KDE Connect: Enabling communication between all your devices

https://community.kde.org/KDEConnect

by snthd • 9 months ago

476 198 9 months ago

community.kde.org

There's official support for Windows. No support for macOS yet, but there is a working implementation for it. I had no idea I'd be able to use KDE Connect with those operating systems.

p_l• 9 months ago

The protocol is open so you can build software for other systems that uses it, whether it's GNOME or macOS

DigitallyFidget• 9 months ago

There is a Windows build for it. I don't know if it's official or not, but there is a Windows build and it does work well.

karmakaze• 9 months ago

I was wondering what "the network" here means:

To achieve this, KDE Connect:

    implements a secure communication protocol over the network, and allows any developer to create plugins on top of it.
    Has a component that you install on your desktop.
    Has a KDE Connect client app you run on your phone.

Looking further it is only for the local network (with ways to extend it e.g. VPNs).

creatonez• 9 months ago

It has bluetooth support now as well

m4632• 9 months ago

it also talks about using a VPN and what ports to open in a firewall.

I don't know how it handles the harder part, the "device on internet" talks to "device in my house"

most phones and apps use this "harder part" to interpose their corporate server for more than TURN/STUN and continue to "collect all the data" or "insert a subscription"

blooalien• 9 months ago

Has a component that you install on your desktop.

This is only if you use Windows (or MacOS, as there's also a KDE Connect compatible Mac app out there somewhere IIRC). If you're on KDE Desktop Linux, you're already good-to-go, as it's a pre-installed component of a typical KDE environment. :)

1oooqooq2• 9 months ago

not true for all distros. and this kind of thinking is really bad imo for network services.

sphars• 9 months ago

enables all your devices to communicate with each other

I've tried using KDE connect on two desktops (my laptop running Fedora KDE and my desktop running Nobara, also Fedora KDE) and this statement appears false. It was extremely buggy connecting them, and when they did "see" each other, none of the functionality I expected worked. Wanted to use the shared clipboard feature but it didn't work, nor did anything else.

This was early this year, maybe it's gotten better since?

KDE Connect is really for mobile (Android) devices and a computer, not computer to computer, IME

garciansmith• 9 months ago

Works well for sending things between my laptop (Kubuntu) and Steam Deck.

wasmitnetzen• 9 months ago

It works fine for me, and has been for at least 2 years, between any subset of 2 laptops (KDE, WiFi), one desktop (KDE, LAN), and two Androids (WiFi). They're all on the same subnet though.

Joel_Mckay2• 9 months ago

SSH File sync applications are reliable...

Android: "Transfer Files To Computer, PC" ( Michal Bukáček includes GPL git URI, YMMV as we still need to audit it for traffic)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cz.bukacek.fil...

iPhone: PhotoSync is free to transfer movies and low-resolution images

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/photosync-transfer-photos/id41...

MacOS:

https://github.com/macfuse/macfuse/releases

Windows 11: sshfs is slow, but allows user account constrained access to remote shares

winget install -h -e --id "WinFsp.WinFsp"

winget install -h -e --id "SSHFS-Win.SSHFS-Win"

https://github.com/winfsp/sshfs-win

Windows 11 system tray sshfs link manager:

https://github.com/evsar3/sshfs-win-manager

Windows 11: Local OpenSSH service setup

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administrat...

If your home router is dynamic DNS only, the ISP will usually still support ports >1000:

https://www.noip.com/

Or DIY with your own DNS solution with cloudflare:

https://linuxconfig.org/automate-dynamic-ip-updates-for-your...

Also tried KDE connect a few years back, but didn't like the idea of giving a buggy phone access to shoulder-surf root accounts. Transferring stuff out of a VM with a local samba instance also works, but samba should also be containerized.

Best regards, =3

brooke2k• 9 months ago

I use this between my Arch/KDE desktop + Samsung Galaxy S21, and it works beautifully.

tmtvl• 9 months ago

Same, but a Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact (the tiniest phone I could buy with decent LineageOS support). Just a shame it isn't supported on Ubuntu Touch.

Kim_Bruning• 9 months ago

This is a killer app. There have been times when I asked someone "why can't you just send me a screenshot on signal" or "Oh, can't you copy the URL to your desktop?"... only to realize that the poor fellow didn't have KDE connect (yet).

It's not perfect, but it does things I haven't found anywhere else, makes your phone and laptop and pc.

