KDE Connect review: link a phone and computer

KDE Connect is a free, open-source app that links a phone and a computer. ¹ It is for people who want everyday sharing without a cloud account in the middle. You can see phone notifications on the desktop and reply to a text from the computer. ¹ The two devices talk on your own network, not through the internet. ⁴

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: A free open-source app that connects a phone and a computer over your own network.

Works on: Linux, Windows, macOS, Android, and iPhone or iPad. Plasma Mobile and SailfishOS are listed too. ²

Price: Free to use. ¹ The Apple app is listed as free. ⁵

Licence: GNU GPL v2 and GNU GPL v3. ⁷

Best for: Files, clipboard text and phone alerts between devices you own, without a cloud service.

Official site: kdeconnect.kde.org

What KDE Connect does (and how it protects your privacy)

KDE Connect has two parts: a computer program and a phone app. ⁶ Install both, join the same network, and accept a pairing prompt. ⁶ They can then share files and links. ¹ Clipboard text can move between them too. ⁶ On Android, the computer can retrieve text messages and ask the phone to send them. ⁶

The phone can also drive the computer. It can pause or skip music and change the volume. ¹ The user wiki also describes using the phone as a touchpad and keyboard. ⁶

The privacy benefit is the path the data takes. Google Play says the devices send data to each other on the local network, never through the internet. ⁴ The same listing says nothing is sent to KDE or to any third party. ⁴ It calls the protection end-to-end TLS encryption. ⁴ TLS scrambles the traffic so others on the Wi-Fi cannot read it. The Android source readme says this runs over the Wi-Fi you already have, using TLS. ⁷

Key features of KDE Connect

Files and links. Send a file, browse the phone, or open a link on the other device. ¹ Files sent from the phone to the computer go to Downloads. ⁶
Shared clipboard. Copy text on one device and paste it on the other. ⁶ From Android 10, tap Send Clipboard, because Android blocks background clipboard access. ⁶
Notifications and calls. Android alerts, including incoming calls, can show on the computer. ⁴
Text messages. On Android, the computer can read messages and ask the phone to send them. ⁶
Slides and music. Move to the next or previous slide from the phone. ⁶ Control music playing on the computer. ⁶
Find the phone. Ring it, and see its battery, from the computer. ¹
Saved commands. Run a command you already set on the computer, from the phone. ⁶
Your own network. Wi-Fi is enough, with no USB cable. ⁴ Recent versions can also use Bluetooth after a normal Bluetooth pair. ⁶

Pros and cons

Pros

Free to use. The Apple app is listed as free. ¹⁵
Stays on your local network. Play says it collects no data and shares none with third parties. ⁴
Android source is published under the GNU GPL. ⁷
You can pair two computers, as well as a phone and a PC. ⁶
Packaged for the major Linux distributions, and not tied to one desktop. ²

Cons

Both devices need the app. ⁶ If a firewall is in the way, open ports 1714-1764 for UDP and TCP. ⁶ A port is a numbered door on the network.
Some platforms lack notification sync, text messages, and a connection while the app is off screen. ⁶
On iPhone, the touchpad, commands, slide clicker and clipboard run only toward the computer, and the clipboard needs a tap. ⁶
Android 10 and newer makes clipboard sharing a manual send. ⁶
The user wiki says the contacts plugin silently synchronizes contacts, one way, from an Android phone to the computer. ⁶
The user wiki says most developers use Plasma, so on another desktop a feature may be broken or inaccessible. ⁶

Is KDE Connect safe and private?

The App Store names the developer KDE e.V., and Google Play names K Desktop Environment e.V. ⁵⁴ Play says nothing is sent to KDE or to any third party. ⁴ Both stores say no data is collected. ⁴⁵ Play says the traffic stays on the local network and uses end-to-end encryption. ⁴ The Android readme says the app uses your existing Wi-Fi and TLS. ⁷

On 28 November 2025, KDE published CVE-2025-66270, a critical bug in protocol version 8. Someone who already knew a paired device’s ID could impersonate it and skip authentication. ⁸ The bad ranges were desktop 25.04 up to but not including 25.12, Android 1.33.0 up to but not including 1.34.4, and iOS 0.5.2 up to but not including 0.5.4. GSConnect was listed too. ⁸ KDE’s fix is to update every device. Until then, it said to stop the app on untrusted networks, such as an airport or a conference, or to unpair. ⁸ Current listings are desktop 26.08.2 on 8 October 2026, Android 1.37.0 updated on 25 October 2026, and App Store version 0.5.7. ³⁴⁵

Saved commands run on the computer from the phone. ⁶ Phone notifications can show on the desktop. ⁶ The user wiki says the contacts plugin synchronizes contacts to the computer for desktop tools such as the SMS app. ⁶ Play asks for accessibility only when Remote input will control the Android phone, and for background location only for Trusted Networks, so it can tell which Wi-Fi you are on. ⁴

How to get started with KDE Connect

On Linux, look in your distribution’s software collection. ⁶ The Academy Linux guide introduces that desktop. On Windows, use the Microsoft Store or the offline installer. On macOS, use the stable download. ² Desktop 26.08.2, dated 8 October 2026, includes a Windows build. ³
Install the Android app from Google Play, F-Droid or Huawei AppGallery. ² Install the iPhone app from the App Store. ² The Apple app needs iOS 15 or later. ⁵ That listing also runs on a Mac with macOS 13 or later. ⁵
Join the same network and open KDE Connect on both. Each screen should show the other device. ⁶
If nothing appears, allow UDP and TCP ports 1714-1764. The devices also need UDP broadcast, which is how they discover each other. ⁶
Ask to pair on one device and accept on the other. ⁶ Update first if any copy is still in the ranges from the November 2025 advisory. ⁸
Send a small file to confirm the link. ¹

Who should use KDE Connect (and who might prefer something else)

KDE Connect suits people who keep a phone next to a computer. The Android store listing includes notifications for calls and messages. ⁴ The iPhone app is on the App Store and needs iOS 15 or later. ⁵ Several controls run only from the phone to the computer. ⁶

To move one file with no app installed, use PairDrop in the browser. To show the phone’s screen on the computer and control the phone, use scrcpy. KDE Connect’s remote goes the other way: the phone helps run the computer. On GNOME, the download page says you might prefer GSConnect, a GNOME extension that implements the KDE Connect protocol. ² The November 2025 advisory names GSConnect as well. ⁸

Frequently asked questions

Is KDE Connect free?

Yes. The project site says it is open source and free to use, and the App Store lists the Apple app as free. ¹⁵ Android builds are on Google Play and F-Droid. ²

Is KDE Connect safe?

Play and the App Store say no data is collected. ⁴⁵ The project describes a TLS link on your local network. ⁴⁷ The November 2025 advisory describes a critical impersonation bug in older protocol 8 releases. The fix is to update. ⁸

Does KDE Connect work on iPhone?

Yes. The App Store app needs iOS 15 or later. ⁵ Version 0.5.7, dated October 9, is listed above the 16 November 2025 entry for 0.5.4. ⁵ Some controls run only from the phone to the computer. ⁶ Some platforms do not sync notifications or keep a connection while the app is off screen. ⁶

Does KDE Connect work on Windows?

Yes. The download page offers the Microsoft Store and an offline installer, and release 26.08.2, dated 8 October 2026, includes a Windows build. ²³