If you’ve ever broken the USB port on your phone, or had USB/MTP driver issues, you’ll most likely have come across Airdroid. The app allows you connect to your phone wirelessly via your PC, Mac, Chromebook, etc and perform a variety of useful tasks. You’ve always been able to easily transfer files between the two devices, send and receive SMSs from your computer, and access any videos and photos of your phone from your computer.
Airdroid’s previous limitation was that both devices needed to be on the same WiFi network. Airdroid 2 has removed this limitation, and introduced a number of interesting and useful enhancements.
You can now take a screenshot of your phone (with root access), access the camera remotely, initiate phone calls from your computer as well as incoming call notification, and locate your phone on a map, and either lock it or wipe it.
You can also launch the app on your phone just by logging onto the computer (which can be done with your Google, Facebook or Twitter account).
These new features expand the usefulness of the app greatly, and I highly recommend exploring its features extensively. With Google’s push towards cloud computing, Airdroid really comes in handy – I never use the USB port on my Nexus 4 anymore as I have a Qi wireless charger, I use Google Drive to store documents, Google+/Picasa for photo storage and Airdroid to transfer files to/from my phone. With Air droid’s new remote locate functionality, it also means I can uninstall my lost phone locator apps. It also means you could leave your phone in your pocket/drawer all day, and answer SMSs/MMSs from your computer, without missing a beat.
Check it out, free on the Play Store. Click the link below find it.
What do you think about the new options in Airdroid 2? Tell us in the comments!
[app]com.sand.airdroid[/app]
I couldn’t get it to work, locally or via 3G 🙁
are there any privacy issues with airdroid? how is it free… does it have heaps of ads?
No ads, nothing to annoy you although at the moment it is being funded by a private party so I would assume that sometime in the future it will become exclusive. My bet is on the fact that most people who use it depend on it a lot and once it becomes even more popular then they’ll consider monetising it somehow. I know at the moment it’s a staple in my daily life so I’d say that’s what they’re going for, to get people wanting it more and more and once they have a big fanbase…start charging them for continued… Read more »