It might help that I'm actually running KDE everywhere, of course.

munchlax• 9 months ago

KDE everywhere

Not to be confused with Qt Everywhere

maqnius• 9 months ago

I have a all my messengers running on my desktop as well, so I don't really have those problems. How's KDE Connect superior?

I'm seriously interested, since I read it's a killer feature but I cannot really imagine how it would help me.

cenamus• 9 months ago

Even just copying your clipboard is very useful.

Also (more so at home) large transfers are pretty fast, regularly send movies from and to my phone, at pretty much connection speed.

You can also mount your phone storage over the network, control your mouse with your phone and much more.

aidenn03• 9 months ago

Those of us who live in the US where SMS is the default messenger can't have all of their messengers running on their desktop.

pmontra2• 9 months ago

I can share links to myself with a messenger but it's much faster to share them to a given device and see its browser open a tab to that link. It works inside apps too: I can share a video from phone to tablet (NewPipe, probably YouTube too, it's the Android builtin sharing system.)

I can also stop, resume, control volume of media playing on another device.

I can share the clipboard, send files, use a remote keyboard (I think I disabled it) and ping a device.

It can do a lot more but I'm not using much else, I think.

johannes1234321• 9 months ago

It is less about messengers per se, itnis about interacting between devices.

I can share clipboard contentents, can send files, send web page urls from phone to desktop to open a browser there, can control media playback between devices (switch to next track/pause desktop from phone and vice versa) etc also I get phone notifications on desktop

(All optional)

troyvit• 9 months ago

Silly use case but I watch TV on my laptop in bed and the cat likes to watch with me. I use some ancient X11 app to freeze the keyboard and mouse and then control vlc, etc. from KDE-connect. That way when my cat attacks Jedis he doesn't reboot my laptop.

pmontra2• 9 months ago

I've always run GNOME and KDE Connect port called gsconnect [1] works very well. I run it on several Ubuntus and on Debian 11. I run the KDE Connect app on my Android devices. That plus syncthing are exceptionally good tools to link all my devices together.

[1] https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/1319/gsconnect/

oakpond2• 9 months ago

I've been using KDE Connect without KDE for a while now. Works for me (tm)

thomas-mc-work• 9 months ago

How did you do that? I'm on XFCE and would love to use it, too.

KerbalNo15• 9 months ago

Note that you can use it on GNOME with GSConnect. One of my favorite apps

85392_school• 9 months ago

If GSConnect doesn't work for you, it's also worth trying Valent: https://valent.andyholmes.ca/

roshin• 9 months ago

when it works it's amazing. but very often both my phone and laptop are connected to the same WiFi, yet kde connect can't see them. I can't figure out how to diagnose and solve that when it happens

zenitsukz• 9 months ago

vpn sometimes

pull_my_finger• 9 months ago

I have the same issue, very frustrating. I thought it was a firewall issue, or Android's blocking LAN connections without a VPN, but at this point I'm pretty sure it's just some KDE Connect bug.

cromka2• 9 months ago

Maybe local DNS/DHCP resolution issue? I have this on my LAN with with other services and hosts: the Dnsmasq drops the ball every now and then and does not update the lease database, which results in hosts seemingly being offline.

I would try fixed IPs to see if this solves the issue for you.

ottah• 9 months ago

Same, it's just too unreliable to be a tool for me. Which feels like the experience with everything that relies on automatic network discovery.

janwl• 9 months ago

Mirrors my experience with AirDrop.

Libidinalecon• 9 months ago

Same, I haven't used it in years because it was so disappointing when it would randomly stop working.

In the last year I have even given up on KDE in favor of Cinnamon on Mint.I loved KDE but there would always be some issue coming up. LTS Mint with Cinnamon has been rock solid.

jcgl2• 9 months ago

It’s pretty dreadful on iOS, presumably due to OS constraints. I miss how amazing it was on Android.

hagbard_c2• 9 months ago

...then why use iOS? Get a de-Googled Android and relish in the power a pocket personal computer can provide when the vendor takes its thumb off the scales.

geokon• 9 months ago

Very typical for my KDE experience. Things break and it's impossible to figure out what's gone wrong b/c there is no additional information/logs/diagnostics exposed to the user. Everything to do with Networking and Bluetooth is plagued by this (though to be fair things break a lot less than ~5 years ago)

jeroenhd7• 9 months ago

It should work on any network where mDNS works and where TCP connections can be established. There's not much going on that's more complicated than that when it comes to device discovery.

