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Pushbullet Indicator was updated recently with support for the latest Pushbullet API changes, which include OAuth support and notification mirroring from Android to your computer.

Pushbullet Indicator Ubuntu

For those not familiar with Pushbullet, this is a service that lets you easily send files, links, notes, lists, etc. from your iOS or Android device to your desktop or the other way around. It can be used via Chrome / Firefox extensions and for Windows there's also a desktop app. Because there was no native Linux app, Lorenzo from Atareao.es created an Ubuntu AppIndicator (and a Nautilus extension as a companion for the AppIndicator) to easily use Pushbullet in Ubuntu.

Pushbullet Indicator Ubuntu

Changes in the latest Pushbullet Indicator 0.4.0:
  • OAuth support: you no longer have to login to the Pushbullet website, copy the APi key and introduce it into the app, etc. You simply log in when prompted by the AppIndicator and that's it;
  • notification mirroring: receive notifications from your Android (doesn't support iOS!) device on your desktop for phone calls, messages, notifications from third-party apps, etc;
  • you can now send pushes (files, links, notes, etc.) from your mobile device to the desktop, feature which wasn't available in the previous Pushbullet Indicator release. Furthermore, you can send pushes between any connected device (so even from one desktop to another). To see the pushes sent to the desktop, you need to select "Show last push" from the Pushbullet AppIndicator menu.

Note that I couldn't test the new Android notification mirroring feature because my old Android device (Samsung Galaxy S II) broke, so the notification screenshot below is via atareao.es.

Here are a few screenshots with some of the changes mentioned above:

Pushbullet Indicator Ubuntu

Pushbullet Indicator Ubuntu

Pushbullet Indicator Ubuntu

For more information about Pushbullet Indicator, see our initial article: Pushbullet Indicator: Send Files, Links And Notes To Your Android or iOS Device From Your Ubuntu Desktop


Install Pushbullet Indicator in Ubuntu 14.04 or Linux Mint 17 CInnamon


According to Lorenzo, the app developer, Pushbullet Indicator should work properly not only with Unity, but also with the KDE, LXDE and Xfce Ubuntu flavors. Also, I tested it with both Linux Mint 17 MATE and Cinnamon and I can tell you that it works with Cinnamon but unfortunately it doesn't work with MATE.

Pushbullet Indicator is available in the Atareao PPA for Ubuntu 14.04 and derivatives or Linux Mint 17 Cinnamon. Add the PPA and install the indicator using the following commands:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:atareao/atareao
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install pushbullet-indicator


To also install the Pushbullet Nautilus extension (you can use it to send files directly from Nautilus to your mobile device), use the command below:
sudo apt-get install nautilus-pushbullet

Important notes:
  • Pushbullet Indicator and the Pushbullet Nautilus extension must be authenticated separately;
  • after adding a new device, you may need to restart the indicator (select "Quit" and then start it again from the menu / Dash) and Nautilus (to restart Nautilus, type "nautilus -q" in a terminal).