You know how Apple lets control an iPhone from a Mac? Well, a free application called Scrcpy (it’s screen copy, minus the vowels) lets you do the same thing for your Android phone on your computer, whether it’s Windows, Mac, or Linux.

While Scrcpy is not the easiest application to install — for instance, you’ll need to use the command line and have the developer mode turned on your phone — but once you get it running, you’ll be surprised how nifty the app is. It not only allows you to control your phone’s screen from your laptop or desktop, but also lets you set up a virtual screen so that you can launch apps on your Android even when it is off. Pretty cool, eh?

Of course, to enjoy these goodies you’ll first need to install Scrcpy. The most painless way to do this is by using a package manager. They are available dime a dozen on the internet, so do check the reviews to ensure you have picked a good one.

But why is a package manager needed in the first place? Well, because they install each and every driver and tool which the app requires to work smoothly.

Hmm, I get that, but what if I still don’t want to use a package manager?

In that case, download the latest release from Github and follow the instructions to complete installation. Keep in mind that going solo on this one, while perfectly possible, is the harder option. If you still insist, make sure you have all dependencies installed; otherwise, the app may not work properly.

As always, avoid third-party websites for downloading apps. Either use a package manager or download the app the official Github website.

Once installation is complete, enable USB debugging on the Android phone. To do this, the developer mode should be enabled.

• Go to Settings
• Tap About phone
• Tap Build Number till you get a message stating “You are now a developer”
• Under System, you’ll now see a new sub-menu: Developer options
• Open this sub-menu and toggle USB debugging on

All that’s left now is for you to plug the Android phone into the computer and viola, you can control it remotely. To get started, just type ‘scrcp’ in the command prompt and hit Enter.

Leave us a comment below if you have any question and don’t forget to share the post so that others can benefit from it.

Before signing off for the day, a pro tip: If your Windows computer is throwing tantrums, like system crashes, poor performance, or random errors, chances are outdated device drivers are the culprit. The best and easiest way to update device drivers is by using a third-party tool such as Driver Updater.

Automatic driver update tools offer many benefits, the most important ones being:

• You can update device drivers automatically
• The software scans and updates all outdated or missing drivers at one go
• The tool picks the right drivers for your device and operating system, so you won’t have to worry about installing an incorrect driver by mistake
• Automatic driver updates are 100% safe

Driver Updater is one of the best driver update tools out there. Outbyte Driver Updater will give you access to a database of over 1 million drivers. It will regularly scan your PC, suggesting new driver versions to install. Driver Updater contains drivers for a variety of Windows devices. With just one click, you can update drivers in your system.

Step 1
Click here to Install and launch the app

Step 2
Scan all devices

Step 3
Install or update drivers automatically

 

Start Download