How to Use Your iPhone as a Keyboard for Your Mac
Published 2026-09-26 · Updated 2026-10-05
Your iPhone can act as a keyboard for your Mac when the computer is across the room, under a desk, or hooked to a TV. In Poket PC, the keyboard bar sends what you type into whichever application is in front on the Mac, using the same paired, encrypted connection as Screen and Trackpad.
Complete pairing and permissions first with How to Control Your Mac From Your iPhone. Install the helper from /mac/ and the iPhone app through the public TestFlight beta on /beta/.
What the keyboard sends today
Poket PC version 1.0 forwards:
- Letters, numbers, and symbols you type with the iPhone keyboard (autocorrect and smart punctuation are off, so what you type is what the Mac gets)
- Return (new line or confirm, depending on the Mac app)
- Delete (backspace)
It does not yet send:
- Modifier combinations (Command, Control, Option, Shift shortcuts)
- Arrow keys, Escape, or function keys
There is no Tab either, because the iPhone keyboard has no Tab key.
A modifier bar and support for hardware keyboards on the phone are planned. Until then, use Screen to tap on-screen controls and menus, Deck tiles for media and system actions, or Ask to have the assistant do the task on the Mac.
Set up typing
- On the Mac, confirm Poket PC is allowed under System Settings › Privacy & Security › Accessibility. Without it, nothing you type will reach the Mac.
- Open Poket PC on the iPhone. It connects to your paired Mac on its own.
- Focus the field you want on the Mac: tap it on Screen, or click it with Trackpad.
- Open the keyboard. Under Trackpad or Deck, the bar reads Send keystrokes to your computer: tap Type. On Screen, tap the round floating control, then the keyboard button.
- Type on the iPhone. Characters appear in the active Mac app. Tap Hide when you are done.
If the pointer also fails to move, fix Accessibility first; see Remote cursor not moving.
Use the keyboard with Trackpad or Screen
| Goal | What to use |
|---|---|
| Type in a search box or document | The keyboard bar (Type) |
| Move the insertion point by clicking | Trackpad or Screen |
| Hit a menu item that needs a shortcut | Tap the menu item on Screen, or use Ask |
| Confirm or step through a dialog | Return, or tap the button on Screen |
With a Mac on a TV, keep Trackpad open for pointing and tap Type in the bar below it when you need to search or enter text. The bar stays under the trackpad, so there is nothing to switch.
Honest limits
- Typing goes to the app in front on the Mac, the same as a keyboard plugged into it.
- There is no clipboard sync between iPhone and Mac yet (planned).
- The Mac must be awake and logged in; Poket PC does not work at the lock screen.
- Ask can run tasks in plain language on the Mac through your Claude subscription (with Claude Code installed on the Mac) or a local model in Ollama; that is separate from the keyboard bar. See Run Claude Code From Your iPhone.
Security note
Keystrokes travel inside the same end-to-end encrypted session as the screen stream. The relay cannot read them. Revoke a lost phone from the Mac menu bar to end its session at once.
For pointer gestures, see Use Your iPhone as a Trackpad for Your Mac. For seeing the desktop while you type, see Mirror Your Mac Screen to Your iPhone.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my iPhone as a keyboard for a Mac mini?
Yes, after you pair the Mac mini with the Poket PC helper. Tap Type in the keyboard bar under Trackpad or Deck, and what you type goes to the app in front on the Mac.
Does Poket PC send Command-key shortcuts?
Not yet. Version 1.0 sends typed text plus Return and Delete. Modifier shortcuts and arrow keys are planned.
Do I need Screen Recording permission for the keyboard?
Screen Recording is for the live screen stream. Keyboard and Trackpad need Accessibility so the helper can inject typing and pointer events.
Can I use the iPhone keyboard and trackpad together?
Yes. The keyboard bar sits under the Trackpad, so you can point and type without switching views. On Screen, the floating control has a keyboard button too.
Does typing work away from home?
Yes. The same encrypted session carries keystrokes over the relay when you are not on the same Wi-Fi.