I add KDE's best feature to every Linux GNOME system—here's why

I add KDE's best feature to every Linux GNOME system—here's why Credit: Bertel King / How-To Geek By  Bertel King Published May 31, 2026, 10:30 AM EDT Bertel is a lifelong tech enthusiast with over a decade of experience writing thousands of articles about Android devices, Linux, and more. Before joining the How-To Geek team, Bertel wrote for the likes of MakeUseOf , MakeTechEasier , and Android Police —at the latter he wrote over 3,500 articles. He delights in helping others decide which tech to bring into their lives... and which tech to do without. Bertel graduated from the College of William and Mary in 2012 with degrees in History and Government. He has spent his entire career since as a tech journalist covering Android, Linux, Wearables, Web Apps, and more. Sign in to your How-To Geek account Add Us On follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap When you use Linux, there are two dominant and well-established desktop environments that reign supreme: KDE and GNOME. I prefer GNOME, but there's one KDE feature so good that I've found a way not to do without. This feature is KDE Connect It seamlessly integrates my Android phone with my GNOME desktop Apple fans will tell you: owning an iPhone and a MacBook just works. You can view incoming messages and notifications on your Mac, and it's largely painless to send files back and forth between the two. With KDE Connect, the same can be said about Linux. KDE Connect is a small program that you install both on your desktop and your phone. You then pair the two devices together. It's a simple process, after which you now have a direct line of communication between the two. Despite the name, KDE Connect is not exclusive to KDE KDE Connect is surprisingly easy to install on nearly anything KDE is not a KDE-exclusive feature, nor is it intended to be. The name