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Control AFT from Your Computer (scrcpy)

Introduction

If you already use Airsoft Force Tracking on your Android phone, you can display it on your computer and control it with a mouse and keyboard. This is especially useful for command posts, HQ roles, briefings and planning, where a large screen and precise control make a real difference.

This guide uses scrcpy, a free and open-source tool available for Windows, Linux and macOS. On Windows, we use Escrcpy, a free program that provides scrcpy with a simple graphical interface, so no commands are needed. Both tools are developed independently from Airsoft Force Tracking and are widely used in the Android community.

The guide is divided into the following sections:

  1. How It Works – a short, non-technical explanation
  2. Preparing Your Phone – a one-time setup, required for all systems
  3. Windows, Linux and macOS – separate installation and launch instructions for each system
  4. Using AFT with Mouse and Keyboard – controls and useful shortcuts
  5. Wireless Connection (Optional)
  6. Troubleshooting

You only need to read the section for your own operating system.

How It Works

scrcpy connects your computer to your phone, usually with a USB cable. Once connected:

  • your phone runs AFT as usual, with its real GPS, compass, Bluetooth and Meshtastic connection,
  • your computer shows AFT in a window, updated in real time,
  • your mouse clicks and keyboard input are sent back to the phone, as if you were touching its screen.

In other words, your computer becomes a big screen and remote control for your phone. Nothing is installed on the phone, AFT is not duplicated, and your session, army and offline maps stay exactly as they are.

scrcpy can also open AFT on a virtual screen sized for your computer. Instead of a narrow phone-shaped window, you get AFT in a wide, desktop-sized layout, and you can resize the window freely. The layout adapts automatically.

What you need:

  • an Android phone with Airsoft Force Tracking installed,
  • a computer with Windows, Linux or macOS,
  • a USB cable that supports data transfer. Some cheap cables only charge the phone and won’t work.

Preparing Your Phone

To let your computer communicate with your phone, you need to enable USB debugging. This is a standard Android setting, hidden by default in a menu called Developer options. You only need to do this once.

Menu names can vary slightly between phone brands. The steps below cover the most common layouts.

Step 1: Enable Developer Options

  1. Open Settings on your phone.
  2. Go to About phone.
    • On Samsung, go to About phone → Software information.
    • On Xiaomi, go to About phone and find OS version (or MIUI version).
  3. Find Build number and tap it 7 times.
  4. If asked, enter your phone’s PIN or password.
  5. A message will appear: „You are now a developer!” or „Developer mode has been enabled”.

Step 2: Enable USB Debugging

  1. Go back to the main Settings screen.
  2. Open Developer options.
    • On most phones, it’s under Settings → System → Developer options.
    • On Samsung, it appears at the very bottom of the main Settings list.
    • On Xiaomi, it’s under Settings → Additional settings → Developer options.
  3. Find USB debugging and turn it on.
  4. Confirm the warning message by tapping OK.

Step 3: Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO Phones Only

On these phones, you also need to enable a second option. Without it, the image will appear on your computer, but the mouse and keyboard won’t work.

  1. In Developer options, find USB debugging (Security settings).
  2. Turn it on. You may need to sign in to your Xiaomi account.

Your phone is now ready. Go to the section for your operating system.

Windows

On Windows, we use Escrcpy, a free program with a graphical interface. It includes everything needed to connect to your phone, so you don’t need to install anything else or type any commands. Escrcpy is an independent open-source project, not developed by Airsoft Force Tracking.

Step 1: Download and Install Escrcpy

  1. Open the Escrcpy releases page: https://github.com/viarotel-org/escrcpy/releases
  2. Find the latest release at the top and open the Assets section.
  3. Download the Windows installer, the file ending with win-x64.exe (or setup.exe).
  4. Open your Downloads folder and double-click the downloaded file.
  5. If Windows shows a „Windows protected your PC” message, click More info → Run anyway.
  6. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
  7. Launch Escrcpy from the Start menu or the desktop shortcut.

Tip: if the program appears in a language you don’t understand, change it in Preferences → General → Language.

Step 2: Configure Escrcpy for AFT (Optional, One-Time Setup)

This step tells Escrcpy to open AFT in a comfortable desktop layout. You only need to do it once.

