KDE Connect is a collection of software from the KDE community that allows all your devices to communicate with each other. It’s a way to check your phone messages from your desktop, control your phone’s music from your PC’s system tray, use your phone as a remote to control your computer during a presentation, and more.
The Steam Deck doesn’t have a full-size USB port for multiple USB drives, although it does have a USB-C connection. But the simplest approach is to use a feature that comes pre-installed with SteamOS called KDE Connect.
KDE Connect is part of your desktop environment if you use KDE Plasma. On other desktops, it may act more like an app or extension. On mobile, it’s an app.
If you’re immersed in the Apple ecosystem, you might be surprised at how integrated your devices are. While KDE Connect isn’t very transparent, it’s a great free alternative for a wider range of devices, including Windows PCs.
Additionally, KDE Connect is also available for Apple devices, so they can also integrate wirelessly with non-Apple hardware. But the experience feels most comfortable on devices running Linux, such as the Steam Deck. You can sync anything with your Steam Deck using KDE Connect, which you can do on any other PC. This means you can read phone messages on your Deck and send replies, or you can browse your phone’s file system remotely. You can also connect to other PCs on your network and browse their file systems.
The browsing experience in remote file systems can be buggy or corrupt. It’s faster to send the exact files you want between devices, just like you do with Apple AirDrop. Just install KDE Connect on both devices and connect them to the same network.
There is no limit to the types of files you can send. So if you want to share folders of games, wallpapers, music, videos or documents, then you should start.
To use KDE Connect, first switch to the desktop mode by holding the power button and selecting the Switch to desktop option. Once your device reboots, click the Steam icon in the bottom left to open the app launcher. You can find KDE Connect among the available applications. A search bar is available to help you find it.
Here you can enable KDE Connect on your Steam Deck, but to go further you will also need to install KDE Connect on the second device. It can be your personal computer or mobile phone. Or it could even be another Steam Deck.