Many VPN configurations break mDNS and other broadcasts (i.e. Chromecast, file shares, that kind of thing), though. A lot of "how to get started with WireGuard/OpenVPN/etc." guides stop the moment HTTP(S) connections work, but there's more to a functional network than that.

I found that I could get KDE Connect working on my buggy VPN profile by manually specifying remote IP addresses for devices on the other end of the VPN in the settings.

aidenn03• 9 months ago

Oh, so if I setup mDNS on my workstation KDE Connect will be more reliable? Kind of annoying since I DNS already works to resolve names.

tga• 9 months ago

Same here, Fedora and iOS. I've mostly stopped using it because I couldn't rely on the app working when I needed it.

The computer doesn't even change addresses, there is no need for mDNS or anything fancy, setting up devices manually once would be just fine.

cpuguy83• 9 months ago

Yeah eveey time I want to use it I generally need to unpair and pair it again. Weird stuff like trying to send my clipboard from my phone and it goes the other way.

It's handy, but needs work.

greenavocado2• 9 months ago

Speculating here based solely on general networking knowledge. You may have "AP Isolation" enabled and/or multicast blocking on your network may be causing problems.

If I was working on KDE Connect I would add a microphone and speaker based pairing system using OFDM modulation lifted from Rattlegram. Each device would share all IP addresses associated with themselves using sound to broadcast the information.

estimator7292• 9 months ago

Just use Bluetooth. These days it's very uncommon for a PC to not have Bluetooth. More of my PCs have Bluetooth than have microphones.

dTal• 9 months ago

Agreed. I've read a lot of apologetics for KDE Connect but there's definitely something wrong with discovery. Often it will fail to discover other devices unless I click "refresh" in both devices. I've gone as far as writing a script to force-refresh at 1 minute intervals. Sometimes it can't be persuaded to work at all. Blame my network maybe, but LocalSend works every time.

Jedd• 9 months ago

That's weird, especially with the exhaustive details you provided there.

I've rarely had any connection issues with Google Pixel (7 currently) and Debian with Plasma 5 or 6 on x86 / 64 platforms.

AnonymousPlanet2• 9 months ago

I used to recommend KDE-Connect left and right but stopped doing so because it went from rock solid and dependable to a complete disaster in a couple of years.

Linux, Android, iOS, macOS all worked in harmony. Now not even two Android phones using the same software version can see each other, file transfers keep failing after a brief while. And all with the same devices that worked before, across various networks.

Not to say anything about connectivity between Linux and Android or iOS.

mixmastamyk• 9 months ago

Some wifi APs block client to client traffic by default these days.

Self-Perfection• 9 months ago

It has really got unreliable in my experience.

Often desktop client just cannot connect to mobile. At first I noticed that this happens when desktop client starts to output in logs these (reported [1]):

  kdeconnect.core: Too many remembered identities, ignoring "<id of KDE Connect on my android device>" received via UDP

Restarting desktop client helped, so I wrote watcher that monitors logs for such lines and restarts kdeconnect. But it turned out to be insufficient. Now I have this script running in background to restart kdeconnectd whenever connection is missing, and finally can use KDE Connect reliably:

  #!/bin/dash -x
  
  
  while sleep 1m; do
      nmcli connection show --active | grep wifi || continue
  
      kdeconnect-cli -l | grep reachable && continue
  
  
  #   notify-send 'No reachable devices via kdeconnect. Restarting'
      systemctl --no-pager --user status app-org.kde.kdeconnect.daemon@autostart.service
      systemctl --no-pager --user stop app-org.kde.kdeconnect.daemon@autostart.service
      killall kdeconnectd
      systemctl --no-pager --user start app-org.kde.kdeconnect.daemon@autostart.service
  
  done

[1] https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=506563

ValdikSS5• 9 months ago

The majority of desktop Wi-Fi cards/chipsets have buggy drivers that break mDNS discovery in one way or another.

To the point that I'd say that Wi-Fi drivers are the most offender in printer discovery problems, which also rely on mDNS.

