FAQ

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I installed EasyJoin on my phone. And now?
Now you have to install EasyJoin on at least one other device: a tablet, a computer or another phone. After installing the program on your devices, you have to open it and wait a few seconds for the devices to find each other. Do not forget that all devices must be connected to the same1 network (WiFi and/or wired).

All available devices are initially displayed in the "Temporary" list. To move a device to the "Trusted" list, click on the device name (on the phone) or the "star" icon (on the PC). When a device is in the "Trusted" list, you can further configure the permissions you want to grant it.

1 You can connect with a "Trusted" device even via Internet. Read more about connecting devices via Internet.
I installed EasyJoin on my phone and on my PC. Why don't I see any device in the "Temporary" tab (and/or the devices are "Offline" in the "Trusted" tab)?
There are various reasons why this could happen.

Check if a program blocks the app
  • A firewall software is blocking the application.
  • An antivirus software is blocking the application.
  • An adblocker (usually on a phone device) is blocking the application.
  • If you use a VPN you have to configure it to exclude local traffic.
On Windows
  • The WiFi connection is set to "public": set to "private".
  • The firewall may prevent devices from connecting with each other. You can configure the firewall directly from the Windows program: open the "Settings" page and click the button "Open firewall" (you will find it at the bottom of the page). The communication port to open is 51167.
  • Windows Hyper-V has lock the socket port 51167: configure Windows to reserve port 51167.
  • Another application is using the socket port 51167: open EasyJoin before opening the other application. To find out what the other application is, open PowerShell and run Get-Process -Id (Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 51167).OwningProcess (more here).
On Android
  • The application is suspended from the operating system: read more.
  • There is an issue with the WiFi: turn off the WiFi and turn it back on after a few seconds.
  • The device has been configured to turn off WiFi when you lock your phone.
  • If the app does not start automatically when you turn on the device, even if you have enabled the corresponding setting on the "Settings" page, it is because you have to give explicit permission for this to happen. Usually this permission is on the app's information page, located in the device's settings.
On router
  • You have enabled the isolation mode on your access point: disable it. If you can't disable it, create a hotspot on your phone and connect all the devices on it.
  • When devices are connected via WiFi, check that they are connected to the same SSID. Some access points do not allow the connection of devices connected on different SSIDs, e.g. one device connected at 5GHz and the other at 2.4GHz.
  • Check whether all devices are using the same internal network by checking the IP of the various devices - the IP is available in the side menu of the application under the name of the device. Usually in these cases you will see that one might have 192.168.1.x as its IP and the other 192.168.2.y. - it's usually different the third number, in the above example "1" and "2" ("x" and "y" are not important). To setup all devices to use the same network read this other FAQ.
In general
  • An issue of the modem/router/phone/computer that could be solved by restarting it.
  • Having Bluetooth enabled may cause problems with both connectivity and WiFi speed. Turn off the Bluetooth temporarily to check if it interferes with the WiFi.
  • Could be an issue with the encryption keys. To solve this issue go to a "Trusted" device settings, scroll down and click the "Renew encryption keys" button (when available).
  • If all of the above does not solve the issue, try uninstalling the app from all devices and install it again.
Android devices are sometimes shown as offline, what can I do?
This may happen when the application is suspended by the operating system. In this regard, it should be noted that devices with the same version of operating system may behave differently due to changes made to the operating system by the manufacturer of the device.

In most cases it is necessary to exclude the application from being "battery optimized". Visit dontkillmyapp.com to find more settings regarding your device.

To make it more difficult for the application to be suspended, you can enable "Keep the application in memory" in "Settings".
If this is not enough, you can also enable "and create a service in the foreground". (Oreo or later).
To hide from the status bar the icon of the notification informing that EasyJoin is running in background, you swipe the notification to the side and click the cog. The Android interface to handle this setting changes from version to version of Android, in general try to set the notification as "Low" or "Minimized".
I have issues with the license check of the Android version (or Play store asks me to pay again), what can i do?
You should know that the license is primarily controlled by a Play store service and only secondarily from this app.

