There are times when I need to cast my Android screen to PC for giving a presentation of Android apps or quicky accessing a document on my phone. I used Vysor on Windows and now since I have totally made the move to Linux, I wanted a similar app for Linux as well. Later, I bumped into a few apps which not only lets you mirror your Android screen but even provides keyboard inputs, stream over Wi-Fi, record screen, and much more. So, let’s check them out. Shall we?
Best Free Screen Casting Apps in Linux
1. ScrCpy
Connection Mode: USB, Wi-Fi
ScrCpy (short for source copy) is an open-source mirroring application for Android and Linux. The only problem is that you have to build the code on Linux environments. For other environments like Ubuntu, Arch-Linux, it’s available in the repositories. It has one of the easiest setups. All you have to do is install the app and run the following command on the terminal.
scrcpy
ScrCpy works great via a wired connection. It supports a resolution of 1920×1080 + and a refresh rate of 30-60 fps. It runs at a bitrate of up to 8 Mbps. From all the apps above, I found ScrCpy to have the least amount of latency. Unlike Screen Cast, ScrCpy allows your laptop to control your Android device. It accepts keyboard and mouse input from the laptop
With a small workaround, you can also make ScrCpy work wirelessly via wireless ADB. It requires a slight bit of configuration and ADB platform tools which you can download from here. Initially, you need to connect your Android device to the Linux system via USB and run the following commands.
adb tcpip:5555 adb connect your_android_ip_address:5555
Next, you can unplug your device and run the ScrCpy command with the following options
scrcpy --bit-rate 2M --max-size 800
Since ScrCpy runs at a speed of up to 8 Mbps which would be too much for a Wi-Fi connection to handle. Hence, we use the above-mentioned command to force ScrCpy to run at 2 Mbps and reduced resolution. Running ScrCpy wirelessly obviously comes with a bargain like poor latency, reduced resolution, etc.
In the new update, ScrCpy has added features like seamless clipboard sharing, remote mobile awake with keyboard shortcut, etc.
2. Vysor
Connection Mode: USB
Vysor is the most popular app when it comes to Android screen mirroring. Thankfully, it has a chrome app variant hence it works on Linux as well. However, you would have to download and install chromium-browser or any other chromium-based browser like Vivaldi, Iridium, etc.
All you have to do is install the Vysor Chrome app and run it. Now, connect your Android device with the laptop via a USB cable. Make sure, you keep your Android phone on file-sharing mode rather than charging. Once done, click on the “Find Devices” button on the Vysor desktop app. next, from the pop-up window select your Android device and click on the Select button.
The next window will have your device pop screen pop up with a lot of controls on the toolbar. Vysor lets you record the screen and takes screenshots on your Android directly from the laptop. Vysor also has a paid variant which costs $10 annually. You get a couple of additional features like drag and drop files and mirror your screen over Wi-Fi.
In case you face any issues, close both the Android and the desktop app. Reset the connection by removing the USB cable and try again. The major problem is that Vysor is dependent on Adobe Flash which is the root of the chaos.
In case you face errors stating “This plug-in is not supported”, make sure you have a flash plugin installed on your Linux system.
Download Vysor
3. Screen Cast
Connection Mode: WiFi, Mobile Hotspot
The ScreenCast app lets you mirror Android over Wi-Fi or mobile hotspot. It is available for almost all the Linux variants. The only criteria are both devices need to be in the same Wi-Fi network.
To get started, first, you have to download the Screen Cast app on your Android device. Open the app and tap on the “Wi-Fi Network”. On the next page, tap on the “Start Broadcasting” button.
On the final screen, you will see the URL and ID. Note down the URL and head over to the browser on your Linux laptop. Enter the URL on the address bar and you would be able to see your mobile screen.
Screen Cast also has a premium variant that lets you mirror your Android screen over mobile data. The premium variant costs around $3.75/month.
Download Screen Cast
4. AirDroid
Connection Mode: Wi-Fi
Well, AirDroid is more of a file-sharing app but it has the mirror screening functionality built-in which works well. You cannot provide keyboard and mouse inputs but it has quite a seamless setup. First up, you would need to install the AirDroid app on your Android device. AirDroid requires you to sign up and it links your devices based on the email ID. In the free variant, you can only have up to 2 devices linked to an email ID.
Once you are done with the registration and login, you will be redirected to the “Security & Remote Features” page. On this page, tap on Screen Recording and provide the necessary permissions to the app.
Once done, head over to the AirDroid web app on the desktop browser. Post-login, you will be prompted to select a device linked to your email ID. AirDroid works over Wi-Fi and even mobile data. However, the latency depends on your network speed. On the web app, double click on the “Mirroring” icon and it will load your Android screen.
Closing Words
These were the 3 apps to mirror your Android screen over Linux. For more issues or queries regarding Android screen mirroring, let me know in the comments below.
Also Read: This New App Helps You View Phone Screen on PC via USB
