Configuration Walkthrough

Input Leaf Setup Guide: Connect PC Mouse & Keyboard to Android

Complete step-by-step setup guide for Input Leaf. Configure Input Leap or Deskflow on Windows, Mac, or Linux, pair with your Android device over Wi-Fi, and enable Shizuku or Accessibility input injection.

6 min readUpdated 2026-09-05Apache 2.0 Open Source
Download Latest APKSetup GuideView on GitHub

Interactive Walkthrough

Step-by-Step Visual Setup

Input Leaf connects your Android device as an additional physical screen next to your desktop. Follow these 3 visual steps to get your mouse and keyboard gliding across screens in minutes.

01Desktop Server SetupInput Leap / Deskflow

Configure Screen Matrix Layout

Open Input Leap or Deskflow on your PC in Server Mode and click Configure Server... to edit your virtual screen grid.

  1. Drag a new screen icon from the top tray into the grid.
  2. Position it where your phone or tablet is physically located on your desk (for example, to the right of your primary PC monitor).
  3. Double click the new screen icon and set its Screen name to input-leaf (or match the client name in the Android app).
  4. Click OK, then click Apply or Start.
Input Leap Guide →Deskflow Guide →
Screen positionDrag the phone
desktop-pcHost PC (Server)
Port 24800 (TCP)
input-leafAndroid (Client)
Input Leaf Active

Setup note: Drag the phone around the server. The screen name in your PC grid (input-leaf) must match the client name in the Input Leaf Android app exactly.

02Android App SetupNo Root Required

Authorize System Input & Overlay

Install the APK on your Android phone and complete the guided permission wizard for seamless cursor rendering and key event injection.

  1. Install the latest Input Leaf APK from our release downloads.
  2. Choose your injection method: Shizuku (recommended for ultra-low latency and full Alt+Tab shortcuts) or Accessibility.
  3. Grant Display over other apps so the smooth leaf cursor renders above your phone applications.
  4. Enable Allow background activity in App Info so your phone does not terminate the connection.
Shizuku Setup Guide →Download Latest APK →
Input Leaf Shizuku setup screen
Step 2A: Shizuku system-level HID authorization
Input Leaf overlay cursor permission screen
Step 2B: Display over other apps cursor overlay
03Connect & ControlLocal Wi-Fi Network

Connect & Glide Past the Screen Boundary

With both devices on the same Wi-Fi subnet, connect with one tap and start navigating across screens with your computer mouse and keyboard.

  1. Input Leaf automatically scans your local network and discovers your PC host.
  2. Tap your computer name in the list (or enter its LAN IP address manually).
  3. Trust the TLS fingerprint on your first connection (Trust On First Use).
  4. Push your computer mouse past the configured screen edge: control seamlessly transitions to Android!
Control Android from PC Guide →Troubleshooting Guide →
Input Leaf home screen showing discovered PC servers and connected state
Step 3: Discovered desktop servers and live connection status
Comprehensive Documentation

Firewall rules, hotspot pairing, and the FAQ continue on this page

The steps below cover port 24800, mobile hotspot pairing, multi-monitor geometry, and OEM battery exceptions.

Continue to the full setup →

No root

Two ways in

Pick performance or pure plug-and-play. Both keep your device unrooted.

Recommended

Shizuku

System-level mouse and keyboard injection with the lowest latency. Hardware-style shortcuts like Alt+Tab and Meta+D work natively.

  • Lowest latency
  • Full system shortcuts
  • One-time Wireless Debugging / ADB setup
  • India tip: hide Shizuku + Input Leaf if UPI apps complain
Get Shizuku →

No extra apps

Accessibility + keyboard

Enable Input Leaf in Accessibility and select the Input Leaf keyboard. Works on stock Android with honest tradeoffs.

  • Zero companion apps
  • Touch-emulated mouse feel
  • No Alt+Tab / Meta hardware chords
  • India tip: many UPI apps (Paytm, PhonePe, BHIM) block payments while Accessibility is on

Prerequisites Checklist

Before beginning, make sure both your computer and your Android device are connected to the same local network:

On your Computer

  • Input Leap (v3.0.2+) or Deskflow installed
  • Connected to your local Wi-Fi router or Ethernet LAN
  • TCP port 24800 open in firewall

On your Android Device

  • Input Leaf APK installed (Android 8.0+)
  • Connected to the same local Wi-Fi subnet
  • Optional: Shizuku active for hardware shortcuts

Step-by-Step Visual Setup Guide

Follow these steps to configure your desktop server and connect your Android phone:

01
Computer Setup

Configure Desktop Server Screen Layout

Input Leap / Deskflow

Open Input Leap or Deskflow on your PC in Server Mode and click Configure Server... to edit your screen layout grid:

  1. Drag a new screen icon from the top tray into the grid.
  2. Position it where your phone or tablet is physically located on your desk (e.g. to the right of your primary PC monitor).
  3. Double click the new screen icon and set its Screen name to match the client name displayed in the Input Leaf app (e.g., input-leaf).
  4. Click OK, then click Apply or Start.
Screen positionDrag the phone
desktop-pcHost PC (Server)
Port 24800 (TCP)
input-leafAndroid (Client)
Input Leaf Active

Setup note: Drag the phone around the server. The screen name in your PC grid (input-leaf) must match the client name in the Input Leaf Android app exactly.

