ZevLink

Local-first Android and Mac continuity: clipboard sync, AirPlay, notification mirroring, call controls, and battery/status presence on your own network.

ZevLink is for people who use an Android phone with a Mac and want the useful cross-device conveniences of a single ecosystem without sending clipboard, notification, or call data through a cloud relay.

It works over the same Wi-Fi/LAN, including a phone hotspot. Pair once with the QR code in the Mac app, then use the Android app home screen to run clipboard sync or AirPlay.

What It Does

• Syncs clipboard text from Android to Mac.
• Syncs clipboard text from Mac to Android.
• Mirrors Android screen to Mac with AirPlay.
• Streams Android audio to Mac or AirPlay receivers.
• Mirrors Android notifications as native macOS notifications.
• Lets you accept, reject, silence, and end Android calls from the Mac.
• Shows Android battery percentage in the macOS menu bar when connected.
• Shows Mac connection/battery status in the Android notification.
• Reconnects across Wi-Fi/hotspot changes using Bonjour/mDNS.
• Uses local network communication only. No cloud account, no relay server.

Downloads

Latest release: 2.0.0.

Download builds from GitHub Releases.

Requirements

Mac

• macOS 14 or newer recommended.
• Local network permission for ZevLink.
• AirPlay Receiver enabled on the Mac for Android screen/audio AirPlay.

Android

• Android 8.0+ for clipboard, notifications, calls, and local networking.
• Android 10+ for Android audio/screen capture features.
• Google Play services for QR code scanning.
• Accessibility permission for automatic Android to Mac clipboard sync.
• Notification access for notification mirroring.
• Phone permissions for call controls.
• Microphone/audio recording permission for AirPlay audio and screen mirroring.
• Optional: Auto-start or unrestricted battery access on some phones so ZevLink can restart after reboot.

Quick Setup

1. Install ZevLink on Mac.
2. Open ZevLink Settings from the menu bar.
3. Install ZevLink on Android.
4. Open Android Settings inside ZevLink.
5. Tap Scan Mac QR and scan the QR code shown on the Mac.
6. Enable the Android permissions shown in the app.
7. Use the Android home screen for Clipboard and AirPlay.

Both devices must be on the same local network. A phone hotspot works too: connect the Mac to the phone hotspot, then pair or reconnect.

AirPlay

ZevLink can start AirPlay directly from the Android home screen:

• AirPlay Screen to Mac mirrors the Android screen to the paired Mac.
• AirPlay Audio to Mac streams Android audio to the Mac.
• AirPlay Audio Broadcast can stream Android audio to selected AirPlay receivers.

For screen mirroring, macOS may show an AirPlay one-time code. After tapping AirPlay Screen to Mac, ZevLink opens an AirPlay One-Time Code dialog on Android; enter the code shown on the Mac, then approve Android screen capture.

AirPlay audio and audio broadcast start from the Android app without a separate Mac password prompt. If a receiver rejects an audio session, check the receiver's AirPlay settings on that device.

How Pairing Works

ZevLink uses two local receivers:

• The Mac receiver listens for Android clipboard, notification, call, now-playing, and presence messages.
• The Android receiver listens for Mac clipboard and notification/call actions.

Discovery uses Bonjour/mDNS:

• Mac advertises _zevclip._tcp.
• Android advertises _zevclip-android._tcp.

The service names now use ZevLink, while the service types remain _zevclip... for compatibility with existing installs.

Pairing uses a shared token:

• The Mac generates a pairing token and stores it in Keychain.
• Android stores the token in private app preferences.
• Requests include X-ZevClip-Token for compatibility.
• Requests with a missing or wrong token are rejected.

Privacy And Security

ZevLink is local-first:

• No ZevLink cloud server.
• No account.
• No analytics.
• Clipboard, notification, call, and presence data are sent directly between your paired Android phone and Mac.

Security limitations:

• Clipboard/control traffic uses plain HTTP on your local network.
• The pairing token prevents random local devices from sending accepted requests, but it is not end-to-end encryption.
• Use ZevLink on trusted networks.
• For remote use, a private VPN such as Tailscale can be added later as an optional fallback, but local Wi-Fi/hotspot remains the default path.

Current Limitations

• Android to Mac clipboard sync can be limited by Android/OEM clipboard restrictions.
• Text clipboard sync is supported. Image clipboard sync is planned for a later version.
• macOS public distribution needs Developer ID signing and notarization.
• Some Android brands may block boot autostart unless Auto-start or unrestricted battery is enabled manually.
• Bonjour discovery may fail on networks with client isolation enabled. Reconnect from Android Settings after moving between Wi-Fi, LAN, or hotspot networks.

Build From Source

macOS

Open ZevClip.xcodeproj in Xcode and run the ZevClip scheme. The product builds as ZevLink.app.

The helper script can run debug builds when Xcode is configured:

./script/build_and_run.sh

Android

Build the Android debug APK:

cd android
./gradlew :app:assembleDebug

Install on a connected device:

cd android
./gradlew :app:installDebug

Build the Android release APK:

cd android
./gradlew :app:assembleRelease

Release APKs must be signed with a release keystore before sharing as a final build.

Local API

Android to Mac clipboard:

POST /clipboard
X-ZevClip-Token: <pairing-token>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

Hello from Android

Mac to Android uses the Android receiver endpoint saved during pairing and presence updates.

Roadmap

• Two-way image clipboard sync.
• Optional Tailscale fallback mode for remote sync when both devices are on the same tailnet.
• Cleaner signed/notarized macOS release pipeline.
• Better onboarding for Android battery/autostart settings.

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for setup, testing, issue, and pull request guidelines.

Helpful feedback includes:

• Phone model and Android version.
• macOS version.
• Whether you are on Wi-Fi, LAN, hotspot, or VPN.
• What permission or reconnect state failed.
• Logs or screenshots if available.