Phone Link alternatives for Mac: a ranked shortlist

The closest Phone Link alternative for Mac is KDE Connect if you want one free app, AirDroid if you want the longest feature list including the phone's screen, and The Relay if you want a Mac app with a one-time price that runs on your own network. No single app reproduces everything Phone Link did on your Windows PC, so most people who move to a MacBook end up with one of those three plus Google Messages for web for texting. The ranking and the feature-by-feature map are below.

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.

What did Phone Link do that I now need to replace?

Phone Link itself will not come with you. Microsoft's requirements page says it connects a phone "to your Windows PC" and needs Windows 10 or Windows 11. The background is in Phone Link for Mac. This page is about what to install in its place.

The same Microsoft page lists what Phone Link does: "read and reply to text messages, view recent photos from your mobile device, use your favorite mobile apps, make and receive calls, and manage notifications". Its settings and help menu add a few more: cross-device copy and paste "(when it is supported)", drag and drop of files, Instant Hotspot, and using the phone's camera. That makes nine jobs.

How are the alternatives ranked?

By how much of Phone Link one install replaces, with free ahead of paid where it is close. We have not tested the other products. The ranking rests on what each maker's own pages say the product does.

1. KDE Connect: the free one-app answer

KDE Connect is the nearest thing to Phone Link's idea of one app that links the phone to the computer, and it costs nothing. Its home page lists phone notifications synced to the computer, replying to text messages, sharing files and links, and browsing the phone's files. Its wiki adds a shared clipboard for text and notifications for incoming calls. It is open source, and its download page lists a stable macOS release.

Against Phone Link: it does not list running phone apps or showing the phone's screen. Its wiki says clipboard from the phone needs a tap on Android 10 or later. And KDE's documentation is written mostly for Linux, so check the features you care about on your own Mac. Start here if you want to spend nothing. Details in KDE Connect on a Mac.

2. AirDroid Personal: the longest list, through an account

Going by its product page, AirDroid matches more Phone Link rows than anything else: view and reply to SMS, notifications, placing calls from the computer, file transfer, and screen mirroring with remote control, which is the equivalent of Phone Link's apps feature. It has a client for macOS 10.11 and higher and a web version.

It works by signing in to an AirDroid account on both devices, much as Phone Link uses a Microsoft account. Unlike Phone Link, it is a subscription once you pass the free plan's limits: its pricing page lists $3.99 a month or $29.99 a year as of 1 October 2026, with the free plan limiting remote transfers to 30 MB per file and 200 MB of data. Choose it if apps and screen control were the part of Phone Link you used most and you would rather not use Terminal. See AirDroid alternatives for the other side of that choice.

3. The Relay: the Mac-only app with a one-time price

The Relay is built for exactly this pairing, an Android phone and a Mac, and nothing else. It pairs the way Phone Link does, by scanning a QR code shown on the computer. From Phone Link's list it covers notifications, which appear as Mac notifications; incoming calls, which you accept or decline on the Mac; files, through a window that browses the phone's storage; copy and paste in both directions with text, images, and links; and the phone's camera and microphone as a webcam for apps such as Zoom and Google Meet. It also shows incoming texts and copies any login code in them to the Mac's clipboard, and hands links between the two browsers.

It ranks third because of two gaps against Phone Link, and you should weigh them:

• It does not send texts. You see incoming messages, but to reply from the keyboard you still need Google Messages for web.
• It does not show or run the phone's apps. There is no screen mirroring or remote control. Use scrcpy.

It also has no hotspot control, and it is not free: $19.99, paid once, with no subscription. There is a refund window; see the terms. It needs Android 8.0 or later and macOS 13 Ventura or later. Like Phone Link, which Microsoft says needs the phone and PC on the same Wi-Fi network, it works when both devices are on the same network, or within Bluetooth range. Your clipboard, files, texts, and notifications travel directly between the phone and the Mac and are not uploaded to The Relay's servers; the privacy policy has the detail.

4. Google Messages for web: for texting, better than any of the above

If messages were your main use of Phone Link, this is the whole answer and it is free. Google's help page says it works in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge, pairs through your Google Account, and sends through your phone. It replaces one row only. Steps in Android messages on a Mac.

5. scrcpy: for apps and the phone's screen

scrcpy's README says it mirrors the phone and lets you control it with the computer's keyboard and mouse, works on macOS, and needs no account and no app on the phone. It does need USB debugging turned on and is started from Terminal, which is a bigger step than anything Phone Link asked of you. See mirroring Android to a Mac.

6. Quick Share, NearDrop, or LocalSend: for files and photos

Phone Link's photo view and file drag and drop are covered by any of these, all free. Google's Quick Share help page says a Pixel 8a or later and certain phones from Samsung and other makers can send directly to a Mac's AirDrop. For other phones, NearDrop and LocalSend work on the same network. See every way to transfer files from Android to a Mac.

What about the hotspot and the camera?

Hotspot. Phone Link's settings include Instant Hotspot, which Microsoft describes as configuring your mobile device as an instant hotspot. None of the tools above claims that on a Mac. The manual route works: Google's tethering help page says to turn on the Wi-Fi hotspot on the phone and then pick the phone's hotspot name from the other device's Wi-Fi list. The same page warns that "Mac computers can't tether with Android by USB". More in Instant Hotspot for Android and Mac.

Camera. The Relay makes the phone's camera and microphone selectable in Mac video apps. scrcpy's README lists webcam mirroring as Linux-only. Other free routes are in using an Android phone as a webcam on a Mac.

Which setup should I choose?

If you are setting up a first Mac after years on Windows, moving from Windows and Phone Link to a Mac walks through the first day.

Questions people ask

What is the closest thing to Phone Link on a Mac?

For a free app, KDE Connect. For the most Phone Link features in one product, AirDroid. For a paid Mac app that stays on your own network, The Relay. None is a complete copy.

Is there a free Phone Link alternative for Mac?

Yes. KDE Connect, Google Messages for web, scrcpy, NearDrop, and LocalSend are all free. Between them they cover texts, notifications, files, and the phone's screen. You will be running several tools where Phone Link was one.

Can I reply to texts from my Mac like I did in Phone Link?

Yes, with Google Messages for web. KDE Connect and AirDroid also list replying to texts. The Relay shows incoming texts but does not send them.

Can I use my Android apps on a Mac the way Phone Link allowed?

Through screen mirroring. scrcpy does it for free with USB debugging turned on, and AirDroid lists remote control with no root needed. None of the tools covered here says it opens Android apps in their own Mac windows.

Do I need a Microsoft account or any account?

Not a Microsoft one. Google Messages for web uses your Google Account and AirDroid needs an AirDroid account. KDE Connect, NearDrop, LocalSend, and scrcpy have no sign-up step in their instructions. The Relay needs an account to buy it.