Install ZepLink Host on your PC

ZepLink Host is a small helper app for your Windows PC. It lets the ZepLink app on your phone find this PC and connect to it.

Download for Windows

ZepLinkHost-Setup.exe · Always the latest version · Hosted on GitHub zeplink-app/Downloads

Reading this on your phone? The installation happens on your PC — open zeplink.app/en/setup in your PC's browser.

What you need

• A PC running 64-bit Windows 10 (version 1809 or later) or Windows 11
• One administrator approval — Windows asks once when the installation starts
• An internet connection during installation — the streaming engine (Sunshine) is downloaded then
• Your phone and PC on the same Wi‑Fi (the same router) the first time you connect
• A monitor cable plugged into the PC so there's a picture to stream. The monitor itself can be turned off, but if you unplug the cable, your phone shows only a black screen

Installation steps

1. Run the installer

   Double-click the ZepLinkHost-Setup.exe file you downloaded with the button above.

2. If you see “Windows protected your PC”, click More info → Run anyway

   This window appears because the installer isn't code-signed. Code signing uses a paid certificate that proves who published an app. ZepLink Host is free, and we decided not to use one. So Windows warns that it can't recognize the app, and the publisher shows as “Unknown publisher”.

   If you got the file from the button on this page or from ZepLink's GitHub (zeplink-app/Downloads), click More info, then Run anyway. If you got the file from somewhere else, don't run it — download it again here.

   You'll only see this warning on the first installation. ZepLink Host downloads and installs its own updates, so this window won't appear again.

   To check that your file matches the original, run Get-FileHash .\ZepLinkHost-Setup.exe in PowerShell and compare the result with the SHA-256 value on the latest release page.

3. Allow administrator access once

   When User Account Control asks “Do you want to allow this app from an unknown publisher to make changes to your device?”, click Yes. This is needed to set up the virtual gamepad driver, firewall rules, and automatic startup. After installation, ZepLink Host runs without administrator rights.

4. Review the details and check the account

   The installer first shows what it installs and which settings it changes. On the next page, “Account that will use this PC”, make sure it shows the Windows account you normally sign in with to play. If you approved the installation with a different administrator account, it may show that one instead — change it to the account you play on. Otherwise ZepLink Host won't start when you sign in.

5. Wait for the automatic setup to finish

   The installer installs and configures Sunshine (the streaming engine) and the virtual gamepad driver, and registers the firewall rules and automatic startup. No other windows open during this step.

6. A QR code window opens

   When the installation finishes, a window with a QR code and a 6-digit code opens once on its own. If you don't see it, it may be behind other windows. Right-click the ZepLink icon in the notification area (system tray) at the bottom right of the screen and choose Add new device… to open the same window. If the icon isn't there, click ^ (Show hidden icons).

7. Scan the QR code with the ZepLink app on your phone

   If you can't use the camera, choose to connect with a code in the app and enter the 6-digit code shown in the window. Keep the window on your PC open until you're connected — it only accepts new devices while it's open. You're done when your phone says the connection worked.

From then on, ZepLink Host starts in the system tray by itself whenever you sign in to Windows. You only need to open the window again to add another device.

What gets installed

Settings it changes: 2 inbound firewall rules, 1 task that starts the tray app when you sign in, permissions on the C:\ProgramData\ZepLink folder, and automatic recovery for the Sunshine service.

The tray menu

Right-click the ZepLink icon in the notification area to open it.

Good to know

• Your PC needs to be on and signed in to Windows to connect. A locked screen is fine — you can unlock it from your phone. If the PC restarts and stays on the sign-in screen, you can't connect, so turn on Windows automatic sign-in yourself if you need it (tray menu: Automatic sign-in guide…).
• If the installer says Couldn't set up Sunshine., ZepLink Host is installed but streaming won't work yet. Check your internet connection and run the installer again.
• If it still doesn't work, create a file with Export diagnostics bundle… in the tray menu and send it to support@zeplink.app.

Uninstalling

Choose Uninstall ZepLink Host in the ZepLink folder of the Start menu, or remove ZepLink Host from the list of apps in Windows Settings. The firewall rules and automatic startup are removed with it. Sunshine, ViGEmBus, and WebView2 stay, because other programs may use them — remove them separately if you don't need them.

The uninstaller asks whether to delete this PC's identity key and list of paired devices. If you delete them, you'll need to add all your phones again after reinstalling.