KDE Connect links Android with the Plasma desktop
Building Bridges
© Lead Image © Giuseppe Iera, 123RF.com
KDE Connect bridges the gap between mobile devices and the KDE desktop, allowing the exchange of notifications, files, and URLs between devices.
KDE developers have been working for more than a year to extend KDE Plasma to the mobile world. The current project, under the name Plasma Mobile, is geared to provide a free platform for mobile devices some time in the future, thus acting as an alternative to existing platforms [1]. Since Google Summer of Code 2015 (GSoC 015), an application has connected Android and BlackBerry devices with the Plasma desktop and supported some reciprocal functional control.
Spanish developer Albert Vaca aptly dubbed the application KDE Connect [2], which is available for Linux and FreeBSD, with clients for Android and BlackBerry. An iOS version is currently being built, as well. Users can meaningfully connect PCs, notebooks, tablets, and smartphones on the home network. Additionally, extensions for Firefox [3] and Chrome [4] send URLs from the desktop to Android devices. With the kdeconnect-cli command, you can control KDE Connect in a terminal (Figure 1).
In September 2016, KDE Connect reached version 1.0, which incorporates several important innovations. Most distributions are not packaging this version right now, but that is likely to change in the near future. The associated packages in the archives of the distributions are typically named kdeconnect; for Ubuntu – depending on the version – this is kdeconnect-kde or kdeconnect-plasma. If necessary, you can build the latest 1.0.1 version from source code.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Digital Autonomy
• The Answer Was Already on the Shelf
• Changing the Chip Industry: How Public Investment Has Grown Open Silicon
• United Nations Open Source Portal Goes Live
• EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
• France Says “Au Revoir” to Microsoft
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Pine64 Halts Production of Linux Devices
With continued DRAM and eMMC shortages, Pine64 has decided to discontinue production of Linux devices.
-
The Bullet-Proof KDE Software Initiative Is Coming
KDE, Techpaladin, and Kubuntu Focus have announced a new initiative that will provide at least three years of support for KDE Plasma 6.6 LTS and related software.
-
Linux Mint Shares a Possible Kernel Cleanup Solution
For those on Linux Mint who like to keep multiple kernels around but don't want them to take up too much space, you might be getting a new automated tool.
-
CachyOS Gets an Update
CachyOS August 2026 release is now available with the latest version of KDE, some new features, and plenty of improvements.
-
The Linux Kernel Dev Staging Area Now Rejects AI-Generated Patches
Unless a kernel patch is a valid security fix, it will be rejected if it was created using AI.
-
Linux Surpasses Double-Digit Market Share
According to two sources, the Linux operating system has hit a major milestone in market share that naysayers thought would never happen.
-
AI Helped Develop a Linux Exploit
A use-after-free race exploit was discovered and exploited on CentOS Stream 9.
-
Yet Another Linux Kernel Vulnerability Discovered
Affecting millions of systems, a kernel flaw discovered by Qualys could allow users to gain root privileges.
-
Ubuntu 26.10 to Include Ubuntu Certified Hardware Check
If you've ever wondered if your laptop or PC is officially certified to run Ubuntu, that curiosity will soon be met.
-
Substantial Update to IPFire Now Available
The lastest version of IPFire features a fundamental change to how the system handles DNS.