AI NewsOpen sourceAnnouncement
TwinDesk reaches 1,975 stars as open alternative to Universal Control
TwinDesk reached 1,975 stars in 17 days. The GPL-3.0 project pairs Mac, Windows, Linux and Android devices into one shared workspace, with no account.
Image: GitHub
Why it mattersA developer who runs a Mac and a Linux box can share one mouse. The clipboard follows the pointer. The project is peer-to-peer and needs no account.
A developer with a Mac and a Linux box uses two keyboards. One phone adds a third. TwinDesk ties them into one shared desk. The project opened on GitHub on 14 October 2026. It has 1,975 stars on 31 October, with 135 forks.
TwinDesk is written by InukaAsith under GPL-3.0. The project tagline is: all your computers and your phone, working as one desk. The page says it shares screens, apps, files, clipboards, calls, texts and notifications. It covers Mac, Windows, Linux and Android. The page adds that no account, no cloud and no shared network is needed.
What it does
Between two computers, TwinDesk shares one mouse and keyboard. It extends a display, or mirrors a screen. It carries an open window across. It moves files and syncs the clipboard. It shares a camera and opens a remote terminal.
Between a phone and a computer, it answers a call and reads a text. It opens the phone's camera and plays a video. The phone works as a stylus with pressure and tilt. The phone also works as a game controller or a tablet-sized second screen.
Where it runs and how it pairs
The project supports macOS 13 and later on Apple Silicon and Intel. It runs on Windows 10 and 11 on x64 and ARM. It covers Linux through .deb packages, AppImage and Arch builds. It supports Android 10 and later. The whole thing is one Electron application on each platform.
TwinDesk lists five ways to pair devices. They can share a Wi-Fi network. They can use a USB cable. They can use Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct, or a phone hotspot. Every connection is end-to-end encrypted. The application records no telemetry.
Version 2.4.0 added languages and a stylus
The release on 28 October added keyboard support for eight languages. The list is Russian, Arabic, Hindi, Sinhala, Thai, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. The release also added a mode called TwinDesk Mesh in beta. In that mode, all devices connect at once instead of one pair at a time.
The 2.4.0 notes carry one line about the stylus. They say input from the phone registers as a real pen, with pressure, tilt and the eraser. The release also added a crossing map screen. A user drags two monitors into the shape of their real desk. The pointer then only crosses where the two screens actually meet.
Choosing TwinDesk against the paid tools
Three other tools cover parts of this job. Logitech Flow and Mouse Without Borders share a mouse and clipboard between computers. Synergy adds Linux. Apple Universal Control covers Mac to iPad on one Apple account. TwinDesk is the first project that covers all four operating systems in one install. It keeps the data peer-to-peer. It allows the phone as a stylus and a controller.
The trade is clear. TwinDesk is one developer's project under GPL-3.0. A team that wants a support contract has nothing to buy. The author's GitHub profile is the only point of contact. For a solo developer on mixed hardware, the choice is clear. A free weekend install sits against $40 to $150 a year on the paid tools. That is why 1,975 developers starred the repository in 17 days.
Source
This item was written by an AI system from the linked source. Reveneau is responsible for what it publishes.
Get AI News in your inbox
New developer tools, model and agent releases, and how teams are actually using them to release software. Short, and only when there is something worth reading.