Another issue that many mDNS applications, including KDE Connect, don't account on multi-interface setups and send respond to mDNS request using incorrect network interface: https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=507972 / https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=507954

lazycouchpotato• 9 months ago

At least for Windows, marking a WiFi connection from Public to Private solved a lot of connection issues for me.

cromka2• 9 months ago

Is there any update on whether Apple had already opened their iOS API in EU, which would allow to match the KDE Connect's Android functionality?

fsflover• 9 months ago

It's probably not so easy, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44557348

CaptainOfCoit4• 9 months ago

I remember getting excited about KDE Connect but then being completely disappointed that it basically non-functional on iOS...

As I remember it (tried it last year I think), the application needs to be in the foreground in order to do anything at all, because of Apple's (purposeful) limitations of doing things in the background.

So if you were hoping to be able to install this and sync stuff without effort and having to leave the app open all the time, Apple seems to be vehemently against anything like that, probably because they have their own solutions for this...

Edit: The GitHub repository actually goes through the Apple-induced problem:

iOS is very much designed around foreground interactions. Therefore, background “daemon-style” applications don’t really exist under conventional means, so the behavior where KDE Connect iOS is unresponsive in the background is more or less intended. There are technically some special categories and "hacky" methods to try to get it to run in the background, but in general, there is no intended/by-design method of keeping a "daemon-style" app running forever in the background. For more information, see this post on the Apple Dev Forums

https://github.com/KDE/kdeconnect-ios

AbstractH24• 9 months ago

I remember getting excited about KDE Connect but then being completely disappointed that it basically non-functional on iOS...

I remember this too. It happened to me about 90 seconds ago.

groovybits4• 9 months ago

Maybe I'm missing something, but what "daemon-style" app tasks are you doing, or expecting, with KDE Connect? Its core functions seem to be quick tasks; sending files, clipboard, remote control, etc.

Perhaps my usage is basic in this way - I've never had an issue with using the iOS app as it is.

sombragris3• 9 months ago

At least in my use case (as link between Android devices and both Linux/Win PCs) KDE Connect is a real killer app. It enabled seamless integration and saved me lots of hassle and time. It really should get more exposure.

I see reports that it doesn't work. These are mostly for distros where Plasma is either rather old or taking a backseat after other environment (usually Gnome). I'm having great results with the latest Plasma 6 on Slackware-current and also in a standard Windows 11 environment.

dmpk2k2• 9 months ago

How is Slackware doing nowadays? Last release was several years ago, but I need a replacement for Win 10 on my PC.

immibis4• 9 months ago

Why Slackware specifically? You can install any distribution. I use Gentoo btw - not really a distribution so much as a distribution construction kit. There are other popular distros, notably Arch.

swaits2• 9 months ago

Slackware’s last release was 2.5 years ago.

Look at Fedora (if you like RPM distros) if you’re after something pretty nicely put together that stays reasonably well up to date. Very well maintained. Influenced by Red Hat (or “led by” or even “owned by”), which works for some, not for others.

CachyOS is trendy these days. EndeavourOS is basically Arch with an installer.

There are a few distros targeted at Windows refugees. ZorinOS is well regarded. AnduinOS is a newer entry. But if you’re willing to walk away from a Windows-like UI, skip these.

hexagonwin• 9 months ago

It's doing very well. The Slackware 15.0 release is now a few years old, though the packages are still being updated. Slackware-current has latest everything.

sombragris3• 9 months ago

The stable distribution might be a little dated, but the -current development branch is really solid. In my very subjective impression, it is more stable than many distros' stable releases. If you're not afraid of doing some hand-tuning and configuring things the old ways, you should reeally try it, especially with community packages such as Plasma 6, Chromium and LibreOffice (the latest release).

ofalkaed2• 9 months ago

It is doing well, I run both current and 15, rock solid, stable both in use and features. It has never given me anything to complain about, OS stays out of your way and even running current I never have to think about my system or worry about what is going to happen when I update. It all just works and sticks to the slackware way.

mrmlz• 9 months ago

Slackware-current is pretty current. And sbopkg has quite a lot of packages. I run it on my homeserver (and has been for the last..10-15? years or so). Since everything that I host uses docker its easy as pie to keep it running.

ZFS via ZoL etc.

As a daily driver i use PopOs! which is very nice since the've packaged nvidiadrivers etc. and I mainly use it to play games.

gear54rus3• 9 months ago

I definitely have a need for this, but I can't stomach same-network requirement.

Maybe they need self-hostable coordination server so that devices can connect to each other through it.

