Installation

PocketCmd runs on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and Linux. Every platform gets the same protocols, SFTP browser, dashboards, vault and sync. The mobile apps come from the App Store and Google Play; the desktop apps are downloaded from pocketcmd.com.

Platform	Requirement	Where to get it
iOS and iPadOS	iOS 15.0 or later	App Store
Android	Android 7.0 (API level 24) or later	Google Play
macOS	macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon or Intel	pocketcmd.com
Windows	Windows 10 version 2004 or later, Windows 11	pocketcmd.com (MSIX)
Linux	x86_64 with glibc 2.35 or later	pocketcmd.com (AppImage or tarball)

No account is needed on any platform. The interface is in English.

iOS

Search for PocketCmd in the App Store on your iPhone or iPad and tap Get.

Android

Search for PocketCmd in Google Play and tap Install. There is no separate APK download.

macOS

Download the build for your Mac: Apple silicon and Intel are separate downloads. The app is sandboxed. On Macs with a Secure Enclave, the device’s vault key is generated inside it, and Touch ID can unlock the app.

Windows

The Windows app is an MSIX package. It upgrades in place with your data intact and uninstalls cleanly. The package identity is what registers the File Explorer entry for system file manager integration and the pocketcmd:// links used for pairing and invites.

On a machine with a TPM 2.0 chip, the device’s vault key is generated inside the chip and cannot be copied out. Without a TPM, PocketCmd uses a software key sealed with your app password.

Linux

Two packages are available for x86_64:

• AppImage: a single file with no install step. It bundles the TPM and Secret Service libraries it needs.
• Tarball: for prefix installs and packagers. It uses your distribution’s libsecret and tpm2-tss packages.

An AppImage registers nothing with the desktop by itself, so pocketcmd:// links (pairing and invites) do nothing until you add a desktop entry:

./PocketCmd-<version>-x86_64.AppImage --install-desktop-entry

This writes ~/.local/share/applications/pocketcmd.desktop pointing at the AppImage’s current location. Run it again if you move or rename the file, and use --remove-desktop-entry to take it out.

From an unpacked tarball, run the bundled installer instead:

bash install.sh                            # installs into ~/.local
sudo bash install.sh --prefix /usr/local   # system-wide
bash install.sh --uninstall                # removes the app, keeps your data

As on Windows, a TPM 2.0 chip holds the device’s vault key when PocketCmd can reach it, and a software key sealed with your app password is used otherwise. PocketCmd needs read and write access to /dev/tpmrm0, which on most distributions means membership in the tss group:

sudo usermod -aG tss $USER   # then log out and back in

Do this before the first launch. An install that started on a software key keeps it.

Desktop differences

Desktop apps have no camera pipeline, so wherever the phone scans a QR code, the desktop asks you to paste the pocketcmd:// link instead. Biometric unlock is available on macOS with Touch ID; on Windows and Linux the app lock uses your app password.

Permissions

PocketCmd asks for each permission when a feature first needs it.

Permission	Used for
Local network (iOS)	Connecting to servers and previewing web servers on your Wi-Fi or LAN
Camera	Scanning pairing and invite QR codes, and taking photos to attach in the compose bar
Microphone and speech recognition	Dictating commands and text with voice input
Photos (iOS)	Picking images and files to upload over SFTP
Face ID, Touch ID or fingerprint	Unlocking the app
Notifications	Push alerts from a paired server, requested when you set up a push alert, and transfer completion notices, requested when a transfer starts
Location (iOS)	Only when a website open in the browser preview asks for it. PocketCmd does not track your location
Foreground service (Android)	The Keep Alive Service that holds connections open while the app is in the background

On Android 13 and later you can decline notifications and the Keep Alive Service still runs. Its notification then appears in the system’s active-apps list instead of the notification shade.

Connection data, keys and settings are stored on the device in an encrypted database. They leave the device only in an encrypted backup you export, or through sync with a PocketCmd Server you run yourself.

Next steps

• Quick Start: add a server and open a terminal.
• Free and Pro: what the free version includes.
• Import & Export: move your data from another device.