scrcpy-mcp

MCP server that gives AI agents full vision and control over Android devices via ADB and scrcpy.

Connect any MCP-compatible AI assistant (Claude Code, OpenCode, Cursor, VS Code Copilot, etc.) to your Android device. The AI can see the screen, tap, swipe, type, launch apps, inspect UI elements, transfer files, and run shell commands.

Features

• 40 tools covering screenshots, input, apps, UI automation, shell, files, clipboard, video streaming, and audio streaming/recording
• scrcpy-first: uses scrcpy's binary control protocol for 10-50x faster input and near-instant screenshots (~33ms)
• ADB fallback: interaction tools work without scrcpy — slower but always available (the audio tools start_audio_stream/audio_record_start and the video stream require scrcpy)
• Image-returning screenshots: the AI actually sees the screen, not just a file path
• UI element finding: ui_find_element returns tap coordinates so the AI can act on what it sees
• Audio streaming & recording: stream device audio to host speakers (start_audio_stream) or capture to .wav/.opus (audio_record_start)
• Clipboard that works on Android 10+: scrcpy bypasses the restrictions that break ADB-only solutions

Prerequisites

Required

Optional (for enhanced performance)

Device setup

1. Enable Developer Options: Settings → About Phone → tap "Build Number" 7 times
2. Enable USB Debugging: Settings → Developer Options → USB Debugging
3. Connect device via USB
4. Accept the RSA fingerprint prompt on the device
5. Verify: adb devices should show your device as device (not unauthorized)

Installation

# Run directly with npx (no install needed)
npx scrcpy-mcp

# Or install globally
npm install -g scrcpy-mcp

MCP Client Configuration

Claude Code

claude mcp add android -- npx scrcpy-mcp

Or add to .mcp.json in your project root:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "android": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["scrcpy-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

OpenCode

Add to .mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "android": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["scrcpy-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Cursor

Settings → MCP → Add Server:

{
  "android": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["scrcpy-mcp"]
  }
}

Claude Desktop

Edit ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (Linux) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "android": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["scrcpy-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

VS Code (GitHub Copilot)

Add to .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "android": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["scrcpy-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Customizing Environment Variables

If you need to configure custom options (such as pointing to a non-standard scrcpy-server path), you can add the "env" object to your server configuration. For example:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "android": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["scrcpy-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "SCRCPY_SERVER_PATH": "C:\\path\\to\\scrcpy-server"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: only set SCRCPY_SERVER_VERSION if version auto-detection fails — it overrides detection, so a stale value causes the version mismatch described in Troubleshooting. Match it to your installed scrcpy (scrcpy --version).

Note: On Windows, remember to double-escape backslashes (\\) in your configuration paths.

OpenCode users: OpenCode uses "environment" instead of "env" for passing environment variables to MCP servers. Replace "env" with "environment" in the example above if you're configuring scrcpy-mcp in opencode.json.

Tool Reference

Session Management

start_session options:

Both screen-awake options are temporary: scrcpy restores the device's original values when the session ends, including when a tool restarts the session to turn audio on.

Video Streaming

Audio Streaming & Recording

Heads up: Audio capture is opt-in and requires Android 11+. The default source output uses REMOTE_SUBMIX, which mutes the device's own speakers while capturing — the audio is moved to the host, not copied. Use audioSource: "playback" with audioDup: true (Android 13+) to keep the device audible. Recordings are saved on the host filesystem.

Device Management

Vision

Input Control

All input tools use scrcpy (~5-10ms) when a session is active, otherwise fall back to ADB (~100-300ms).

App Management

UI Automation

Shell & Files

Clipboard

Performance

Start a session once at the beginning to unlock the fast path:

start_session → take screenshots → tap → swipe → ...

Environment Variables

When only one device is connected, tools auto-detect it. With multiple devices, pass the serial parameter explicitly or set ANDROID_SERIAL.