  1. In Escrcpy, open Preferences.
  2. In the General section, find the Scrcpy parameters field.
  3. Copy and paste the following text into this field:
--new-display=1920x1080/240 --flex-display --start-app=seethersky.afs --no-vd-destroy-content --keep-active
  1. Optionally, in the same section, turn on:
    • Auto-connect device, so Escrcpy connects to your phone as soon as it’s plugged in,
    • Auto-execute mirroring, so AFT opens automatically after connecting.
  2. Settings are saved automatically.

Step 3: Connect Your Phone

  1. Connect your phone to the computer with the USB cable.
  2. Unlock your phone.
  3. A message will appear on the phone: „Allow USB debugging?”
  4. Check „Always allow from this computer” and tap Allow.
  5. Your phone will appear in the Device list in Escrcpy.

If your phone doesn’t appear, see Troubleshooting at the end of this guide.

Step 4: Launch AFT

  1. In the Device list, find your phone and click Start mirroring.
  2. After a few seconds, a window with Airsoft Force Tracking will appear.

You can now use AFT with your mouse and keyboard. See Using AFT with Mouse and Keyboard below.

Next time, just connect your phone and click Start mirroring. If you enabled the automatic options in Step 2, AFT will open on its own.

Tip: to see your phone’s screen exactly as it is (without the desktop layout), clear the Scrcpy parameters field and start mirroring again.

Linux

This section covers Ubuntu (and derivatives such as Linux Mint) and Fedora. It assumes basic familiarity with the terminal.

Important: the scrcpy version in the Ubuntu/Debian repositories (apt install scrcpy) is outdated and does not support the desktop layout used in this guide. Use one of the methods below instead.

Ubuntu: Install the Official Build

  1. Download the latest Linux build from https://github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy/releases/latest. The file is named scrcpy-linux-x86_64-vX.X.tar.gz.
  2. Extract it and move it to a convenient location:
tar -xzf scrcpy-linux-x86_64-v*.tar.gz
mv scrcpy-linux-x86_64-v*/ ~/scrcpy
  1. Install the USB permission rules for Android devices, so your phone is accessible without root:
sudo apt install android-sdk-platform-tools-common
  1. Disconnect and reconnect your phone if it was already plugged in.

scrcpy is launched from its folder as ~/scrcpy/scrcpy.

Fedora: Install from COPR

sudo dnf copr enable zeno/scrcpy
sudo dnf install scrcpy android-tools

The android-tools package provides adb and the USB permission rules. scrcpy is then available as the scrcpy command.

Connect Your Phone

  1. Connect your phone with the USB cable and unlock it.
  2. When „Allow USB debugging?” appears, check „Always allow from this computer” and tap Allow.

Launch AFT

Run the following command (on Ubuntu, replace scrcpy with ~/scrcpy/scrcpy):

scrcpy --new-display=1920x1080/240 --flex-display --start-app=seethersky.afs --no-vd-destroy-content --keep-active --window-title="Airsoft Force Tracking"

To make this easier, you can save it as an alias in ~/.bashrc:

alias aft='scrcpy --new-display=1920x1080/240 --flex-display --start-app=seethersky.afs --no-vd-destroy-content --keep-active --window-title="Airsoft Force Tracking"'

After reopening the terminal, simply type aft.

Tip: running plain scrcpy shows your phone’s screen exactly as it is, without the desktop layout.

macOS

The easiest way to install scrcpy on a Mac is with Homebrew, a popular package manager for macOS.

Step 1: Install Homebrew (if you don’t have it)

  1. Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities → Terminal).
  2. Go to https://brew.sh, copy the installation command shown on the page, paste it into Terminal and press Enter.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Step 2: Install scrcpy

In Terminal, run:

brew install scrcpy
brew install --cask android-platform-tools

Step 3: Connect Your Phone

  1. Connect your phone with the USB cable and unlock it.
  2. When „Allow USB debugging?” appears, check „Always allow from this computer” and tap Allow.

Step 4: Launch AFT

In Terminal, run:

scrcpy --new-display=1920x1080/240 --flex-display --start-app=seethersky.afs --no-vd-destroy-content --keep-active --window-title="Airsoft Force Tracking"

A window with Airsoft Force Tracking will appear.

Tip: running plain scrcpy shows your phone’s screen exactly as it is, without the desktop layout.