For now it's still 'send to telegram saved messages' for me.

exdeejay_• 9 months ago

Have you considered using Tailscale to get around the same-network requirement?

ezst2• 9 months ago

self-hostable coordination server

What a long way to spell VPN :-) (been using it for a decade or so through wireguard)

foresto• 9 months ago

I can't stomach same-network requirement.

The Android app let me add a peer by IP address. Once I opened traffic on the right port, it crossed a network boundary just fine.

My case was an adjacent network, but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work across more hops.

p4bl0• 9 months ago

I've been using KDE Connect without a hassle for years on Debian stable as well :).

eitally• 9 months ago

I had a use case that isn't the primary function of KDE Connect, but where KDE Connect worked well: file sharing from a Mac to an Android phone. I had no idea apps like KDE Connect existed and now I'm hooked.

That said, for my specific use case, Blip is a FAR superior option, and much lighter weight.

Zardoz842• 9 months ago

I has been using KDE connect for years, including Plasma 5 before I updated to Debian 13 .

The only two issue that I found, it's that not works on the wifi network of my work office. Something there must be blocking it. And that sometimes gets confused when you have multiple videos open on the browser and shows the wrong video on the multimedia controls.

jeroenhd7• 9 months ago

FWIW, KDE Connect lets you select what media to control when there are multiple options.

The broken WiFi probably has something to prevent broadcast from working. It's not uncommon for some enterprise setups as a trickle of broadcast traffic can really mess with WiFi efficiency. You can work around it by manually specifying the IP addresses of the devices you wish to connect if those are static-ish.

mid-kid• 9 months ago

The branding does a major disservice to this application - it works like a charm on my windows and i3wm setups, having no trouble sharing a clipboard and files. There are very few features if any that only work on KDE.

Sometimes on windows it needs a click of the refresh button to get going after connecting to a network. The discovery is wonky on some platforms.

throawayonthe• 9 months ago

KDE is simply the 'community' that maintains it, makes sense why that's the branding used despite the inevitable confusion

(the DE has been called Plasma for ages, and almost everything KDE works outside of it)

ahakki• 9 months ago

they should rebrand it as Konnekt.

account422• 9 months ago

the DE has been called Plasma for ages

I disagree.

hnlmorg• 9 months ago

I’ve been running KDE (as in the desktop) for more than 20 years and I had no idea that Connect worked without Plasma.

Thanks for sharing

The_President3• 9 months ago

Used to use this all the time, but about six months ago an update broke the ability for two computers I have to interact. Instead the daemon crashes repeatedly until I nuke it.

The_President3• 9 months ago

Recycled thread. Real comment timestamp from a week ago.

marcu123• 9 months ago

KDE Connects works amazingly for me. I get, once in a bluee moon, the random "Can't see the other device" bug. I have solved it with the basic dis/connect to the wifi both on my phone and computer. Also, check your Firewall on your computer. Some distros will not "Auto add" KDE Connect to the exception list of your Firewall. Some routers also put LAN and WLAN devices on different VLANS.

ayoisaiah• 9 months ago

KDE Connect is great, but it sometimes doesn't work well enough on Apple Devices. I've been using LocalSend with better success when sharing to Android or Windows. But for Android to Linux/Windows and Vice versa, it's pretty much perfect.

damion6• 9 months ago

I love KDE connect. After install I turn off things I don't want, but I have options. Works better than any similar app. Connects essentially and system. I pair it with tail scale or zero-tier depending on needs. Multiboot, all major os's mobile. PC, Mac all have ports. It's under rated

__jonas• 9 months ago

This looks neat, from what it looks like it's essentially an Open Source version of Apple's continuity/airdrop/airplay stuff?

Seems like it even does the universal clipboard as well, I use that all the time with Apple devices, really cool to see an OSS alternative.

mbeex• 9 months ago

The one thing I dislike, is the trouble to finish the application in a sane way:

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=423497

goda90• 9 months ago

I can't say I'm experienced with Android development, but is there something about this issue that makes it hard for a volunteer to submit a PR? Seems like it should be just an OS API call or something.

immibis4• 9 months ago

Android doesn't really have such a thing as quitting an app. You're meant to just stop doing stuff when off screen, and let your app be evicted in LRU order (or whatever order is actually used). If your app does background stuff you should have a settings toggle to do the background stuff or not, and when it's on and the phone is on, you do the background stuff.

alright2565• 9 months ago

This doesn't seem needed to me, I've never seen an android app have a way to close it. Or any kind of battery life impact from KDE Connect for that matter.

