your Android phone's screen on your computer. How do you do that? A few years ago, the best methods required you to root your Android device.
But you can now easily mirror Android to your desktop or laptop without rooting. We'll walk you through the simple steps to display an Android phone screen on your PC or Mac.
Why Should You Mirror Android to Your PC?
Why would you want to mirror your Android phone screen to a PC? There are plenty of reasons.
You might be an app developer and want to check your code's results without having to constantly reach for your phone. Maybe you want to share media on a larger screen without uploading it. Or perhaps you need to give a presentation quickly while a projector is connected to your PC.
The quickest and easiest way to share your Android screen on a PC, as you will find out, doesn't require installing anything on your phone, and just a simple program for your computer.
Screen Mirroring Android to PC: What You'll Need
Scrcpy is one of the best software options for viewing your Android screen on your PC via USB or Wi-Fi for free. It works on all desktop operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. You don't need to download or install any app on your Android phone.
While you can use a wireless connection with Scrcpy, it's at its best when used via USB. It comes with quite a few features, including the ability to access your phone's cameras for webcam use, manage its files, and even options for screen recording.
Here's what you need to get started on mirroring your phone to your PC:
- The Scrcpy file for your platform, which you can download from the Scrcpy GitHub Releases page.
- A compatible USB cable to connect your phone to your PC.
- An Android smartphone or tablet with USB debugging enabled, as described below.
How to Enable USB Debugging Mode on Android
We have a full explanation of what USB debugging mode is, but you only need to know how to enable it for this process:
- Go to Settings > System > About phone (or Settings > About phone on older versions of Android).
- Scroll down and tap Build number seven times until you see a popup message that you're now a developer.
- Go back to Settings > System and enter the now-visible Developer options menu.
- Scroll down and enable USB debugging.
- Tap OK to confirm the action when prompted.
The first step might be slightly different depending on your device's version of Android. Generally, you have to find the page with the current Build number and tap that seven times to enable Developer Options. You might see a prompt requesting your PIN, password, or pattern. The correct input will enable Developer Options, and you're ready to start mirroring Android to PC via USB.
How to View Your Android Screen on PC or Mac via USB
Now that you have USB debugging mode activated, the rest is straightforward:
- Connect your Android phone to your PC via USB. Tap to accept any on-screen prompts that you might see.
- Extract Scrcpy to a folder on your computer.
- Run the Scrcpy executable in its folder.
- Once it opens, it should automatically detect your Android device. If you've connected two or more phones, then click Find Devices and select your phone.
- Scrcpy will start up and connect to your Android device. You can now view your phone screen on your PC.
If you're running into errors while connecting your phone to your PC, visit Scrcpy's FAQs page for common problems and their solutions.
With this, you're ready to mirror Android to PC. The mouse and keyboard connected to your PC work within Scrcpy, so you can use your mouse and keyboard to interact with apps on your phone and type out messages. There are quite a few mobile apps that don't yet have a web client, so this is a good way of using your physical keyboard for said apps.
Why Scrcpy Is the Best Way to Mirror Android on Any PC
Scrcpy is open-source and free, with no in-app purchases or premium features. It's the best free app to display your Android screen on a PC for multiple reasons:
- It doesn't require you to install any service or app on your Android phone.
- It's available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- It mirrors your screen in real time, with almost no delay.
- You can interact directly with your phone's screen through your computer.
- For technically inclined people, it includes a way to view your Android screen wirelessly on your PC via a TCP/IP connection over the same local network.
- It has a low latency rate between of 70 and 130 ms.
The only real drawback with using Scrcpy, when compared to alternatives, is that it doesn't forward audio from devices running Android 10 or below. There are some workarounds, though. One involves downloading Sndcpy, a similar GitHub repo, or using an AUX cable and splitter.
Both options are slightly complicated to configure, but they seem to work relatively well at forwarding audio.
How to Mirror Your Android Screen to a PC Wirelessly
You don't need a USB cable to mirror your Android phone to a PC. Technically, Scrcpy has a wireless mode, where you can connect your Android device and PC over the same Wi-Fi network. But it requires a little technical know-how. Don't fret; there are easier ways to view your phone's screen on a computer through a wireless connection. AirDroid makes it easy to do just that.
For this, you'll need to download AirDroid on your computer and Android device, or you can open the AirDroid browser app in Chrome. Register and log in on all devices, then follow the steps below to set up mirroring.
Download: AirDroid for Android | Windows | macOS | Web (Free, in-app purchases available)
How to Mirror Android to PC With AirDroid
First, make sure your computer and smartphone are on the same Wi-Fi network.
- On your Android device, open AirDroid and head to Me > Security & Remote Features > Screen Mirroring > Enable.
- On your PC, open AirDroid and click Mirroring.
- On your phone, Grant permission when Android tells you that AirDroid will start capturing everything on your phone.
Just like that, your screen will wirelessly mirror to your PC. This is the easiest way to share your Android screen without the hassle of a cable. Plus, AirDroid is a fantastic Android remote management app with plenty of other features like file transfer, contact copy, remote texting, backups, and more.
Why It's Better to Mirror Your Phone to a PC via USB
Generally, we recommend mirroring your Android screen to a PC via a USB connection. Wireless connections often run into a few issues, such as:
- Wireless connections usually have higher latency. This results in a noticeable delay between actions on your mobile device and the video feed displaying them on your computer.
- You're more likely to experience disconnects while using a wireless connection. Additionally, it can be more challenging to re-establish a connection over Wi-Fi, and you have to spend additional time fixing your Wi-Fi connection.
- When you mirror Android to PC with a wireless connection, it usually reduces the overall video and audio quality when compared to a USB connection.
More Options for Screen Mirroring Android to Your PC
Now you know how to mirror an Android device to a PC with both a wireless and wired connection. Generally, a wired connection beats wireless mirroring, but the convenience of wireless is hard to beat. Some brands offer built-in alternatives on their devices to make the process of mirroring Android to a PC even easier.
If you have a compatible Motorola device, for example, you can use Ready For to seamlessly connect to a wide variety of displays. Alternatives like Ready For are great, as they're overall much easier to use than AirDroid and Scrcpy.