PhoneBridger
PhoneBridger controls apps on your physical Android screen. It does not turn a browser demo into a connection to your phone. Keep your phone beside the PC so you can see both screens while you set up.
Before you start
- Have your own Windows PC and an Android phone available. The current download is a 64-bit Windows ZIP; the Android companion requires Android 8 or later.
- Keep both devices on the same reachable Wi-Fi network for the first pairing. A guest network can prevent devices from reaching each other.
- Use the beta files from the Downloads page. The Windows beta is unsigned and Android is distributed as an APK. If you cannot establish the source of a file or understand an installation warning, stop and ask for help.
1. Install both apps
Extract the entire Windows ZIP into one folder. Keep PhoneBridger.exe next to its _internal folder; running only a copied EXE can leave its dependencies behind. Close an older running PC instance before opening this version.
Install the Android companion on your phone. Updating the existing app with the current compatible package retains the saved pairing. Read the system installation prompts rather than accepting an unrelated app or a file sent by a stranger.
2. Enable mouse control on Android
Open PhoneBridger on the phone and use its mouse-control setup. Review the explanation before opening Android’s accessibility settings, then enable the PhoneBridger service if you choose to grant that access. Android menu labels can differ by manufacturer.
This permission and pairing are separate steps. An installed app is not automatically allowed to control other apps, and an enabled accessibility service does not automatically trust a PC. Read Android permissions explained if the setting is unavailable.
3. Scan and approve your PC
- Open the pairing screen in the Windows app.
- Open the pairing scanner in PhoneBridger on Android and scan the code displayed by your own PC. Use the app’s scanner, not an unrelated QR reader.
- Check that this is the computer you intend to trust, then approve it on the phone.
- Wait for the connected status before trying to enter the phone. The illustration on this website is not a working pairing code.
4. Match the phone’s position
Put the phone left, right or above your PC screen. Choose the corresponding position and transition zone in the Windows app. The selected zone is the part of the screen edge you cross to enter the phone; it should agree with the desk arrangement.
Start with one phone. Open a harmless screen on it, move through your chosen PC screen edge and check that you can click and scroll. Use Ctrl + Alt + S to return to Windows. Ctrl + Alt + Q exits the PC app. Do not use this first check to alter private or consequential information.
If the first connection does not complete
- Check that both apps are open, the phone is unlocked and the PC’s pairing code is current.
- Check that the devices can reach one another on the network. Being connected to similarly named networks is not proof of reachability.
- Confirm the PC approval on the phone and mouse-control permission separately.
- If you are upgrading, close the older PC app before starting the new one.
- Record the exact visible status and your app/OS versions for support; leave passwords, pairing codes and private app messages out of an email.
What happens next time?
Saved pairing is reused when the phone is reachable. A normal disconnect preserves that trust; forgetting the phone or computer revokes it. If you change device trust, approve your own PC again rather than trying to bypass the warning.
After the initial pairing, you can keep using Wi-Fi or prepare USB once. The current beta prefers an authorized physical USB phone automatically and falls back to Wi-Fi when the cable is removed. Native file dragging is planned and is not part of this setup.
Product steps checked against the current release documentation on 6 October 2026. This private preview records a prepared editorial edition; it is not a past public publication. Review method & corrections.