How to Control Your Mac From Your iPhone

Published 2026-10-01 · Updated 2026-10-11

This guide is the full setup path for controlling your Mac from your iPhone with Poket PC. It combines installation, pairing, permissions, and first-session checks in one place, then links to deeper guides for each workflow.

What you need first

  • A Mac on macOS 14 or later.
  • An iPhone on iOS 18 or later.
  • The Poket PC helper installed on that Mac.
  • Access to the Mac itself for the first pairing: you click Pair New Device in its menu and scan the QR code on its screen. The iPhone does not have to be on the same Wi‑Fi; pairing also works through the relay.

Start with Download if either app is missing. The iPhone app is in a public TestFlight beta you can join from /beta/; version 1.0 is in App Review and not on the App Store yet. Using an Android phone instead? The free Android app on Google Play pairs and connects with the same steps.

Step 1: Install and open the Mac helper

On the Mac you want to control:

  1. Download and open the Poket PC helper from Mac.
  2. Move the app to Applications.
  3. Launch it and confirm the menu-bar icon appears.

The helper is the host endpoint. Without it, the iPhone app has nothing to connect to.

Step 2: Grant required macOS permissions

When prompted, grant:

  • Screen Recording (so the helper can stream the display),
  • Accessibility (so touch, pointer and keyboard actions can be applied).

After you switch Screen Recording on in System Settings, click Reopen next to it in the helper, or quit and reopen Poket PC: it needs to reopen before it can see the screen.

If either permission is missing later, remote control may partially work (for example, a visible screen with no cursor movement). The Permissions rows in the helper’s menu show each permission as On, Off or Turned off by macOS, with a Fix or Turn On button, and macOS permissions help walks through the rest.

Step 3: Pair iPhone and Mac

Pairing is one-time per phone:

  1. In the helper menu, choose Pair New Device.
  2. In the iPhone app, tap Pair your computer (or the QR icon at the top right), then Scan QR code.
  3. Scan the code shown on the Mac.
  4. Check that the six-digit code on the iPhone matches the one in the Mac’s menu, then tap Codes match — Pair on the iPhone.

Pairing windows are short-lived and single-use. If they expire, open a new pairing window and rescan.

Step 4: Verify first connection

After pairing, the app connects to your Mac on its own. The card at the top of the app shows your Mac’s name and the path in use: Same Wi‑Fi (direct) or Anywhere (relay). Then:

  • open Screen and confirm the live display,
  • test tap-to-click, two-finger scroll, and keyboard text input.

For media actions, open Deck and tap Play/Pause or Mute. Deck also has a Lock tile, but Poket PC does not work past the lock screen, so try it only when you are at the Mac.

Step 5: Understand connection paths

Poket PC uses two paths automatically:

  • Same network: direct connection.
  • Away from home: through our relay.

Both paths are end-to-end encrypted between your iPhone and Mac. The relay forwards encrypted bytes: it sees the IP addresses of both ends, the timing and size of the traffic, and a random routing token, but not your screen or what you type.

You do not need router port forwarding or a VPN for normal use. If your local network blocks discovery, the relay path may still work while same-network discovery fails.

Optional hardening and reliability checks

For consistent daily use:

  • enable helper launch at login,
  • keep the Mac awake when you expect remote sessions,
  • revoke old paired devices you no longer use,
  • after a macOS update, check that both rows under Permissions in the helper’s menu read On, since macOS can turn a permission off.

If a device is lost, click Revoke next to it under Paired devices in the helper’s menu right away. That also cuts off any session it is using.

Common first-week issues

The screen is black

Usually Screen Recording permission was denied or revoked. In the helper’s menu, click Fix (or Turn On) next to Screen Recording, switch Poket PC on in System Settings, then click Reopen, since Poket PC needs to reopen before it can see the screen. See black screen help.

Cursor does not move

Accessibility permission is missing or stale. See cursor not moving.

iPhone cannot find Mac

Check helper is running, Mac is awake, and the same-network constraints in can’t find Mac.

Pairing fails after code confirmation

Use a fresh pairing window and verify the six digits match exactly. See pairing help.

Next guides

Once the base control path works:

This page stays task-focused: install, pair, validate control. For security model depth, read Security.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to open router ports?

No. Poket PC connects directly on local network and uses the relay path away from home without manual port forwarding.

What permissions does macOS need?

Screen Recording to stream display output and Accessibility to control pointer and keyboard input.

Can I use it without an account?

Yes. Pairing and reconnect work without creating an account.

Related

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