What is scrcpy, and is it safe to use?

scrcpy is a free, open-source program that shows an Android phone's screen in a window on a computer and lets you control the phone with the computer's mouse and keyboard. It works over a USB cable or Wi-Fi, on Mac, Windows, and Linux, and it installs nothing permanent on the phone. The name is short for "screen copy". It is safe to use if you download it from its official GitHub page and understand the one real risk, which is the developer setting it needs on the phone, called USB debugging.

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 25 October 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm before you buy.

What does scrcpy do?

Its README puts it in one line: it "mirrors Android devices (video and audio)" connected by USB or over the network, and "allows control using the computer's keyboard and mouse". You click where you would tap, scroll where you would swipe, and type with a real keyboard.

The README lists these features, among others:

The project also states its goals in numbers: 30 to 120 frames per second depending on the device, 1920×1080 or above, 35 to 70 milliseconds of delay, and about one second to show the first image. Those are the project's own figures. We have not measured them.

Who makes scrcpy, and what does it cost?

scrcpy is hosted on Genymobile's GitHub account. The README's licence section reads "Copyright (C) 2018 Genymobile" and "Copyright (C) 2018-2026 Romain Vimont", and Romain Vimont describes himself as "the author and maintainer". It is published under the Apache License 2.0.

It costs nothing. The README lists "no account, no ads, no internet required" among its benefits, and the maintainer takes donations through GitHub Sponsors, Liberapay, and PayPal.

The latest release on 25 October 2026 was v5.0.1, from 8 October 2026. Version 5.0, three days earlier, moved video decoding onto the computer's graphics hardware where possible; its release notes say CPU use "drops by 10×".

How does scrcpy work?

scrcpy is two programs that talk to each other. Its developer documentation describes them:

1. A client on the computer. This is the scrcpy command you type. It shows the window and reads your mouse and keyboard.
2. A small server on the phone. Each time you start scrcpy, the client copies the server to the phone and starts it. It captures the screen and sound and plays back your taps.

The two connect through adb, the Android Debug Bridge, Google's standard tool for talking to Android phones. adb is the reason USB debugging must be on. The README sums up the result: "nothing is left installed on the Android device". There is no app in the phone's app drawer.

Over Wi-Fi the idea is the same, with adb using the network instead of the cable. The steps are in scrcpy wireless on Mac.

What do people use it for?

Going by its features and the README's examples, the range is wide:

• Using the phone from the computer. Reply to messages with a full keyboard, or use an app that only exists on Android.
• Recording. Record the screen, or the phone's camera and microphone, straight to a video file.
• Running an app in its own window. Start an app such as VLC in a new virtual display, separate from what is on the phone's screen.
• Typing without mirroring. Use the computer's keyboard and mouse as if they were plugged into the phone, a mode that does not need USB debugging at all.

Is scrcpy safe?

Here is what the project's pages and Google's documentation say, so you can judge.

Where you get it matters most. The README opens with a warning that its GitHub repository "is the only official source for the project", and tells you not to download releases from other websites "even if their name contains scrcpy". On a Mac, Homebrew and MacPorts are the other routes its macOS page names.

Releases can be checked. The verification page says all releases are signed with Romain Vimont's key, and each release ships with SHA-256 checksums.

The code is public. Anyone can read it, which is how open-source tools earn trust. We are not aware of a formal audit and did not find one mentioned on the project's pages.

USB debugging is the real risk. It lets a computer you approve run commands on the phone. Google's adb page says the phone shows a dialog asking whether to accept a key "that allows debugging through this computer", and that this means adb commands cannot run "unless you're able to unlock the device and acknowledge the dialog". So approve only your own computer, and turn USB debugging off when you stop using scrcpy.

Watch what you paste. scrcpy's control documentation warns that pasting from the computer puts the text on the Android clipboard, where "any Android application could read its content". It says to avoid pasting passwords that way.

What can scrcpy not do?

• It does not work with iPhones. It mirrors Android devices only.
• It is not a webcam on a Mac. Turning the phone's camera into a webcam for other apps is listed as Linux-only. On a Mac it can show or record the camera in its own window.
• It needs a developer setting, USB debugging, for normal use.
• It has no app window of its own to start from. On a Mac you install it and run it from Terminal. The install guide walks through that.
• It only works while it is running. Close the window and nothing keeps syncing in the background.

Where does The Relay fit?

The Relay, which publishes this guide, does a different job. It does not mirror or control the phone's screen, so if that is what you want, scrcpy is the free tool to use. The Relay runs in the background instead: it syncs the clipboard both ways, moves files, shows the phone's notifications, incoming texts, login codes, and calls on the Mac, and needs no developer settings. The Relay is one subscription through Google Play that covers your phone and your Mac, with a 7-day free trial. Some people use both. See The Relay vs scrcpy.

Questions people ask

Is scrcpy free?

Yes. It is free and open source under the Apache License 2.0, with no account, no ads, and no paid tier. The maintainer accepts donations.

Does scrcpy need root?

No. The README says it does not require root access or an app installed on the device. It does need USB debugging turned on.

Is scrcpy a virus?

Not when it comes from the official source. The project warns that its GitHub repository is the only official source and that releases from other websites should not be trusted, even if they use the name.

Does scrcpy work on a Mac?

Yes. The project publishes macOS builds for Apple silicon and Intel Macs, and it can also be installed with Homebrew or MacPorts. See scrcpy on Mac.

How do you pronounce scrcpy?

The README says it is pronounced "screen copy".