Pairing Your Android Device

Pairing connects the vord Android companion to a Mac through the encrypted relay.

Before you start, install the correct APK from The Android Companion and keep the Mac available. Pairing is not complete until you compare the verification code on both devices.

Start pairing on the Mac

Open the Mac app’s remote settings and start the phone-pairing flow. The Mac shows a QR code and a code you can copy. Keep this window open while you pair the phone.

Scan the QR code or paste the code

1. Open the Android app and choose the option to pair a device.
2. Choose Scan QR code and point the camera at the code on the Mac.
3. If scanning is unavailable or inconvenient, choose the code-entry option and paste or type the code instead.
4. Submit the code and wait for both devices to show the verification step.

The QR code and pasted code are two ways to provide the same pairing information. A camera problem does not require a different security flow.

Compare the 8-digit verification code

After the pairing request reaches the Mac, both devices show an 8-digit verification code:

1. Compare the code on the Android phone with the code on the Mac.
2. Continue on the Mac only when every digit matches.
3. If even one digit differs, reject the pairing and start again with a new code.

This comparison is the same security check used by the iPhone companion. It confirms that both ends hold the expected keys without asking the relay to vouch for the contents. After pairing, the connection is end-to-end encrypted and the relay cannot read the data passing through it.

Caution

Never approve a pairing when the codes do not match. Do not try to fix a mismatch by repeating the same code; reject it and generate a fresh pairing code on the Mac.

Pair more than one Mac

The companion can keep connections to multiple Macs. Each Mac is kept as its own host, with its own sessions and connection state. Choose the Mac whose sessions you want to open; do not assume that a session with the same name belongs to the same computer.

If pairing does not work

The QR code will not scan

Use the paste or code-entry option. Make sure the complete code is copied, with no added spaces or missing characters. A fresh code from the Mac is safer than trying to repair a damaged one.

The code expired or was already used

Return to the Mac’s remote settings and generate a new pairing code, then repeat the scan or paste flow.

The 8-digit codes do not match

Reject the request. Do not continue. Generate a new code on the Mac and repeat the flow. A mismatch is a security failure, not a reason to disable verification.

The app paired but cannot connect

Check that the Mac is running the matching vord product and that it still has the remote connection enabled. Bring the Android app to the foreground and try the connection again. If the Mac’s device identity changed after a reinstall or key repair, remove the old pairing on the Mac and pair again so both devices create a new trusted relationship.

Unpairing

Remove the Android device from the app’s connection settings when you no longer want it connected. If you cannot open the app, revoke the device from the matching Mac’s remote settings, then pair again later with a new code if needed.

For the features available after pairing, see Controlling Sessions from Android. For the iPhone pairing flow, see Pairing Your iPhone.