If you have issues with the license control, follow these steps:
  • Open the Android settings and clear the cache and data of the Play store app.
  • Reboot the device.
  • Connect to internet.
  • Wait a few minutes.
  • Open the Play store app and select the account you used to purchase the app.
  • Open the app.
The above suggestion is also valid in cases where Play store asks you to pay again when you try to install the app in a new device. In this case it might be easier to install the app to your device using the Play store website.

NOTE : you have to install the app from Play store.
What's the difference between "Trusted" and "Temporary" devices?
This is a logical distinction that allows you to choose group settings based on the "trust" level of the devices. For example, you can select to remain invisible to all "Temporary" devices by just clicking on the corresponding setting on the "Settings" page.

If you use the application at home, which in most cases you will only want to connect your computer with your phone, this distinction is not very important. In this case the most likely thing is that you will click on the device name (or "star" icon) to move a device from the "Temporary" list to the "Trusted" list, you'll give it all available permissions and no longer deal with it.

But if you use the application in a work environment or in a public place, this distinction allows you to safeguard your privacy and quickly manage the type of interaction for dozens of devices at once.

Read more about devices management.
What should I do to see notifications of my phone on my PC? Or share the clipboard between devices?
On the phone:
  • add the PC in the "Trusted" list (click the device name).
  • in the "Trusted" list click the name of the PC.
  • select the "Settings" tab and enable "Send notifications". To share the clipboard enable "Auto send clipboard".

On the PC:
  • add the phone in the "Trusted" list (click the "star" icon).
  • in the "Trusted" list click the name of the phone.
  • select the "Settings" tab and enable "Receive notifications". For the clipboard enable "Auto accept clipboard".

NOTE : to see the notifications on your Android device as popup, you have to enable the app to "Display over other apps".

TIP : check in the app's "Settings", in the "Notifications" section, if the selection "Hide received notifications from all trusted devices (ignore device configuration)" is deactivated.
I did everything as described but I can't share the Android notifications, what else do I have to do?
For security reasons Android does not allow applications to read notifications and you must give permission to do so.

TIP : to easily locate where the setting is, open the device settings and search "notification access".

For version 12:
  • Open the Android settings, select "Apps", select "Special app access", select "Device & app notifications", select "EasyJoin" and enable the switch.

For version 11:
  • Open the Android settings, select "Apps and notifications", select "Special app access", select "Notification access", select "EasyJoin" and enable the switch.

For versions 9 (Pie) and 10 (Q):
  • Open the Android settings, select "Apps and notifications", select "Special app access", select "Notification access" and enable the switch for "EasyJoin".

For version 8.x (Oreo):
  • Open the Android settings, select "Apps and notifications", expand "Advanced", select "Special app access", select "Notification access" and enable the switch for "EasyJoin".

For version 7.x (Nougat):
  • Open the Android settings, select "Apps", select on top the gear icon or from the contextual menu "Configure apps", select "Special access", select "Notification access" and enable the switch for "EasyJoin".

For versions 5.x (Lollipop) and 6.x (Marshmallow):
  • Open the Android settings, select "Sound and notification", select "Notification access" and select "EasyJoin".

For versions 4.3 (Jelly Bean MR2) and 4.4 (KitKat):
  • Open the Android settings, select "Security", select "Notification access" and select "EasyJoin".

For version 4.2 (Jelly Bean MR1) or lower:
  • Open the Android settings, select "Accessibility", select "EasyJoin" and enable the switch.
I don't want to see some notifications received from another device, what should I do?
Open the side menu (drawer) and select "Notifications settings". From this page you can enable and disable notifications by application. You can also change the display type, by application, between:
  • Default view type: this value can be set in the "Settings" page. The default value is "Popup"
  • Toast: the typical Toast message of Android. In Windows/Linux/macOS, the notification appears as "Popup" and closes automatically after 5 seconds.
  • Notification: available in Android only. Displays the incoming notification as a notification.
  • Popup: Displays the incoming notification as a pop-up window.
When I try to display incoming notifications as pop-ups (and in other cases) I am asked to give permission to "Display over other apps", how can I do that?
For security reasons Android does not allow applications to draw over other apps and you must give permission to do so.

