One signal

PlainApp lets you access an Android phone from a computer’s browser over the same local network, without an account or Bluetooth connection, according to MakeUseOf. The free, open-source app can show files, notifications, messages and contacts, and mirror the phone’s screen.

The connection is end-to-end encrypted, and the phone owner must approve a computer the first time it connects, the article says. You can also switch off individual features, handy if you want file access without handing your clipboard the keys to the whole house. It does not run phone apps on the computer, and some features, including call logs and SMS, are absent from the Play Store version.

Discuss: Would you trade Phone Link’s deeper integration for a local, account-free connection you can use from any computer on your network?

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