With the arrival of Android Studio Meerkat, Google has brought some exciting quality-of-life improvements for Android developers — including Device Mirroring, a sleek way to display your physical device screen directly inside the IDE.

But there’s one frustrating hiccup many developers are running into:

“The screen mirrors just fine, but I can’t interact with it! No clicks, no touches — nothing works.”

If that’s happening to you, don’t worry. You’re not alone, and this post breaks down why it’s happening, what you can (and can’t) do about it, and the best alternatives if you need full input control.

Device Mirroring in Meerkat: What’s the Deal?

Device Mirroring in Android Studio Meerkat lets you see your physical Android device’s screen directly in the IDE, without any third-party tools or extra setup. It’s a welcome addition, especially if you frequently run and test builds on physical devices.

However, many developers are discovering a limitation: it’s currently passive mirroring only — you can see your device screen, but you can’t interact with it via the mouse or keyboard in many environments.

This limitation is not a bug in your setup — it’s a limitation in the feature itself (for now).

Why Interaction Doesn’t Work

Here’s why you’re unable to touch, swipe, or type into the mirrored screen:

1. ADB Permissions May Be Misconfigured

Even if mirroring appears to work, input control requires proper authorization between your device and ADB.

Fix:

• Disconnect and reconnect your device.
• On your Android device, go to: Settings → Developer Options → Revoke USB debugging authorizations
• Reconnect the device and tap “Allow” when prompted.

This ensures ADB has full access.

2. Device Mirroring is Currently Read-Only in Some Builds

Not all versions of Android Studio Meerkat allow full interaction. Even though the screen is mirrored, Google is still rolling out input support gradually, and many stable builds do not yet include full touch or input simulation.

In short: You’re not doing anything wrong — this feature just isn’t fully baked yet in some builds.

How to Work Around It (and Actually Interact)

If you absolutely need to interact with your device screen from your computer, there’s a better tool made for that job: scrcpy.

Solution: Use scrcpy for Full Interaction

scrcpy is an open-source tool that mirrors your Android device screen with full keyboard and mouse input support, including:

• Clicks and gestures
• Text input
• Copy/paste between device and computer
• Drag-and-drop APK installation
• Even wireless mirroring

It’s fast, lightweight, and works beautifully.

Installation (Pick Your Platform):

On macOS:

brew install scrcpy

On Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt install scrcpy

On Windows (with Chocolatey):

choco install scrcpy

Running It:

Just plug in your device and type:

scrcpy

Boom. Fully interactive Android device on your screen.

Extra Tips to Make Sure Mirroring Works Smoothly

Even if you stick with Android Studio’s built-in mirroring (and wait for interaction support), here are a few things to check:

1. Update Android Studio Meerkat

Make sure you’re running the latest build — Google is rolling out changes rapidly.

• Go to Help → Check for Updates (on macOS: Android Studio → Check for Updates)
• Or download the latest version directly from: developer.android.com/studio

2. Revisit Developer Options on Device

• USB debugging must be enabled
• Consider disabling “Restrict USB access” (available on some newer Android versions)
• Turn off features like Pointer location and Show touches if they interfere

Frequently Asked Question: Is Device Mirroring Meant to Replace scrcpy?

Not yet. Android Studio’s Device Mirroring is still evolving. It’s great for previewing, but not quite ready to replace scrcpy if you need:

• Full touch simulation
• Input from mouse and keyboard
• Drag-and-drop support

Google may eventually match those features, but scrcpy is the gold standard right now.

Conclusion

Device Mirroring in Android Studio Meerkat is a solid step forward, but it’s not yet a complete solution for interactive testing. If you’re seeing the screen but can’t touch it, that’s not your fault — it’s just where the feature currently stands.

In the meantime, scrcpy is your best friend for full control, and it works side-by-side with Android Studio just fine.

Keep your tools updated, watch for changes in Canary builds, and you’ll be the first to benefit when full interaction support lands.