Getting Started with TetherDroid
TetherDroid mirrors your Android phone to your Mac or Windows computer so you can text, take calls, clear notifications, and see your phone's screen — all from your desktop, without reaching for your phone. Everything flows end-to-end encrypted between your own two devices. For the details on how that works, see the Security & Encryption guide.
This guide walks you through everything, start to finish:
- What you'll need
- Step 1 — Create your account
- Step 2 — Install the Android app
- Step 3 — Install the desktop client
- Step 4 — Grant the phone permissions
- Step 5 — Sign in and pair your phone
- Managing your phones
- Troubleshooting
What you'll need
- An Android phone running a current version of Android, with Google Messages set as your default messaging app (TetherDroid drives Google Messages for RCS — see Security & Encryption for why).
- A Mac or Windows computer on the same account.
- A TetherDroid account (created on this portal).
- Both devices online — they don't need to be on the same Wi‑Fi network; TetherDroid connects them securely over the internet.
Step 1 — Create your account
If you haven't already, create your TetherDroid account from the sign-in screen. You'll choose your own password during registration and be signed straight in. Your email and password are what you'll use to sign in on both the Android app and the desktop client. TetherDroid protects sign-in with a one-time email verification code.
Step 2 — Install the Android app
Install the TetherDroid app on the phone you want to control — it's available on the Google Play Store:
- On the phone you want to control, open the Get it on Google Play link from the downloads section on the home page (or search for TetherDroid in the Google Play Store app).
- Tap Install and wait for it to finish — Google Play handles the download and setup automatically.
- Open TetherDroid once it's installed.
Step 3 — Install the desktop client
Install the TetherDroid client on your Mac or Windows PC:
- Download the desktop client from the downloads section on the home page.
- Launch it. The sign-in window appears asking for your TetherDroid email and password.
Leave the desktop client on the sign-in screen for now — you'll sign in after the phone is set up in the next steps, so the phone is already online when the desktop looks for it.
Step 4 — Grant the phone permissions
TetherDroid can only mirror and control what you allow. On first launch the Android app walks you through granting a set of permissions — here's what each one is for, so you know exactly what you're enabling:
| Permission | Why TetherDroid needs it |
|---|---|
| Accessibility service | The core of TetherDroid. It lets the app read the on-screen conversation and drive Google Messages and the Phone app on your behalf (open a chat, type, send, apply a reaction, place/answer/end a call) so you can do those things from your desktop. |
| Notification access | Mirrors your phone's notifications to the desktop so you can see and dismiss them there. |
| Screen capture (screen mirroring) | Streams a live view of your phone's screen to the desktop when you open the Screen tab. Android shows its own system consent prompt each time a capture session starts. |
| Contacts | Resolves phone numbers to names so conversations and calls show who you're talking to, and lets you add/edit contacts from the desktop. |
| SMS / Messaging | Reads your message threads and sends texts on your behalf so Messages works from the desktop. |
| Phone & Call log | Shows recent calls and lets you place, answer, and end calls from the desktop. |
| Microphone | Carries your voice during a call routed through the phone. |
| Notifications (post) | Lets TetherDroid show its own "running" status notification (Android requires this for the background service). |
You're always in control: TetherDroid steps back automatically when you pick up and use your phone, and you can pause it at any time from the app. TetherDroid never sees your data on its servers — see Security & Encryption.
Step 5 — Sign in and pair your phone
- On the phone: sign in to the TetherDroid app with your TetherDroid email and password. Once signed in, the phone comes online and is discoverable by your account.
- On the desktop: sign in with the same email and password. You'll receive a one-time verification code by email — enter it to finish signing in.
- Pair the two devices: the desktop client shows a one-time pairing code / QR code. Confirm that same code on the phone. This out-of-band step is what establishes the end-to-end encryption keys directly between your devices — the keys never pass through (or get stored on) TetherDroid's servers.
That's it! Once paired, your messages, calls, notifications, and screen appear on your desktop, and you can reply, react, call, and manage — with your phone still in your pocket.
Managing your phones
- Multiple phones: you can pair more than one phone to the same account. Use the phone dropdown in the desktop client header to switch between them, and the "+" button to pair another.
- Re-pairing: if you reinstall the app or switch phones, just run the pairing step again — the desktop will prompt for a fresh code.
- Pausing: pause TetherDroid from the phone app any time you want it to stop mirroring and driving the device.
- Staying signed in: the desktop client remembers your session, so you normally only pair once per phone.
Troubleshooting
- "No phones online" on the desktop: open the TetherDroid app on your phone and make sure you're signed in with the same account, then try again.
- Messages or the screen won't load: confirm the Accessibility service is enabled for TetherDroid on the phone (Android occasionally turns it off after an app update). Re-enable it in the phone's Accessibility settings.
- Notifications aren't mirroring: confirm Notification access is granted to TetherDroid.
- More help: see the full Troubleshooting guide for common problems and fixes.
- Need Help? Contact Us anytime!