NOTE : in some devices the setting is in the app's information page. In this case you need to open the Android settings, select "Apps", select "EasyJoin" and search for the setting in one of the items on this page.

For version 12:
  • Open the Android settings, select "Apps", select "Special app access", select "Display over other apps", select "EasyJoin" and enable the switch.

For versions 9 (Pie), 10 (Q) and 11:
  • Open the Android settings, select "Apps & notifications", select "Advanced", scroll to bottom and select "Special app access", select "Display over other apps", select "EasyJoin" and enable the switch.

For version 8.x (Oreo):
  • Open the Android settings, select "Apps", select "Advanced", scroll to bottom and select "Special app access", select "Display over other apps", select "EasyJoin" and enable the switch.

For version 7.x (Nougat):
  • Open the Android settings, select "Apps", select on top the gear icon or from the contextual menu "Configure apps", select "Special access", select "Draw over other aps", select "EasyJoin" and enable the switch.

For version 6.x (Marshmallow):
  • Open the Android settings, select "Apps", select on top the gear icon or from the contextual menu "Configure apps", select "Draw over other aps", select "EasyJoin" and enable the switch.

Older versions don't need this permission.
What do I need to do to send SMS messages and manage calls from my PC?
First of all install EasyJoin "Pro" on your phone.

On the phone:
  • add the PC in the "Trusted" list (click the device name).
  • in the "Trusted" list click the name of the PC.
  • select the "Settings" tab and enable both "Send phone calls & SMS" and "Send notifications".

On the phone:
  • from the home page of the app, open the side menu and choose "Settings".
  • set your phone number in the corresponding field.

On the PC:
  • add the phone in the "Trusted" list (click the "star" icon).
  • in the "Trusted" list click the name of the phone.
  • select the "Settings" tab and enable both "Receive phone calls & SMS" and "Receive notifications".
  • go back to the device list and click the phone name. The SMS tab is now visible, select it to send SMS.
Note that even if you use the PC to write the SMS, it is sent from your phone and has the normal cost of an SMS.
Why is there a choice to send a text as an SMS or MMS?
When you want to send a text to more than one person, or with more than 160 characters, you can choose if you want to send it as SMS or MMS.
If you choose to send it as an SMS, separate SMS will be sent to each person. If the text exceeds 160 characters, more messages will be sent with the text split automatically.
If you choose to send it as an MMS, a group MMS will be sent to all people. When the text exceeds 160 characters it will not be broken into multiple messages, but it will be visible in a single message.
I enabled UPnP on router but direct connection via Internet doesn't work, is there something else I can do?
Usually at home we have only one device, which we call "modem", to which the telephone cable is connected. This device normally offers not only connectivity service with the telephone operator, but also routing and Internet access via WiFi.

When you only have the modem and have UPnP enabled in it, the app should have no problem configuring it and enabling direct Internet connection.

But what happens when you connect another device to the modem to improve the connection via WiFi, which could be called "WiFi extender", "WiFi access point", "WiFi router", "mesh WiFi" etc?
In this case, the device is likely to create a new network, that is independent of the modem network. If you find yourself in this case, in order to make the direct connection via Internet work, you have to configure this device to use the main network, that of the modem.

Configuration varies from device to device, but it is usually necessary to turn off the device's DHCP server so that it uses the modem's DHCP server. To find out how to do this you could do an Internet search with the phrase "how to turn off the DHCP server on MY_DEVICE router", replacing the word "MY_DEVICE" with the name/model of the device.
What are the differences between the Android versions "Pro" and "Go TV"?
Although with both versions you can send files and folders to other devices, the "Pro" version offers many more premium features and for this reason it costs more. If you don't need the premium features the "Go TV" version is the right one for you and it is advisable to combine it with the "Go" version for Windows.
Can I back up my data?
To back up your data in the Android versions, go to "Settings" and press the "Backup" button.

