Mac Remote Control Shortcuts on Your iPhone
Published 2026-09-26 · Updated 2026-10-01
Mac remote control shortcuts on your iPhone live in the Deck: each tile fires one action on the paired Mac without opening the full screen view.
Every tile in the 1.0 deck
| Kind | Tiles |
|---|---|
| Launch app | Music, Safari (default deck); Notes (add in Edit mode) |
| Media | Play/Pause, Previous, Next, Vol −, Vol +, Mute (default deck) |
| Brightness | Brightness +, Brightness − (add in Edit mode) |
| System | Mission Control, Lock (default deck); Sleep, Screensaver, Show Desktop (add in Edit mode) |
Tiles do not send arbitrary key combos, and 1.0 has no tile to open another app, run a macOS Shortcut, or quit or hide an app. For fine control inside an app, tap the live screen or use Ask.
Default deck (ships out of the box)
- Music
- Safari
- Play/Pause
- Previous
- Next
- Vol −
- Vol +
- Mute
- Mission Control
- Lock
Tap Edit to change the deck: remove a tile with its minus badge, add one from the list above with +, or tap Reset to go back to the default deck. Tiles cannot be reordered in 1.0. Taps never fire a tile while you edit. The deck is a good couch remote for a Mac on a TV or a Mac mini in another room.
Examples people search for
- Lock Mac mini from iPhone — Tap Lock (or tap Reset in Edit mode if you removed it). See lock Mac from iPhone.
- Put the Mac to sleep from bed — Add the Sleep tile in Edit mode; one tap sleeps the Mac.
- Volume from the phone — Use Vol +, Vol −, or Mute; details in control Mac volume from iPhone.
What tiles do not replace
- Full desktop work — Use Screen, Trackpad, and the keyboard.
- An app’s own remote — Media tiles act like the media keys on a Mac keyboard. They do not reach into an app the way its own remote features do.
Requirements
Paired iPhone, helper running on macOS 14+, and Accessibility allowed so system actions reach the Mac. Connection uses LAN or the relay after pairing.
Pricing
Action tiles are part of Poket PC 1.0, which is free with no ads and no in-app purchases. Install the helper from download and the iPhone app from the public TestFlight beta while the App Store release is in review.
Frequently asked questions
Can I open apps on my Mac from my iPhone?
Yes, for the apps the deck offers: Music and Safari are on the default deck, and Notes is a tile you can add. The 1.0 deck cannot add a tile for any other app; open those from the live screen.
Can I run a Shortcut on my Mac from my iPhone?
Not from a tile in 1.0: the deck has no Shortcut tile. You can open the Shortcuts app on the Mac from the live screen and run one there.
Can I lock my Mac remotely from my iPhone?
Yes. The default deck includes a Lock tile. In Edit mode you can add Sleep and Screensaver tiles, and Reset brings Lock back if you removed it.
Do tiles send arbitrary keyboard shortcuts?
No. Tiles open a few apps, send media and brightness keys, and run the listed system actions. Control inside an app goes through the live screen or Ask.
What media keys are available?
Play/pause, next, previous, volume up, volume down, mute, and brightness up and down.