02
Android App Setup

Grant Overlay & System Permissions

Required

Launch Input Leaf on your Android phone or tablet. The guided setup wizard will request permissions necessary to render the mouse cursor and handle input:

  • Display Over Other Apps (Overlay): Allows Input Leaf to render the custom leaf cursor across your Android home screen and inside any running third-party app.
  • Tap Grant Permission and toggle Allow display over other apps to ON.

Zero Tracking: Input Leaf uses this permission exclusively for rendering the on-screen mouse pointer.

Input Leaf overlay permission screen
Allow 'Display over other apps' so Input Leaf can draw the virtual cursor.
03
Input Engine

Choose Input Injection: Shizuku or Accessibility

High Performance

Input Leaf supports two distinct methods for injecting mouse and keyboard events into Android:

  • Shizuku Mode (Recommended): Uses rootless ADB developer shell privileges (UID 2000). Provides true hardware-accurate mouse movement, right-click, and full modifier keys (Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C, Alt+Tab, Escape).
  • Accessibility Service (Instant Fallback): Quick setup without installing Shizuku. Works through standard Android accessibility APIs for basic typing and clicking.

Read our Shizuku Setup Deep-Dive →

Shizuku setup and authorization in Input Leaf
Authorize Shizuku for full hardware keyboard shortcuts and smooth cursor tracking.
04
LAN Pairing

Connect to PC & Accept TLS Certificate

Auto-Discovery

On the Input Leaf home screen, your computer's server will appear automatically under Discovered Servers via local mDNS:

  1. Tap your server name to initiate the connection.
  2. If mDNS is blocked by your router, tap Manual Connect and enter your PC's local IP address (e.g. 192.168.1.150) and port 24800.
  3. Trust-On-First-Use (TOFU): Input Leaf will display your PC's SHA-256 certificate fingerprint. Verify it matches your PC server window, then tap Trust & Connect.
Find PC IP Address
# Windows PowerShell
ipconfig | findstr IPv4

# macOS / Linux
ip route get 1.1.1.1 | awk '{print $7}'
Input Leaf home screen showing discovered servers and active status
Select your discovered PC server or enter IP address manually.
05
Stability Setting

Prevent Background Disconnects

Crucial for OEM Skins

Many Android phone manufacturers (Xiaomi, Samsung, OnePlus) aggressively kill background processes when screens sleep:

  • Tap Allow Background Activity in Input Leaf's setup prompt.
  • In your phone's App Info, change Battery usage from Optimized to Unrestricted.
  • On Xiaomi / MIUI devices, enable Autostart and lock the app in the Recents overview.

See device-specific fixes in our Troubleshooting Guide.

Allow background activity permission in Input Leaf
Exempt Input Leaf from battery saver so sessions stay active.
06
Customization

Screen Name, Security, and Cursor

Personalize

Open Settings in Input Leaf to match the phone to your server and choose how the session connects:

  • Screen name: This must match the screen name in the Input Leap or Deskflow grid.
  • Connection security: Auto, TLS only, or plain TCP. Settings also shows this phone's certificate fingerprint for Deskflow.
  • Cursor style: Switch between the branded leaf pointer and the Android default cursor. Favorites stay on the home screen, not in Settings.
Input Leaf settings screen showing screen name and cursor style
Settings includes the screen name and cursor style.

Common Questions

Setup & Configuration FAQ

Input Leaf displays your device's screen name on its home screen (by default, often something like 'android-phone' or your device model). You must use this exact name when creating the screen in your desktop Input Leap or Deskflow grid layout.

Explore Next

Related Guides & Resources

Ecosystem Client

Input Leap Android Client: Control Android with PC Mouse & Keyboard

Input Leaf is the open-source Android client for Input Leap. Seamlessly move your computer cursor onto an Android phone or tablet over local Wi-Fi. No root required, with Shizuku and Accessibility support.

Read Guide →Deskflow Integration

Deskflow Android Client: Share Mouse and Keyboard to Android

Connect your Android phone or tablet to your Deskflow setup. Input Leaf is the open-source Android endpoint for Deskflow mouse and keyboard sharing over Wi-Fi/LAN.

Read Guide →Technical Deep Dive

Android Mouse & Keyboard Input with Shizuku (No Root Injection)

Deep dive into how Input Leaf uses Shizuku for system-level mouse and keyboard event injection without root. Set up wireless debugging and unlock full shortcut support on Android.

Read Guide →Support & Diagnostics

Input Leaf Troubleshooting: Connection, Input & Background Fixes

Fix common Input Leaf issues: connection refused, server discovery failure, mouse lag, stuck cursor, missing keyboard shortcuts, and OEM background app closing on Xiaomi, Samsung, and OnePlus.

Read Guide →
Get Started Today

Control Android with your PC mouse & keyboard

Input Leaf is 100% free, open-source, and runs on your local Wi-Fi network without cloud servers or root access.

Download Input Leaf APKGitHub Repository