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

34 tools covering screenshots, input, apps, UI automation, shell, files, and clipboard
scrcpy-first: uses scrcpy's binary control protocol for 10-50x faster input and near-instant screenshots (~33ms)
ADB fallback: every tool works without scrcpy — slower but always available
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
Clipboard that works on Android 10+: scrcpy bypasses the restrictions that break ADB-only solutions

Prerequisites

Required

Requirement	Install	Verify
Node.js 22+	nodejs.org or `nvm install` (uses `.node_version`)	`node --version`
ADB (Android Platform Tools)	developer.android.com/tools/releases/platform-tools	`adb version`
Android device with USB debugging	Settings → Developer Options → USB Debugging	`adb devices`

Optional (for enhanced performance)

Requirement	Install	Benefit
scrcpy	github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy	10-50x faster input, ~33ms screenshots
ffmpeg	`apt install ffmpeg` / `brew install ffmpeg`	Required for scrcpy video stream decoding

Device setup

Enable Developer Options: Settings → About Phone → tap "Build Number" 7 times
Enable USB Debugging: Settings → Developer Options → USB Debugging
Connect device via USB
Accept the RSA fingerprint prompt on the device
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"]
    }
  }
}

Tool Reference

Session Management

Tool	Description
`start_session`	Start a scrcpy session. When active, input and screenshots use the fast path (10-50x faster).
`stop_session`	Stop the scrcpy session. Tools fall back to ADB.

Device Management

Tool	Description
`device_list`	List all connected devices with serial, state, and model
`device_info`	Get model, Android version, screen size, SDK level, battery
`screen_on`	Wake the device screen
`screen_off`	Turn the screen off
`rotate_device`	Rotate the screen (requires active session)
`expand_notifications`	Pull down the notification panel (requires active session)
`expand_settings`	Pull down the quick settings panel (requires active session)
`collapse_panels`	Collapse notification/settings panels (requires active session)

Vision

Tool	Description
`screenshot`	Capture the screen and return it as an image. ~33ms with scrcpy, ~500ms via ADB.
`screen_record_start`	Start recording the screen to a file on the device
`screen_record_stop`	Stop recording and optionally pull the file to the host

Input Control

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

Tool	Description
`tap`	Tap at screen coordinates
`swipe`	Swipe from one point to another
`long_press`	Long press at coordinates
`drag_drop`	Drag from one point to another
`input_text`	Type a text string into the focused field
`key_event`	Send a key event: HOME, BACK, ENTER, VOLUME_UP, VOLUME_DOWN, POWER, etc.
`scroll`	Scroll at a position (dx=horizontal, dy=vertical)

App Management

Tool	Description
`app_start`	Launch an app by package name. Prefix with `+` to force-stop before launch.
`app_stop`	Force-stop an app
`app_install`	Install an APK from the host machine
`app_uninstall`	Uninstall an app
`app_list`	List installed packages, optionally filter by name or system/third-party
`app_current`	Get the current foreground app and activity

UI Automation

Tool	Description
`ui_dump`	Dump the full UI hierarchy as XML
`ui_find_element`	Find elements by text, resource ID, class name, or content description. Returns tap coordinates.

Shell & Files

Tool	Description
`shell_exec`	Execute an arbitrary ADB shell command and return the output
`file_push`	Push a file from the host machine to the device
`file_pull`	Pull a file from the device to the host machine
`file_list`	List directory contents on the device

Clipboard

Tool	Description
`clipboard_get`	Get clipboard content. Uses scrcpy to bypass Android 10+ restrictions.
`clipboard_set`	Set clipboard content. Pass `paste: true` to also paste immediately.

Performance

Operation	scrcpy (session active)	ADB fallback
Screenshot	~33ms	~500ms
Tap / Swipe	~5-10ms	~100-300ms
Text input	~5ms	~100-300ms
Clipboard	~10ms	unreliable on Android 10+

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

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

Environment Variables

Variable	Default	Description
`ADB_PATH`	`adb`	Path to the ADB binary
`ANDROID_SERIAL`	(none)	Default device serial, overrides auto-detection
`SCRCPY_SERVER_PATH`	(auto)	Path to the scrcpy-server binary
`SCRCPY_SERVER_VERSION`	(auto)	Version of the scrcpy-server binary
`FFMPEG_PATH`	`ffmpeg`	Path to the ffmpeg binary

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. Set SCRCPY_SERVER_PATH if it's in a non-standard location.

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.

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