KDE Connect on a Mac not working or not opening: what to check

If KDE Connect on your Mac is not working, split the problem in two. If the app is not opening, check which build you downloaded: KDE's stable macOS release is for Apple silicon Macs, and an Intel Mac needs one of the nightly builds. If it opens but cannot find the phone, KDE's wiki gives the causes: the devices are on different networks, a firewall is blocking ports 1714 to 1764, or the network does not pass the broadcast packets KDE Connect uses to find devices. The quickest workaround for the second kind is to add the Mac by IP address from the phone.

KDE's troubleshooting is written for Linux. The UserBase wiki mentions macOS once, to point at the download page. So this page gives KDE's stated causes and fills in the Mac-side steps from Apple's pages. Where KDE documents nothing for a Mac symptom, we say so.

Symptom, cause, fix

KDE Connect will not open on my Mac. Why?

The wrong build for your Mac. KDE's download page says: "A stable release of KDE Connect for macOS is available to download and can also be installed with Homebrew", and "there are also nightly versions (untested) available for ARM and Intel." On 1 October 2026 the stable link pointed to a file ending in macos-clang-arm64.dmg. That is the build for Apple silicon. To see which Mac you have, Apple's page on Mac computers with Apple silicon says to open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac: an Apple silicon Mac shows a line labeled Chip, and an Intel Mac shows Processor.

macOS blocked it. KDE's pages do not say whether the macOS build is signed and notarized, so we cannot tell you whether to expect a warning. If macOS says it cannot verify the app, Apple's Mac User Guide gives the override:

1. Try to open the app, and dismiss the warning.
2. Open System Settings, then Privacy & Security.
3. Under Security, click Open Anyway. Apple says the button is there for about an hour after you tried to open the app.
4. Enter your login password.

Apple also warns that overriding this "is the most common way that a Mac gets infected with malware". Only do it for a copy downloaded from kdeconnect.kde.org or installed with Homebrew.

Keep expectations in check. The desktop app's own README still says of platforms other than Linux that they "are not officially supported", and of macOS that "it hasn't yet been completely tested". The download page calls the macOS release stable. Both statements are KDE's.

The Mac and the phone cannot see each other. What do I check?

This is the wiki's first troubleshooting entry: "I have two devices running KDE Connect on the same network, but they can't see each other."

1. Same network. Both on the same Wi-Fi network, not one on a guest network. Not the phone on mobile data.
2. The Mac's firewall. KDE says to open ports 1714 to 1764 for TCP and UDP. The macOS firewall works per app, not per port. Apple's firewall page gives the path: System Settings, Network, Firewall, Options. Add KDE Connect to the list and set it to allow incoming connections. If Block all incoming connections is on, turn it off for the test. Apple also says that when an unlisted app receives a connection, an alert asks whether to allow it, and "until you take action, the message remains, and any attempts to connect to the app are denied". Look for that alert.
3. Local Network permission. Apple's page on local network access says you decide which apps may find devices on your network, under System Settings, Privacy & Security, Local Network. KDE's wiki does not mention this setting. If KDE Connect is listed there, make sure it is on.
4. Broadcast packets. KDE's other stated cause: "make sure your network is not blocking UDP broadcast packets." You cannot change that on a network you do not run. On your own router, look for any setting that stops wireless devices talking to each other, and check that neither device is on a guest network.
5. Add the device by IP. The wiki's method on Android: on the devices screen, open the three-dot menu and choose Add devices by IP. Type the Mac's address.

It pairs, but a feature does not work. Is that a bug?

Often it is a limit KDE already documents. The wiki says clipboard from the phone needs a tap on Android 10 and later, and that login codes in notifications are hidden on Android 15 and later. It also does not say which plugins behave the same on macOS as on Linux. The list is in KDE Connect on a Mac. For anything new, the wiki points to the KDE bug tracker.

When should I stop and use something else?

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.

KDE Connect is free and does a great deal. If it works on your Mac, keep it. If you are on an Intel Mac with only untested builds, the free routes are LocalSend for files and Google Messages for web for texts.

The Relay is the paid route: a Mac app and an Android app that pair with a QR code and cover clipboard, files, texts and login codes, notifications, and calls. It costs $19.99 once and needs macOS 13 Ventura or later. It has the same basic need as KDE Connect, which is both devices on the same local network or within Bluetooth range. A network that does not let devices talk to each other is a problem for any app of this kind, so do not buy it expecting a blocked office network to stop mattering. More options are in KDE Connect alternatives for Mac.

Questions people ask

Does KDE Connect work on Intel Macs?

KDE's stable macOS download is an Apple silicon build. Its download page links an Intel build only among the nightly versions, which it labels untested.

Which ports does KDE Connect need?

KDE's wiki says it uses dynamic ports in the range 1714 to 1764 for both UDP and TCP, and that the network must not block UDP broadcast packets.

Why does my phone see the Mac only after I add it by IP?

Because automatic discovery relies on broadcast packets, and adding by IP skips discovery. KDE's wiki offers Add devices by IP on Android for pairing "without automatic discovery". If that works, the network or a firewall is blocking the broadcast.