Have you been in a situation where you are working on something important on your computer and then suddenly a text message arrives on your mobile phone? Not knowing the urgency of the message, your reaction is to stop what you were doing, pick up your smartphone, respond to the text, and go back to your work. And if you keep getting an incoming SMS without knowing the content you will find yourself juggling back and forth between your smartphone and your computer work.
But what if you we tell you that there’s a way to reply to an SMS without having to leave your computer? You merely have to open a new window on your desktop and make sure your smartphone is connected to your computer via USB. Interesting, right? Thanks to Koushik Dutta, situations like these can be prevented. With the Vysor app, you can now control your Android device without having to look away from your computer. Here’s how you can use the Vysor app to control Android from PC:
1. Install ADB drivers and activate them.
If your computer is running on Windows, you have to install the ADB drivers. You can download the drivers here. If your computer is running on macOS, you need not do this. Just proceed to the next step. Once the download is complete, launch it and follow the steps for installation.
2. Enable USB debugging.
On your Android device, enable ADB and make sure it is set to allow connections from your computer. Connect your Android to your computer using a USB cable. Go to Settings > Developer Options and enable USB Debugging. Press the OK button.
3. Install the Vysor app on your Google Chrome browser.
Download the Vysor app for Chrome here. Once downloaded, click the Add to Chrome button and install the app. When the installation is done, hit Launch App. You can also launch the app by opening the Chrome App Launcher from the bookmarks bar and selecting Vysor.
4. Connect your Android device and Vysor.
Once the ADB is appropriately set up, and Vysor app is installed, you can start using your computer to control your Android device. Start by clicking Find Devices from the main menu of the app. Next, find your Android device from the list and click Select. The screen of your Android device will then be displayed on your computer’s screen within seconds.
5. Start controlling your Android device from your computer.
Now that your Android device is connected to your PC, you can use your keyboard and your mouse to explore your Android device. There are specific keyboard shortcuts you should know, though. For instance, the ESC can be used as the Back button. The F1 key, on the other hand, can be used to access your Android device’s main menu.
6. Let others control your Android device.
If you ever want others to access and control your Android device, perform steps 1 to 5. After that, click the Share button in the main menu of your app. You will now see a message to let you know that you have just copied a link. From here, open your preferred messaging platform and paste the link. Send it to another person. Once he or she clicks the link, he or she will be asked to install the Vysor Chrome app as well. Once the app is installed on his or her end, he or she will be able to remotely control your Android from his or her PC just like you. Take note, this feature only works if you are using the paid version of the Vysor app.
Important Reminders
We hope that the tips above taught you how to control Android devices using a PC. Now, even if you are confident that your devices are safe because you own them, you still have to practice caution. You don’t want your Android device getting infected with a malware or virus from your computer or vice versa. To be safe, install Android cleaner tool on your Android device because it removes harmful apps and programs, and soon it will have security features that will protect your privacy.