KDE Connect on Mac: what it does, how to install it, and who it suits

Yes, KDE Connect works on a Mac. KDE's download page says "A stable release of KDE Connect for macOS is available to download", and it can also be installed with Homebrew. It is free and open source, it pairs an Android phone with macOS over your own network, and it covers notifications, files, links, clipboard text, and more in one app. The catch is that KDE's documentation is written around Linux desktops and says almost nothing about the Mac version, so you should try it on your own MacBook before relying on it.

Publisher note: The Relay publishes this guide and is one of the products discussed. Details about other products come from each maker's own pages, checked on 1 October 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm before you buy.

Is there an official KDE Connect for macOS?

Yes, from KDE itself. The download page has a macOS section that reads, in full: "A stable release of KDE Connect for macOS is available to download and can also be installed with Homebrew: brew install --cask kde-connect. There are also nightly versions (untested) available for ARM and Intel."

Three things to take from that:

• It is called stable. This is not a beta label.
• Check which Mac it is built for. On 1 October 2026 the stable download link pointed to a file with "arm64" in its name, which is the build for Apple silicon Macs. An Intel build was linked only among the nightly versions, which KDE marks as untested. If you have an Intel Mac, look at the page again before you download.
• No minimum macOS version is given on that page.

The phone side is the KDE Connect Android app, which the same page says is on Google Play, Huawei AppGallery, and F-Droid.

What does KDE Connect do?

KDE's home page and its UserBase wiki list the features as plugins you can switch on and off. The ones that matter for a phone and a computer:

That is a longer list than most paid apps offer, for nothing.

One caution about reading it. The wiki describes these features as they appear on a KDE Linux desktop. The file browser entry, for instance, says the phone "will appear in Dolphin", which is KDE's own file manager and not part of macOS. The wiki mentions macOS once, to point at the download page. It does not say which plugins behave the same on a Mac. Treat the table as what KDE Connect can do in general, and confirm the features you care about on your Mac.

How do I install KDE Connect on a Mac?

1. On the Mac, download the macOS release from the download page, open the disk image, and move the app to Applications. Or, if you use Homebrew, run brew install --cask kde-connect in Terminal.
2. On the phone, install KDE Connect from Google Play or F-Droid.
3. Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network.
4. Open KDE Connect on both. The wiki says each should show the other's name.
5. Request pairing from either device and accept the prompt on the other.
6. On the phone, open the device's plugin list and grant the permissions for the features you want, such as notification access for notification sync.

If the two devices do not see each other, the wiki's first advice is to check they are on the same network and that no firewall is in the way. It says KDE Connect "uses dynamic ports in the range 1714-1764 for UDP and TCP", so that range has to be open on the Mac's firewall and not blocked by the router. On the phone you can also add the Mac by hand: the wiki describes a three-dot menu option called Add devices by IP. More fixes are in KDE Connect not working on Mac.

What limits does KDE itself state?

These come from the wiki. They are limits of Android or of the app in general, not Mac-specific bugs.

• Clipboard from the phone is not automatic on newer Android. The wiki says "Android 10 prevents apps from accessing the clipboard", which "makes the clipboard plugin in KDE Connect uncomfortable to use". The workaround is a "Send Clipboard" button in the app's persistent notification, or a quick settings tile on Android 14 or later.
• No images in the clipboard.
• Login codes may be hidden. On Android 15 or later, the wiki says sensitive notification content is hidden by the system and KDE Connect shows "Sensitive notification content hidden". The recommended fix is granting a permission through adb, a developer tool, and the wiki warns it "may not work on all manufacturer's devices".
• Same network. Devices find each other on the local network. The wiki describes running it over your own OpenVPN server if you need it elsewhere, which is not a beginner task. Recent versions also support Bluetooth, after pairing the devices over Bluetooth first.
• Calls are notifications. The telephone plugin shows who is calling. The wiki does not describe answering the call from the computer.

Who should pick KDE Connect?

Pick it, ahead of any paid app, if:

• You want it free and open source. It is both, with no account in its setup steps. KDE's line is "Open Source. Free to use. For any purpose. Forever."
• You also use Linux or Windows. The download page lists builds for Linux, Windows, and macOS, so one tool covers every computer you own.
• You want features paid apps skip: using the phone as a trackpad or presentation remote, controlling the Mac's media, running commands.
• You are comfortable with a little troubleshooting: opening firewall ports, or running one adb command to get login codes through.

For plenty of people that is the end of the search. If KDE Connect does what you need on your Mac, you do not need to buy anything, including The Relay.

Who should look elsewhere?

• You have an Intel Mac and want a release marked stable. Check the download page first, for the reason above.
• You want copy on the phone, paste on the Mac, without tapping a button. KDE documents the extra tap on Android 10 or later.
• You want the phone as a webcam. KDE's feature list does not include it.
• You want the screen mirrored. Not in the list either. Use scrcpy, which is free and open source.
• You need the phone when it is on another network. An account-based service such as AirDroid, which lists remote network access, does that. See AirDroid vs KDE Connect.
• You want something made for macOS, with documentation to match.

That last point is where The Relay comes in. It is a paid app, $19.99 once, made only for an Android phone and a Mac. It pairs by scanning a QR code shown on the Mac. It syncs the clipboard both ways, including images. It browses the phone's storage in a Mac window, shows incoming texts and copies login codes to the Mac's clipboard, shows notifications, lets you accept or decline incoming calls on the Mac, hands links across, and makes the phone's camera and microphone available to apps such as Zoom. It needs Android 8.0 or later and macOS 13 Ventura or later.

What The Relay lacks next to KDE Connect: it is not free and not open source, it has no Windows or Linux version, it does not send texts, and it has no remote input, media control, or run-command features. Both tools work on your own network and neither reaches a phone across the internet. The fuller comparison is in The Relay vs KDE Connect.

Questions people ask

Is KDE Connect free on a Mac?

Yes. It is free and open source on every platform, and the macOS release is downloaded directly from KDE or installed with Homebrew.

Does KDE Connect work on Apple silicon Macs?

The stable macOS download linked on KDE's page on 1 October 2026 was an arm64 build, which is the Apple silicon architecture. Intel builds were offered as untested nightly versions.

Do I need Linux or the KDE desktop to use it?

No. KDE's download page lists macOS and Windows versions alongside Linux, and the phone app works with any of them.

Why can my Mac not find my phone in KDE Connect?

KDE's wiki says to check that both are on the same network and that ports 1714 to 1764 are open for TCP and UDP. KDE's site also notes that some public Wi-Fi does not allow devices to communicate. You can also add the Mac's IP address by hand in the Android app.

Can KDE Connect send text messages from a Mac?

KDE's pages say it can reply to text messages and send SMS from the desktop. They do not confirm this for macOS specifically. If texting is the main thing you want, Google Messages for web is Google's own free route. See Android messages on a Mac.