Connecting over Wi-Fi

Before you start

• The computer and the device must be on the same Wi-Fi network. A guest network or a second router counts as a different network.
• Windows: in the current version, Wi-Fi connections are off by default. Open the tray menu › Settings… › Connection, turn on Allow connections over Wi-Fi, and restart PixelBridge when the window shows “Restart PixelBridge to apply”.
• Mac: Wi-Fi is on by default. If the macOS firewall is on, allow incoming connections for PixelBridge in System Settings › Network › Firewall.

Connect

1. Show the code. Windows: tray menu › Pair wireless…. Mac: menu bar › Show connection QR….
2. Scan it. In the app tap Scan code to connect and point the camera at the code.
3. Or skip the code: pick your computer from On your network in the app and confirm the six-digit code. This works when “Ask before a new device connects” is on, which it is by default on a Mac. See Pairing.

After the first time, the device reconnects by itself whenever you open the app.

Windows: “Wi-Fi blocked: this network is Public”

Windows treats a new network as Public until you say otherwise, and on a Public network its firewall drops every incoming connection, so your device can’t reach the PC. PixelBridge notices and shows “Wi-Fi blocked: this network is Public — fix it…” in the tray, and the app reports that the computer didn’t answer over Wi-Fi.

• At home or at work: click that tray item (or the notification) and choose Make it private. Windows asks for administrator permission. Once it’s done, a device that was waiting connects by itself.
• On a café or hotel network: leave it Public and use the cable instead.
• By hand: Windows Settings › Network & internet › Wi-Fi › your network › set the network profile to Private.

Encryption

Wi-Fi sessions are encrypted (AES-256-GCM). The code you scan carries a one-time key for that session. On a Mac you can turn encryption off in Settings › Connection, only for a network you trust; PixelBridge warns you when you do.

Smoother Wi-Fi

• Keep the device close to the router, or use 5 GHz Wi-Fi if your router has it.
• On a Mac, turn off AirDrop and Handoff while you work: they share the Wi-Fi radio.
• If the picture lags, lower the resolution in the app (Settings › Display › Resolution › Auto) or use the cable.