Forgeties79• 9 months ago

I always appreciate posts like this even though it’s clear a lot of people already know about KDE connect. I only took the plunge into a Linux daily driver for my machine a couple of months ago, so I’m still learning a lot. Just tested it and this is really useful! I depend a lot on LocalSend which is fine but this is so far looking like a better option overall.

Gets a little funky talking to my iPhone but I’m surprised how easily things like the remote control work right out the box

mr-karan• 9 months ago

I also quite like Localsend to quickly share files on the same network. Used to send photos/files to myself on Whatsapp/Telegram before but after discovering Localsend, stopped!

https://localsend.org/

swaits2• 9 months ago

Also PairDrop, which doesn’t require installing anything.

tempfile2• 9 months ago

Can this be used without KDE, on another desktop environment? Without systemd, even?

yjftsjthsd-h• 9 months ago

It definitely works on other DEs. As an extreme case, there's even a GNOME extension implementation: https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/1319/gsconnect/

I can't specifically speak to systemd, but it'd surprise me if there was a dependency there; it's not running that deep in the system. Also there's a guix package and they don't use systemd, so that's another mark in favor.

tempfile2• 9 months ago

I didn't know there was a guix package! That's actually what I should have asked in the first place. I was thinking of packaging it, I didn't check first.

Zardoz842• 9 months ago

Works even on Windows. So YES

npteljes• 9 months ago

It blew my mind when I discovered it, and I use it regularly since. I dual-boot, and it's installed on both my Linux and Windows systems. I mostly use the shared clipboard functionality (especially great to "send" complex messages and passwords from PC to phone), and send files from the phone to the PC.

whalesalad• 9 months ago

I can't get this to work across subnets/wifi networks in my home network. My phone can see my workstation (KDE) but not the other way around.

Joel_Mckay2• 9 months ago

In general, some wifi routers will offer to isolate cross-forwarding between WLAN hosts. Depending on the model, one may not be able to modify this setting.

Best of luck =3

The_President3• 9 months ago

The gyro mouse is a fantastic implementation! Used it to control a large television from far away and it works very well.

p0w3n3d• 9 months ago

I was exasperated when I found out that I can't send files from my Android to my MacBook via Bluetooth. This is a standard protocol. Also (of course, how could I supect otherwise) the file transfer does not work too. These all work flawlessly under Linux / Gnome + KDE.

For file transfer I used LocalSend, but it was still annoying.

agoodusername63• 9 months ago

I like this with Linux but it's so inconsistent on windows that I just don't bother with it much anymore. I'm on windows most of the time.

amelius• 9 months ago

It works in one direction: sending files from my Pixel (GOS) phone to Linux.

But the UX could be better. When I send a file, no notification is shown on my phone. But when I look in my Downloads/ folder, the file is there, so that's good.

Now, when I open the kdeconnect-app on Linux, it cannot connect to my phone. Even if the app is open on my phone. I see the phone, but it says "disconnected".

So, as it stands, I put this in the "barely works, needs more love from developers" category.

andybak• 9 months ago

I discovered this when I needed an easy way to get stuff to and from a Steam Deck. I now use it on my Windows and Linux PCs, Macbook, Android phone, Meta Quest and the Steam Deck!

account422• 9 months ago

This seems to have more technical info: https://userbase.kde.org/KDEConnect

E.g. that it works over the local network or bluetooth only, no remote connectivity without a VPN which the marketing page with fancy graphics (https://kdeconnect.kde.org/) doesn't even tell you because it's so dumbed down to the point of being useless.

Also, why the fuck does KDE have two separate wikis.

eighthourblink• 9 months ago

Been using this application for years now. Love / Support it

stormed• 9 months ago

KDE Connect has been my answer to Apple's Airdrop for the last couple of years. It's an excellent program; I even use it on my Mac for file transferring with my Steam Deck

groovybits4• 9 months ago

Same use case, its also been very useful for copying and pasting text from my Mac to the Steam Deck, similar to Universal Copy and Paste between Apple devices.

AndyMcConachie• 9 months ago

Another good one for this is Localsend.

https://localsend.org/

nickjj2• 9 months ago

How well does this work for sending a lot of files without re-sending the same file?

I have a desktop + laptop + phone.

