The questions people ask most
What is Poket PC?
An app that lets you see and control your computer from your iPhone or Android phone: live screen, trackpad, keyboard, one-tap action tiles, and Ask, an assistant that keeps working on the computer after you disconnect. A small helper app runs on the Mac.
How much does Poket PC cost?
Version 1.0 is free, with no ads and no in-app purchases. Poket PC Pro is planned for version 1.1 and is not on sale today.
What do I need to get started?
A Mac with macOS 14 Sonoma or later, on Apple silicon or Intel, running the free helper, and a phone: an Android phone with Android 9 or later and the app from Google Play, or an iPhone with iOS 18 or later and the app from the public TestFlight beta.
Can Poket PC see my screen?
No. The screen and your keystrokes are end-to-end encrypted between your own devices. The relay that connects you away from home forwards ciphertext it cannot read.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no account to create. You pair the iPhone with the Mac by scanning a QR code and confirming a six-digit code.
Does it work away from home?
Yes. On the same network it connects directly; anywhere else it goes through the relay automatically, with no port forwarding and no VPN.
Which computers can I control?
Macs with macOS 14 or later today. A Windows host is in development and not downloadable yet; Linux is not planned.
Can I use an Android phone?
Yes. The Android app is free on Google Play for 64-bit phones with Android 9 or later. An iPad build is planned.
What does Ask cost to run?
Ask runs through your own Claude subscription (Claude Code on the Mac) or a free local model in Ollama. You pay the model provider directly, or nothing for a local model; Poket PC does not resell model usage.
Why is the screen black, or the pointer not moving?
The helper needs two macOS permissions: Screen Recording to show the screen and Accessibility to move the pointer and type. Its menu-bar icon shows the state of both and opens the right System Settings pane.
The ten questions above are the ones people ask most. The rest are grouped below, each with a short answer and a link to the page that covers it in full. If yours is not here, write to support@poketpc.com.
Getting started
How do I install the Mac helper?
Download the notarized DMG from the Mac page, drag Poket PC to Applications and open it. It lives in the menu bar and walks you through the two macOS permissions it needs.
How do I get the Android app?
Install Poket PC from Google Play. It is free, for 64-bit phones with Android 9 or later. See the Android page.
How do I get the iPhone app?
Join the public TestFlight beta from the beta page. Version 1.0 is in App Review for the App Store; until it is approved, TestFlight is the way in.
How do I pair my iPhone with my Mac?
Click the Poket PC icon in the menu bar, choose Pair New Device and scan the QR code with the iPhone app. Pair only if the six digits on both screens match. The pairing page explains each step.
Pricing and the free trial
Will Poket PC Pro have a free trial?
Yes, as planned: new subscribers get a 7-day free trial on the monthly or the annual plan. Pro is planned for version 1.1 and is not on sale, so the trial cannot be started today. Details are on the pricing page.
How much will Pro cost?
It depends on where you live: Apple sets a local App Store price for each country or region from the US price. The pricing page lists the planned prices for the main markets.
What happens when a free trial ends?
On the App Store, a free trial turns into a paid subscription automatically when it ends. To avoid the charge, cancel at least 24 hours before the end: on iPhone, open Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions. See how trials work.
Can I get a second free trial?
No. The App Store gives one introductory free trial per Apple ID in each subscription group, so the planned trial is for new subscribers only. More on the pricing page.
Are there ads in Poket PC?
No. Version 1.0 shows no ads and has no in-app purchases. The pricing page lists everything that is free in 1.0.
Privacy and security
Does the app collect usage data?
The iPhone app sends a short list of usage events with a random ID created on the device. The ID is not tied to your name, email or Apple ID, but it links one device’s events, so the App Store privacy label counts them as linked to you. The usage stats switch in Settings turns them off and deletes the ID. The privacy policy lists every event.
What can the relay see?
Ciphertext, the routing token it needs to connect your two devices, and what any server sees: IP addresses, message sizes and timing. Never the screen or what you type. The security model has the details.
How is pairing protected?
The six digits you confirm are bound into the Noise IK handshake, and the pairing window is single-use and closes after 120 seconds, so a wrong or old code fails. See pairing.
How do I remove a device I no longer use?
On the Mac, open the helper’s menu and revoke the device. Revoking cuts any live session at once and stops that device connecting again. More on the support page.
Does poketpc.com use analytics?
Yes. The website runs Google Analytics 4 and AdSense with Consent Mode. The apps show no ads. The privacy policy covers both.
Compatibility and platforms
Which Mac do I need?
macOS 14 Sonoma or later, on Apple silicon or Intel. The helper is a universal, notarized menu-bar app. See the Mac page.
Which iPhone do I need?
An iPhone that runs iOS 18 or later. See the iPhone page.
Which Android phone do I need?
A 64-bit Android phone with Android 9 or later. A hardware keyboard and mouse connected to the phone work too. See the Android page.
Can I control my computer from a web browser?
A web client for Chromium browsers is in preview, but browser pairing is not ready for new users. For now, pair from the Android or iPhone app. The download page shows the status of each platform.
Does it work with Windows or Linux?
A Windows host is in development and not downloadable yet. Linux is not planned. The download page changes the day that does.
Can I see more than one display?
Not yet. Poket PC streams the Mac’s main display; choosing between displays is planned. See the live screen page.
Ask and AI models
What is Ask?
The assistant that runs on your Mac. You describe a task in plain words, and it works on the computer itself and keeps going after the iPhone disconnects. See Ask.
Can I use an API key with Ask?
Not from the app yet: there is no screen for entering an API key, and one is planned. Today Ask uses your Claude subscription through Claude Code on the Mac, or a local model in Ollama. See Ask.
Can Ask run on a schedule?
Yes: every day or on weekdays at a set time, or hourly. The Mac helper runs what is due whether or not the iPhone is connected. Scheduled runs are quiet, with no screenshots, clicks or typing, and on the Claude subscription they end without an answer in 1.0. See schedules.
Connection and troubleshooting
My iPhone cannot find my Mac. What should I check?
On the same Wi-Fi, check that both are on the same network and the helper is running. Guest and office networks often block local discovery; the relay still connects without setup. See can’t find your Mac.
Why does pairing fail after I confirm the code?
The code came from an old or closed pairing window, or the digits did not match. Choose Pair New Device again for a fresh code; three failed attempts close the window. See pairing problems.
Do I need to open ports on my router?
No. Poket PC connects directly on the same network and through the relay everywhere else, with no port forwarding and no VPN. See no port forwarding.
How smooth is the live screen?
The screen streams as H.264 at 30 frames per second, on the same network and through the relay alike, with the long edge up to 1600 pixels. See live screen.