Android Controller for PC — No Root, No Jailbreak Needed

Gamepad — Play Anywhere works on any standard, unrooted Android phone. No root access, no ADB commands, no custom ROM. Install the APK, connect over WiFi, and your phone is a controller.

Why No Root Is Required

The Gamepad app does not need to interact with Android's kernel or system processes — it only reads touch screen input and gyroscope sensor data, then sends that data over a WiFi WebSocket connection. These are all standard, unprivileged Android APIs available to any app.

The virtual controller hardware (ViGEmBus) lives on the Windows PC side, not on the Android phone. The phone just sends data; the PC creates the virtual controller. This design means zero root or system-level access is needed on the phone.

Permission Requirements on Android

The only non-standard permission the Gamepad app requests is camera access — used solely for QR code scanning to connect to the PC. This permission can be denied if you prefer to enter the IP address manually. The app does not need storage, contacts, microphone, or location permissions.

The gyroscope sensor requires no special permission on Android — it is available to all apps by default. WiFi network access is a standard permission granted automatically on install.