When I want to sync a directory with a lot of files I wrote a little shell script that uses rsync to do it. This does require running SSH on my laptop but I can invoke the shell script from my desktop.

Likewise with my phone I want to backup my camera photos, using rsync is nice here to avoid sending thousands of them over every time. I run SSH on my phone with Termux, it was really painless to set up and is only on when I run it. Likewise, I invoke the shell script from my desktop to do the transfer.

groovybits4• 9 months ago

For this purpose, I would not suggest KDE Connect.

What you're looking for is something more like SyncThing: https://syncthing.net

bityard3• 9 months ago

I use SyncThing on my phone to back up photos/videos on my phone to my NAS. The UX is not great, but it does sync things correctly 100% of the time. For years on end, I never have to worry about it.

nickjj2• 9 months ago

I thought about SyncThing in the past but was reluctant because I don't have a centralized server and I don't always want 1 device to be the definitive source of truth.

For example:

    - On desktop, wrote a blog post
    - On desktop, pushed my blog post folder to my laptop
    - On laptop, publish the blog post 3 days later
    - On laptop, fix a typo and publish the post
    - On desktop, pull in the changes from the laptop

The same type of situations happen with KeePassXC's database file. Sometimes I make an update on my phone or laptop and want it sent to my desktop, other times I make the update on my desktop and want it sent to the other 2 devices.

With SyncThing, would this overwrite files on the wrong device as soon as I "sync"?

tylergetsay• 9 months ago

I wish KDE Connect supported a self hosted relay server configuration. I often use mobile internet and would love for KDE Connect to still work, without having to start Tailscale on my phone + manually configure IPs

bityard3• 9 months ago

I love KDE Connect, it is insanely useful and pairs nicely with KDE Plasma.

But I think it has some major usability issues. The two things I struggle with the most:

1. Sometimes (not always, but often!) the phone is not connected to the computer at all. In order to send something from the computer to the phone, I have to unlock the phone, find KDE connect in the apps, run it, and connect to the computer. I understand that this could very well be just The Way of Android, but it's still obnoxious.

2. The text/SMS sub-app in KDE connect is terrible. It doesn't sync text messages in the background, so it tries to sync when you start it. But it's very slow and takes a good 5-10 minutes for all of your text messages to sync. And apparently it does contacts last because in the beginning you only see phone numbers. And it doesn't show pictures. And (this is normally not a complaint I make), it is very ugly. GS Connect looks way better, but I have no idea if it _works_ any better.

sepsol• 9 months ago

I second this, especially the second point. I love KDE Connect + GSConnect setup between my Android phone and Ubuntu machine, but the texting app is so laggy it makes the experience unpleasant.

indymike• 9 months ago

KDE Connect is amazing. It's convenient.

user_7832• 9 months ago

Slightly tangential, I find the lack of a "proper" way of organizing data across multiple devices frankly terrible. KDE connect is nice, but it's a bandaid patch. Airdrop between your devices is the same. Apple wants you to store everything on iCloud... which isn't terrible, as long as everything syncs fast enough, you can pay, and you're not without internet (an issue even in urban areas like for eg on the subway).

Modern devices have just "grown", your phone with its 2FA app is also a source of identity, yet the boundaries between a tool to be used, a computer to "work on" (even an SMS to your boss counts as work for me!), and a "fundamental part of your life" - whether by you or by a megacorp (see: notifications! Mindless scrolling on the social media of your choice!) - are all blurred.

jancsika• 9 months ago

The feature set commenters here want is insane:

* fast as possible

* LAN, but also WAN when necessary

* in fact how about multi-protocol, and use the fastest protocol that's available on both devices, it's 2025 people!

* work for sending a gargantuan amount of files with possible interruptions (essentially, be rsync)

* be battery efficient, it's 2025 people!

* don't rely on a centralized cloud server, just connect the damned devices to each other

If you think you can hack this together, you should write it for Gnu Hurd because they'll release that well before you're finished

ValdikSS5• 9 months ago

* be battery efficient, it's 2025 people!

It took a long time for me to prove that what KDE does negatively impact the battery life.

