Bridgey Documentation Download

Bridgey docs · v0.5 alpha

Connect Android and macOS.

Bridgey works directly over your local network. No account, telemetry, or mandatory cloud service is involved.

Alpha softwareCore workflows work, but call and notification behavior can still vary between Android vendors. Keep both apps updated while testing.

01 · Get started

Install Bridgey

Android

  1. Download Bridgey-Android.apk from the latest GitHub Release.
  2. Open the APK and allow installation from that source when Android asks.
  3. Launch Bridgey and allow notifications so its persistent connection and transfer controls remain available.
Android may warn that the APK came from outside Google Play. Verify that it came from the official release page and compare the published SHA-256 checksum.

macOS

  1. Download and extract the Bridgey macOS archive from the same release.
  2. Move Bridgey.app to Applications.
  3. On the first unsigned build launch, Control-click the app, choose Open, and confirm.
  4. Bridgey appears in the macOS menu bar rather than the Dock.

02 · Trust

Pair your devices

  1. Connect the Mac and Android phone to the same local network.
  2. Open Bridgey on both devices and wait for the device name to appear.
  3. Select the peer and compare the six-digit verification code.
  4. Confirm on both devices. Trust is stored only after both confirmations succeed.

Bridgey treats discovery information as an untrusted hint. Every reconnect must still prove possession of the key pinned during pairing.

03 · Everyday use

Clipboard

On Android, copy the content first and use Send clipboard from Bridgey's persistent notification. Android does not allow reliable silent background clipboard reads, so sending always starts from an explicit action.

On macOS, choose Clipboard in the menu-bar panel or use the configured global shortcut. Plain text and HTML are supported; oversized clipboard payloads should be sent as a diagnostic or regular file.

04 · Transfer

Files

Android to Mac

Use Send file in Bridgey or Android's system Share sheet. Received files are stored in the folder selected in macOS Settings.

Mac to Android

Use File in the menu-bar panel or drop a file into the Bridgey File Drop window. Android stores completed files in Download/Bridgey.

Every transfer exposes progress and cancellation on both devices. The receiver verifies byte count and SHA-256 before the partial file becomes final.

05 · Stay informed

Android notifications on Mac

  1. Open Android Bridgey and choose Notification access settings.
  2. Enable access for Bridgey.
  3. Enable Notification forwarding globally and for the trusted Mac.
  4. Allow notifications when macOS asks.

Supported Android action buttons and inline replies appear on macOS. Dismissing a mirrored notification removes the corresponding Android notification when the source permits it. Per-application filters run before content leaves the phone.

06 · Phone integration

Calls

Copy a telephone number on the Mac and select Call, use the configured shortcut, or choose Services → Call with Bridgey for selected text. Bridgey validates the number and blocks direct handling of recognized emergency numbers.

Confirmation mode opens the Android system dialer. The optional Calls from Mac integration requests narrow phone permissions and enables direct start plus visible Answer, Decline, and Hang Up controls on macOS. Contacts and call history are not read.

07 · Locate

Find Device

Select Ring on the connected device card. The peer plays a find-device alert and exposes a local Stop action. Stopping on either side synchronizes the state to the other device.

08 · Privacy

Permissions

Android notificationsPersistent connection, transfer actions, received files, and Find Device controls.
Notification accessOptional forwarding of sanitized notification metadata and exposed actions.
PhoneOptional validated calling, state detection, Answer, Decline, and Hang Up.
Local networkDiscovery and encrypted direct communication between paired devices.
macOS notificationsOptional display of mirrored Android notifications.

Bridgey currently does not request location, contacts, SMS history, call log, microphone, camera, Accessibility, Input Monitoring, Screen Recording, Full Disk Access, or unrestricted Android storage.

09 · Troubleshooting

Common problems

Devices do not appear

Confirm both devices are on the same LAN, disable guest-network client isolation, keep Bridgey enabled on Android, and temporarily check whether a VPN or firewall blocks local discovery.

One device says Connected, the other does not

Wait for one reconnect cycle, then use Turn off Bridgey on Android and launch it again. If the state persists, export diagnostics before forgetting and pairing the devices again.

Notifications do not reach the Mac

Check Android Notification access, the global feature switch, the per-device override, the per-application filter, and macOS notification permission for Bridgey.app.

Call controls are missing or stale

Verify Calls from Mac and its runtime phone permissions on Android. OEM phone applications expose different notification actions, so the explicit integration is more reliable than notification-only mode.

A transfer stops after disconnecting

The current protocol does not resume partial files. Retry the item after reconnecting; incomplete receiver files are removed safely.

10 · Support data

Export diagnostics

Settings can export a bounded JSON diagnostics file containing versions, feature states, connection events, and transfer counts. It excludes clipboard text, notification contents, filenames, addresses, device IDs, session IDs, and transfer IDs.

When reporting a bug, attach this JSON as a file rather than putting it into the clipboard.

11 · Contributors

Build from source

Android

cd android
./gradlew :app:lintDebug :app:testDebugUnitTest :app:assembleDebug

Use JDK 17 and Android SDK 36, or open the android/ directory in Android Studio.

macOS

cd macos
swift test -Xswiftc -warnings-as-errors
./build-app.sh

The native app requires macOS 13 or newer. For deeper implementation details, continue with the project references below.

Architecture ↗ Protocol ↗ Security ↗ Security testing ↗ Releasing ↗