Troubleshooting

adb devices shows unauthorized Accept the RSA fingerprint prompt on the device. If the prompt doesn't appear, revoke USB debugging authorizations in Developer Options and reconnect.

start_session fails Make sure scrcpy is installed and the scrcpy-server binary is accessible. On Windows, add the folder containing both scrcpy.exe and scrcpy-server to your PATH, or set SCRCPY_SERVER_PATH to the full path of the scrcpy-server file.

• File vs Directory: Ensure SCRCPY_SERVER_PATH points directly to the scrcpy-server file itself (e.g. C:\path\to\scrcpy-server), NOT to its parent folder.
• Android Directory Conflict: If you previously pushed a directory to the server path, /data/local/tmp/scrcpy-server.jar on the Android device might have been created as a folder. Run adb shell rm -rf /data/local/tmp/scrcpy-server.jar to delete it.
• Version Mismatch: The client must send the exact version of the scrcpy-server file it pushes. To guarantee that, the server and the version are never resolved separately — one scrcpy install is resolved as a pair, and the version comes from the client belonging to that same install. The install is found in this order: SCRCPY_SERVER_PATH if set (its client is then located beside the server, or one prefix step away at ../../bin/scrcpy); otherwise the scrcpy on your PATH, whose server is located beside it or at ../share/scrcpy/scrcpy-server; otherwise whatever your package manager reports (dpkg, pacman, rpm, apk, brew). A symlinked client is resolved to its real directory before its counterpart is derived, so a link farm such as Homebrew's bin/scrcpy pairs with the install it points at rather than with the link's own directory. SCRCPY_SERVER_VERSION overrides the detected version if set. So on Windows, or when a GUI app launches the MCP without your shell PATH, pointing SCRCPY_SERVER_PATH at a server inside a complete scrcpy install is enough on its own, and it wins even if a different scrcpy comes first on your PATH — note that reading the version runs that install's executable, so point SCRCPY_SERVER_PATH only at an install you trust (the same trust the server file itself already requires, since it gets pushed to your device and executed there). If no client can be found for the resolved server (for example a lone scrcpy-server downloaded from the releases page), the client falls back to the default version and the server may exit with a version-mismatch error; set SCRCPY_SERVER_VERSION to your installed version (e.g., "4.1"). Run the version tool to see which version is in use and where it was resolved from. See the Environment Variables table above.

Screenshots are slow (~500ms) Start a scrcpy session with start_session to enable the fast video stream path. Requires scrcpy and ffmpeg.

expand_notifications / expand_settings / collapse_panels fail These tools require an active scrcpy session. Run start_session first.

The device screen keeps turning off during long automations Start the session with stayAwake: true (plugged in only) or screenOffTimeout: <seconds>, which also works on battery. Both are restored when the session ends.

start_audio_stream says ffplay was not found Install ffmpeg (ffplay ships with it), or set FFPLAY_PATH to the binary. The same applies to audio_record_start and FFMPEG_PATH.

Audio recording is silent REMOTE_SUBMIX only captures what apps are actually playing — a recording made while nothing plays is digital silence, which is expected. Also check the device is not muted, and remember the default output source moves the audio to the host, so the device goes quiet while capturing. Use audioSource: "playback" with audioDup: true (Android 13+) to keep it audible.

Audio tools report audio as unavailable Audio capture needs Android 11+ (SDK 30). On older devices the session still works for video, input, and clipboard.

Clipboard doesn't work on Android 10+ ADB clipboard access is restricted on Android 10+. Start a scrcpy session — the scrcpy clipboard protocol bypasses this restriction.

Multiple devices connected Pass serial to each tool or set the ANDROID_SERIAL environment variable.

Security

This server provides full control over connected Android devices. The shell_exec tool can run arbitrary commands, and file_push/file_pull can read and write any file accessible to the shell user.

• The server runs locally over stdio — it is not exposed to the network
• ADB requires USB debugging to be explicitly enabled on the device
• The device must accept your host's RSA key on first connection
• Only connect devices you own and trust the AI agent you are using

License

MIT — see LICENSE