What the Launch Settings Do

You don’t need to understand these to use AFT, but they are useful if you want to adjust something:

SettingWhat it does
--new-display=1920x1080/240Opens AFT on a virtual screen sized for your computer. The last number controls the size of text and buttons: lower means smaller elements and more map, higher means larger elements.
--flex-displayThe layout adapts when you resize the window.
--start-app=seethersky.afsStarts Airsoft Force Tracking automatically.
--no-vd-destroy-contentWhen you close the window or unplug the cable, AFT keeps running on your phone instead of being closed.
--keep-activePrevents your phone from going to sleep during use.
--window-title=…Sets the window name (Linux and macOS only).

Using AFT with Mouse and Keyboard

ActionHow to do it
TapLeft click
Swipe / move the mapClick and drag
Scroll listsMouse wheel
Zoom the map (pinch)Hold Ctrl, then click and drag
BackRight click
Home screenMiddle click
Type text (e.g. in chat)Just type on your keyboard
Copy and pasteCtrl+C / Ctrl+V work between computer and phone
Full screenF11
QuitClose the window, or Alt+Q

On Linux, the shortcut key is Alt or Super instead of Alt, depending on your setup.

Typing special characters: if characters specific to your language (e.g. ą, ę, ł, ü, é) don’t appear when typing, add --keyboard=uhid to your settings (on Windows, at the end of the Scrcpy parameters field in Escrcpy). On the first run, your phone will ask you to choose a physical keyboard layout. Select your language and it will work from then on.

Wireless Connection (Optional)

After the first USB connection, you can switch to a Wi-Fi connection, so your phone doesn’t need to stay plugged in. Both devices must be on the same Wi-Fi network.

Windows (Escrcpy)

  1. Connect your phone with the USB cable and make sure it appears in the Device list.
  2. Use the wireless connection option for your device in Escrcpy to switch it to Wi-Fi.
  3. Once the phone appears in the list as a wireless device, you can unplug the cable and click Start mirroring.

Linux and macOS

  1. Connect your phone with the USB cable.
  2. Add --tcpip to your launch command, for example:
scrcpy --tcpip --new-display=1920x1080/240 --flex-display --start-app=seethersky.afs --no-vd-destroy-content --keep-active
  1. Once the AFT window appears, you can unplug the cable.

Keep in Mind

  • a USB connection is more stable and faster than Wi-Fi,
  • the wireless connection must be set up again after restarting your phone,
  • your phone’s battery will drain faster without a cable. During long games, keep it on a charger.

Troubleshooting

The „Allow USB debugging?” message doesn’t appear, or the phone isn’t detected

  • Make sure your phone is unlocked.
  • Try a different USB cable. Many cables only support charging.
  • Try a different USB port on your computer.
  • Pull down the notification bar on your phone, tap the USB notification and select File transfer.
  • In Developer options, turn USB debugging off and on again.
  • Windows only: some phones, especially Samsung, may need the manufacturer’s USB driver. Search for „[your phone brand] USB driver” and install it from the manufacturer’s official website.

Linux: „no permissions” or „unauthorized”

  • Make sure you installed the USB permission rules (see the Linux section) and reconnect the phone.
  • Check the phone screen for the „Allow USB debugging?” prompt.

The image appears, but the mouse and keyboard don’t work

  • On Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO phones, enable USB debugging (Security settings) (see Preparing Your Phone, Step 3).

Mirroring doesn’t start after adding the AFT settings

  • Remove --flex-display and --keep-active from the settings and try again. These options require a recent version of scrcpy, and some installations may include an older one.

The window opens but stays empty or AFT doesn’t start

  • Make sure Airsoft Force Tracking is installed on the phone.
  • Try without the AFT settings: on Windows, clear the Scrcpy parameters field in Escrcpy; on Linux and macOS, run plain scrcpy. If your phone’s screen appears, the connection works and you can use AFT in standard mirror mode.

Text and buttons are too small or too large

  • Change the last number in --new-display=1920x1080/240. Try 200 for smaller elements or 300 for larger ones.

The window closes after a moment

  • The connection was lost. Check the cable and make sure the phone didn’t go to sleep or restart.

Summary

With scrcpy, your phone keeps doing what it does best (GPS, sensors, Bluetooth and Meshtastic), while your computer provides a large screen, mouse and keyboard. After the one-time phone preparation, starting AFT on your computer is as simple as plugging in a cable and clicking a button (on Windows) or running one command (on Linux and macOS).

This setup is recommended for command posts, HQ roles, planning sessions and after-action analysis. It complements field devices rather than replacing them.