To back up your data in Windows (portable version), Linux and macOS, simply make a copy of the folder "data" - it is in the same folder as the executable.
If you have installed the Windows version using the installer, the "data" folder is located in "C:\Users\$YOUR_USER_NAME$\AppData\Local\EasyJoin". To open the parent folder press "WindowsKey + R", write "%localappdata%" and click "OK".
I am in the middle of the Amazonian forest, can I use the application?
Yes! Even if you don't have an external WiFi network, you can connect the various devices to each other by creating your own WiFi hot spot.
From the "Settings" (android version only), turn on the WiFi hot spot on one of your devices and connect the other devices with the WiFi hot spot you have just created.

If you have connections issues please read this.
Can I send a link or text from my computer's browser to my phone?
Yes you can. Install the add-on on your favorite browser and right-click on a selected link, text, or page to send it to a device.
What is the purpose of "private clipboard"?
In Android any application can read and write the clipboard without asking for any permission. This has been partially modified in version 10 (Q): in this version an application must be open in order to read/write the clipboard. But even in version 10 (and in more recent versions, such as 13), an application does not need to ask for any permission, it is enough to be open to have access to the clipboard.

"Private clipboard" cannot be read/write by other applications. You can copy and paste text to and from it, from any application, but no other application can directly access it and read its contents. This way your data remains safe from malicious applications.

It can also be used to bypass a limitation introduced in Android version 10 that prevents automatic clipboard synchronization when the application is in the background.

TIP : by giving permission to use "accessibility service" you can copy and paste text to editable fields that do not offer the "three-dots" submenu.

How to use it

To enable it (Android only):
  • Select "Settings" from the app's side menu.
  • Scroll down to the "Clipboard" settings section.
  • Enable "Enable private clipboard".
  • To maximize the security level and safeguard your privacy, enable "Save incoming clipboard to the private clipboard only".

To copy text to your private clipboard:
  • Select the text to be copied.
    • In the context menu, select the icon to see further options - normally a three-dots icon.
    • Choose "Copy to EJClip".
  • Or, if you have given permission to use the "accessibility service", long click the selected text and click on the corresponding icon in the popup window.
  • Or, share the text you want to copy with "EasyJoin - EJClip".

To paste text from your private clipboard:
  • Select the text to replace. If you don't want to replace an existing text you need to write a couple of characters and select them.
    • In the context menu, select the icon to see further options - normally a three-dots icon.
    • Choose "Paste from EJClip".
  • Or, if you have given permission to use the "accessibility service", long click the text field (even without selecting a text to replace) and click on the corresponding icon in the popup window.

To view/manage clipboard history:
  • Open "Settings" and click the button "EJClip".
  • Or, choose "EJClip" in the context menu.
  • Or, use the quick configuration tile. You may need to give the application permission to create popup windows to use this feature.

It needs Android 6 (Marshmallow) or newer.
How can i update the Windows (and Linux and macOS) version?
You can download and install an update directly from the app on Windows and Linux. To update the macOS version read the "Manual update" section.

Open "Settings" and click the button "Check for update": if exist an update you can click the button "Download & install update" to get it.

NOTE : if you want to update the portable Windows version, close the app and open it as administrator before to try to update from "Settings". Check the program version: if the version has not been changed perform a manual update. If you get a "Fetch failed" error perform a manual update.

Manual update

Windows - Installed version Windows - Portable version
  • Download the portable version and unzip the file "easyjoin-windows-v*.zip" in a folder, i.e. "easyjoin".
  • Copy all files in folder "easyjoin".
  • Paste the copied files in the folder with the current installation of the program.
Linux version
  • Download the app and unzip the file "easyjoin-linux-v*.zip".
  • Copy the file "EasyJoin.exe".
  • Paste the copied file in the folder with the current installation of the program.
macOS version
  • If you want to update version 1.6.1 or newer:
    • Download the macOS app.
    • Move the "EasyJoin" file to the same folder as the current installation and overwrite it.