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=441830

The other user even wrote a LD_PRELOAD hijacking library to not recompile the application every time

https://github.com/max0x7ba/kdeconnect-powersave-keepalive

ndriscoll• 9 months ago

A 5 second keepalive seems unnecessary, but does that actually impact battery life? How long does the device take to move in and out of powersave states? I'd think you'd be looking at maybe 20-40 microseconds of CPU time to handle the packet, so 0.0008% of the time awake due to this. Are other parts of the device just super slow at moving in and out of powersave states?

snthd• 9 months ago

Fixed in "Remove custom keepalive intervals" merged 12 Aug 2024

https://invent.kde.org/network/kdeconnect-kde/-/merge_reques...

j1elo• 9 months ago

It took a long time for me to prove that what KDE does negatively impact the battery life. https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=441830

Status: RESOLVED

This bug has been in NEEDSINFO status with no change for at least 30 days. The bug is now closed as RESOLVED > WORKSFORME due to lack of needed information.

This trend of auto-closing issues is so upsetting. Can we get rid of it already? This describes an actual issue, and it wouldn't get magically resolved through a lack of actions. I could maybe buy auto-closing bugs that have been stale for 3 years, but 30 days is just ridiculously short. It only serves as makeup for the numbers to appear as if there are not many defects in the software, and it seems to be a common practice in too many projects.

---- EDIT: Turns out this got fixed in the end [1]. Good for this particular case, but the point stands.

[1] https://invent.kde.org/network/kdeconnect-kde/-/merge_reques...

adenta• 9 months ago

I've had trouble getting KDE connect to work as a shared clipboard between Android and my Mac. Has anyone ever done that successfully? I couldn't find any documentation to indicate people have which is a real bummer.

tasuki• 9 months ago

I've been using this and recently had a very unpleasant experience: it couldn't mount my new Chinese android phone (worked with the old one!) and the "send file" feature subtly renamed my files (from .tif to .tiff).

It cost me four hours (QField atrocious error messages) and I'm still angry about it.

vrinsd• 9 months ago

As a happy user of many KDE based programs (konsole, kate, dolphin, etc) it's great to see another KDE piece evangelized.

But can someone state conclusively if Bluetooth-base connectivty in KDE Connect actually works in 2025? I looked into this a few weeks ago and it seemed liked from mailing list posts until Bluetooth functionality in KDE Connect equals WiFi connectivity the feature is not enabled?

When traveling it's much easier to do "point to point" between laptop and phone and in theory Bluetooth can support this easier than WiFi via third-party access-point or having to mess with WiFi direct.

steve-atx-7600• 9 months ago

I have trouble communicating with/on any device running KDE since it still doesn't support read-line/emacs bindings like Gnome or Mac OS. Will probably never try KDE again at this point.

frameset• 9 months ago

I use KDE Connect and discovered a feature I didn't know about the other day.

I was watching a youtube video on my computer and my phone rang. The video automatically paused whilst I had my call, then when I hung up, the video continued.

Totally seamless. The kind of thing Apple would show off as part of their "continuity" between macos and iOS.

an_guy• 9 months ago

Are you sure it wasn't your wireless earphones that pause/resumed youtube

Akashic101• 9 months ago

When I tried out Zorin OS I noticed that they advertised a connect-app as well which does exactly what KDE connect does. After a bit of investigating I noticed that the app is quite literally a 1:1-copy with just the name and branding changed, no features added, no bugs fixed. Does anyone know if KDE connect allows this in the first place?

trissi1996• 9 months ago

Why wouldn't they? It's FOSS after all...

ensocode• 9 months ago

Funny, this was on HN several times. As a KDE User never tried it, but today installed it on my phone and works seamlessly.

slinkydeveloper• 9 months ago

I love KDE Connect, I use it both with KDE and Gnome (GSConnect). Both from the reliability perspective, but also on the shell integration side of things "Send to ...".

Hands down one of my favourite Desktop apps for Linux, kudos to the developers.

harel• 9 months ago

I use this on Gnome for a long time now, and one (perhaps) unintended feature, is that if I'm watching a silly "reel" like video which does not have any controls other than play/pause, I can actually control it and change the position via the phone.

jeroenhd7• 9 months ago

I believe GSConnect uses MPRIS for this type of video control, so with an extension like https://github.com/sakithb/media-controls you should also be able to control playback without having to grab your phone.

miga• 9 months ago

Unfortunately the default configuration poses significant security problems, allowing for sidestepping 2-factor authentication schemes, and sideloading of applications without user permission (!)

laughing_snyder• 9 months ago

Can you elaborate?

KDE Connect: Enabling communication between all your devices

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