Physical phones vs. cloud phones

VMOS Cast supports three kinds of device: Android physical phones, Android cloud phones, and iPhone / iPad. Each connects differently and is troubleshot differently. State the device type when you report a problem.

Android handset · first connectionUSB cableUSB debugging on · tap "Allow" on the phone

Android handset · version 11 or laterWireless debuggingSix-digit pairing code from the phone · no cable

Android cloud phoneLocal networkEnter IP:5555, or scan a subnet

iPhone / iPadScreen MirroringStarted from the device · no Add entry in the app

Identify the device type first, then pick the route

What is a physical phone

A real Android handset (Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo, Huawei, Honor, Samsung, and so on). Android 8 is the oldest supported version.

Traits of physical phones:

• The first connection needs a USB cable. Network connections are disabled by default and have to be enabled once over USB; after that you can switch to Wi-Fi.
• Android 11 and later can skip the cable: pair once with the six-digit code from Developer options → Wireless debugging.
• Developer options and USB debugging must be enabled manually on the phone.
• On the first connection, an authorization dialog appears on the phone — tap "Allow."
• After a phone reboot: a connection enabled through "Add LAN connection" is lost and has to be enabled over USB again; a device paired through wireless debugging reconnects on its own.

For detailed steps, see USB cable connection.

What is a cloud phone

A virtual Android phone running on a server (for example a VMOS Edge cloud phone, or an instance on any cloud-phone platform). It has no physical body; you reach it by IP address.

Traits of cloud phones:

• Port 5555 is usually open by default. Enter the cloud phone's IP:5555 in VMOS Cast to connect — no USB cable needed.
• No setup is required on the device side, and none is needed again after a reboot.
• Addresses can be pasted in bulk, one per line; use Network discovery to scan a subnet when you do not know them.
• If it will not connect, the usual causes are a wrong IP, an unreachable network, or a platform that has not opened port 5555 — check the platform's documentation.

For detailed steps, see Local network (Wi-Fi) connection.

What is an iPhone / iPad

Apple devices take a third route: they connect over Screen Mirroring, and mirroring starts from the iPhone — there is no address to enter in Add Device.

Traits of iPhone / iPad:

• No app on the device; it only has to be on the same Wi-Fi as the computer.
• How to connect: swipe down from the top-right corner of the iPhone to open Control Center, tap Screen Mirroring, then pick this computer.
• Mirroring works on Windows, macOS and Linux. Control is macOS only and needs a one-time Bluetooth pairing.
• Only one iPhone can mirror at a time.
• Once mirroring starts, the picture joins the wall and the focus window opens automatically. Stop mirroring on the phone and the window closes; the card stays as "Not mirroring" — this is not a disconnection.

At a glance

	Android physical phone	Android cloud phone	iPhone / iPad
Form	Real handset	Virtual phone on a server	Real iPhone / iPad
System requirement	Android 8 or later	Android 8 or later	An iPhone / iPad that supports Screen Mirroring
First connection	USB cable, or a pairing code on Android 11 and later	Enter the IP directly	Start Screen Mirroring from Control Center
Device-side setup	Enable USB debugging	Usually none	None, and no app
Authorization dialog	Tap "Allow" on the phone	Usually none	None · control needs a one-time Bluetooth pairing (macOS)
After a device reboot	LAN connections need enabling over USB again · wireless-debugging pairs reconnect on their own	Reconnects on its own	Start mirroring again on the phone
Devices at once	Many at the same time	Many at the same time	One at a time
Control from the computer	All three desktop systems	All three desktop systems	macOS only
Batch operations and group control	Supported	Supported	Not yet supported
Common connection failures	USB debugging off / wireless connection never enabled over USB / "Allow" not tapped	Wrong IP / unreachable network / port not open	Not on the same Wi-Fi / receiver not ready

All three appear on the same VMOS Cast device wall, and selection, groups and Multi-view work the same for each.

Read before reporting a problem

When reporting a connection problem, name the device type first: Android physical phone, Android cloud phone, or iPhone / iPad. For an Android physical phone, also confirm two things: (1) Is USB debugging enabled? (2) Has it connected successfully over a cable at least once? See How to report a problem.