    NOTE : from version 1.6.1 your data is in a folder outside the application and you will not lose them when you overwrite the application.

  • If you want to update version 1.6 or older:
    • Download the file easyjoin-macOS-v1_6_1-update.zip.
    • Unzip the file; Safari will automatically unzip it at the end of the download.
    • Copy the file "EasyJoin.exe".
    • Open the folder containing the current installation of the app.
    • Right click the app and select "Show Package Contents".
    • Paste the copied file in the folder "Contents".
    • Open the application to apply the settings of version 1.6.1 and follow the steps described above on how to update version 1.6.1.

NOTE : all your data (devices, messages, settings) are in the "data" folder. By following the above procedure you don't delete your data, you only update the program.
How can i uninstall the Windows app?
TIP : you can download and run this program to delete the icons from "Start" and "Send to" menu, the registry entry and the data.

Installed version
  • In case you have enabled the "Settings > Start application on boot", you have to disabled it in order to remove the key from the registry.
  • To remove the icon from the "Send to" menu press "WindowsKey + R" write "shell:sendto" and click "OK". In the folder delete the "EasyJoin" shortcut.
  • To remove the data open the folder "C:\Users\$YOUR_USER_NAME$\AppData\Local\EasyJoin" and delete all files and folders in it.
  • Uninstall the app from the Windows settings.

Portable version
  • In case you have enabled the "Settings > Start application on boot", you have to disabled it in order to remove the key from the registry.
  • To remove the icon from the "Send to" menu press "WindowsKey + R" write "shell:sendto" and click "OK". In the folder delete the "EasyJoin" shortcut.
  • To remove the icon from the "Start" menu press "WindowsKey + R" write "shell:programs" and click "OK". In the folder delete the "EasyJoin" shortcut.
  • After that, all you have to do is to delete the folder containing the application.
The antivirus tells me that the application is not secure, why is this happening?
Is called "false positive": the antivirus notifies you of a problem that does not exist.
In particular, the signaling is about the fact that the application scan the network (to find other devices with EasyJoin). As you can imagine, given the nature of the application, this is completely normal.

TIP : the best antivirus shouldn't give false positives ("Most Android Antivirus Apps Are Garbage").

When this happen you have two options:
  • Check the application with a good quality antivirus, there are some free and online, and verify for yourself that the detection is false.
    It would be useful to send the developer of the antivirus that generated the "false-positive" a message to inform them of their error. That's what I do, too, sometimes it has given positive results and sometimes it has been ignored.
  • Delete the application and do not use it.
Personally, when an antivirus gives me "false positives" I remove it and replace it with a better one.
Isn't the price of the Pro version too high?
Regarding the price of the Pro version you should consider that:
  • Unlike other similar applications that charge you annually, you only pay for the application once and there are no other recurring charges.
  • You can share the app with all the members of your family - that's right, you pay for the app once for all your family members. This is not what happens with the cheapest IAPs that other similar applications are using.
  • The applications for Windows, Linux and macOS are free. With the purchase of the Pro version of Android, the premium features are also unlocked on the other operating systems and you do not have to buy additional licenses.
  • There are free add-ons that allow you to send text and links from all major browsers (Firefox, Chrome and Chromium based browers).
Will there be an iOS version?
The main problem with the iOS version is not the time needed for development. It's the fact that iOS doesn't allow the application to work the same way with the Android version: you can't create a service always running in background witch is the main purpose of this app.
iOS is not designed to use the device as a "server" and imposes many limitations on the OS level.
Until I find/exist a way to have an iOS version that works as it should, there will be no iOS version.
There are other programs that do similar things, why did you decide to develop EasyJoin?
Because i didn't want my data to run over the Internet, just to be copied from my computer to my mobile phone, which are on the same desk!
And for security and privacy reasons, I didn't want to use external servers to send files to my nearby colleagues and friends.
And I didn't want to give applications unnecessary permissions for the functionalities they offered me.
There are a few more "and" but you get the idea.
Do you want to support the evolution of EasyJoin?
To support the development of the application you can purchase the "Pro" version.

We new friends!