KDE Connect

KDE Connect integrates your phone (Android/iOS) with your Shani OS desktop over the local network. It's pre-installed on the KDE Plasma edition natively (kdeconnect) and on the GNOME edition via GSConnect (a GNOME Shell extension implementing the same KDE Connect protocol). COSMIC users can run KDE Connect inside Distrobox or via nix-env -iA nixpkgs.kdeconnect. Firewall rules are pre-configured in the public zone on all desktop editions — no manual firewall setup is needed after a fresh install.

Features include: shared clipboard, file transfer, remote input (use your phone as a touchpad/keyboard), notification mirroring, media controls, and running pre-defined remote commands. GSConnect's feature set closely mirrors native KDE Connect, though a few advanced features (custom remote commands, some plugin settings) are more limited in its GNOME Extensions preferences UI than in KDE's System Settings module.

Pairing a Device

Install the KDE Connect app on your phone:

• Android: Google Play or F-Droid
• iOS: App Store

Both devices must be on the same Wi-Fi network.

KDE Plasma: Open KDE Connect from the system tray or app launcher — your phone should appear automatically. Click Pair and accept the request on the phone.

GNOME (GSConnect): Open the GSConnect icon from the top bar (or Settings → GSConnect if you don't see it), enable it if prompted, and your phone should appear automatically. Click on the device, then Pair, and accept the request on the phone. If the icon isn't visible, check that the extension is enabled in the Extensions app (pre-installed).

Command-Line Usage

kdeconnect-cli is part of the native kdeconnect package (KDE Plasma only) — GSConnect on GNOME does not provide this or any equivalent CLI; use its GUI (top bar icon, or Settings → GSConnect) for all device management.

# List all discovered devices (paired and unpaired)
kdeconnect-cli --list-devices

# List only reachable paired devices
kdeconnect-cli --list-available

# Pair a device by ID
kdeconnect-cli --pair --device <device_id>

# Send a file to the phone
kdeconnect-cli --share /path/to/file --device <device_id>

# Send a URL or text (opens in default browser/app on phone)
kdeconnect-cli --share https://example.com --device <device_id>

# Ping a device (tests connectivity)
kdeconnect-cli --ping --device <device_id>

# Ring the phone (to find it)
kdeconnect-cli --ring --device <device_id>

# Lock the phone screen
kdeconnect-cli --lock --device <device_id>

# Run a predefined remote command (configured in KDE Connect settings)
kdeconnect-cli --execute-command <command_name> --device <device_id>

Manual Device Discovery

If your phone does not appear automatically (e.g., guest Wi-Fi with client isolation):

# Trigger a refresh scan on the desktop
kdeconnect-cli --refresh

On Android: open the KDE Connect app → ⋮ menu → Add Device by IP → enter your desktop's IP address.

Firewall

Shani OS pre-configures firewalld rules for KDE Connect at install time. If you need to re-apply them manually:

# Add KDE Connect service to the public zone
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=public --add-service=kdeconnect
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

# Or open the raw port range (TCP + UDP 1714–1764)
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=public --add-port=1714-1764/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=public --add-port=1714-1764/udp
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Troubleshooting

KDE Plasma runs KDE Connect as a user service:

# Check the KDE Connect daemon is running
systemctl --user status kdeconnectd

# Restart the daemon
systemctl --user restart kdeconnectd

# Reset configuration (fixes corrupt pairing state)
systemctl --user stop kdeconnectd
mv ~/.config/kdeconnect ~/.config/kdeconnect.bak
systemctl --user start kdeconnectd

# View live logs
journalctl --user -u kdeconnectd -f

GNOME (GSConnect) runs inside the GNOME Shell process itself — there's no separate systemd unit to restart. Instead:

# Restart GNOME Shell (X11 only — logs you out on Wayland)
# On Wayland, log out and back in instead
Alt+F2, type 'r', Enter

# Reset configuration (fixes corrupt pairing state)
rm -rf ~/.cache/gsconnect
gsettings reset-recursively org.gnome.shell.extensions.gsconnect

# View live logs
journalctl --user -f | grep -i gsconnect

See Also

• Bluetooth
• KDE Connect blog guide