SCRCPY is the best screen mirroring software for Android, Windows, iOS, and Linux. It lets you control your device from a PC via USB or WiFi. While SCRCPY setup is straightforward for working Android devices, enabling USB debugging is tricky for those with broken touchscreens and sadly in some cases impossible. But if you are desperate and want to try using SCRCPY with a broken screen this guide will work you through the entire process.
Takeaways:
- How to set up and use SCRCPY on a phone with a broken screen.
- Can you use SCRCPY on a phone with a broken screen?
- SCRCPY OTG mode guide.
Table of Contents
How to Use SCRCPY With a Broken Screen.
While the newest versions of SCRCPY support HID and OTG features they are still experimental and on Windows operating systems. As a result, things can be hit and miss when trying to use SCRCPY with a broken phone on Windows operating systems. So if you are trying to recover stuff from your phone it's best to do so with a Linux system. Linux isn't the easiest OS to work with but in this case it's the only stable option. If you don't mind your chances the the steps below will take you through the process on Windows.
In order to use the new OTG and HID features in SCRCPY to enable USB debugging with a broken screen. So check out the guide below to learn how to enter and use commands in SCRCPY. If you don't know how to do this the rest of the process is going to be very difficult for you to understand and follow.
How to use SCRCPY Command Prompt Shortcuts.
Now that you know how to use SCRCPY commands you’ll need to enter the following commands once your Android device is connected to your computer with File Sharing Enable. If you can’t share files between your devices, you won’t be able to use SCRCPY.
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Now that you have and know everything you need, connect your phone to your computer, make sure file sharing is on, then open Command Prompt (as admin), and change to your SCRCPY directory.
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Finally, enter the following command to enable OTG.
scrcpy --otg --hid-keyboard --hid-mouse
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Once the command completes, you’ll see a blank SCRCPY window appear on your screen and gain the ability to control your Android device using your mouse and keyboard. You won’t get screen mirroring.
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Now you can enable Developer Options and USB Debugging on your device.
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Now that you have Developer Options and USB Debugging enabled, you will be able to close SCRCPY and follow the steps required to use the standard mirroring mode. Just be aware that this process is still experimental so you may encounter error messages.
Can you use SCRCPY on a Phone with a Broken Screen?
The latest SCRCPY update now supports HID and OTG features across all platforms (not just Linux), allowing users to connect a broken-screen phone to a computer and enable USB debugging using a mouse and keyboard. This update makes HID available on Windows and macOS, not just Linux. The new OTG feature simulates a direct connection between your computer’s peripherals and your Android device using an OTG cable, without needing ADB (USB debugging). This feature is experimental and currently only available for x64-bit versions of Windows, so some issues may arise. If you have access to Linux or know someone who does it's highly recommended to do all of this on a Linux machine because it's a lot more stable.
