Unattended Access on Your Mac
Published 2026-09-26 · Updated 2026-10-01
“Unattended access” usually means reaching a Mac when nobody is sitting in front of it — a Mac mini in a closet, a workstation under a desk, or a laptop at home while you travel. Poket PC supports that only within macOS rules: the computer must be on, awake, and logged in to a user session, with the helper running. It does not mean unlocking the lock screen, bypassing FileVault at boot, or controlling the Mac while it is powered off.
This guide covers login items, sleep, and realistic expectations. Pairing and permissions are in How to Control Your Mac From Your iPhone. Remote paths are in Access Your Mac Remotely From Anywhere.
Checklist for a Mac you reach when alone
- Install the Poket PC helper from /mac/ and move it to Applications.
- Grant Accessibility and Screen Recording (on macOS 15+, Screen & System Audio Recording) under System Settings › Privacy & Security. See /help/macos-permissions/.
- Turn on Open Poket PC when I log in during setup, or Launch at login in the helper’s menu. If macOS holds it for approval, allow Poket PC under System Settings › General › Login Items.
- Pair your iPhone once with QR and the six-digit code while at the Mac.
- Adjust sleep so the Mac does not drop off the network mid-session (see below).
- Accept that lock screen = no control until someone authenticates at the Mac.
Login Items step by step
After you allow the helper to start at login:
- Open System Settings.
- Go to General › Login Items.
- Confirm Poket PC (or the helper name shown) is allowed to open at login.
If you skipped the switch during setup, click the Poket PC icon in the menu bar and turn on Launch at login. When macOS is waiting for your approval, the menu shows Approve in Login Items…, which opens the right pane. Set Up Poket PC… in the same menu reopens the whole setup.
Sleep, display off, and network
Poket PC does not offer lock-screen access. If the Mac sleeps or logs out, the helper is not running a session you can reach.
What to aim for (the setting names and places vary by macOS version and by Mac):
- Keep the Mac awake, not the display. The display can turn off; the Mac itself must not sleep. Look for the macOS option to prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off, in the energy or battery settings on a notebook.
- Watch the password-after-sleep setting. If macOS asks for a password once the display turns off or the screen saver starts, the Mac is locked by then, and Poket PC does not work at the lock screen. Check these timers in System Settings › Lock Screen.
Poket PC has no wake control. A Mac that is asleep or shut down stays out of reach until it wakes.
What works unattended
| Capability | Unattended? |
|---|---|
| Connect after reboot (helper at login) | Yes, once user session is logged in |
| Screen, Trackpad, keyboard, Deck | Yes, while awake and unlocked |
| Ask tasks continuing after phone disconnects | Yes, on the Mac |
| Lock tile from phone | Yes, but then you need local login to continue |
| Unlock lock screen from phone | No |
| Control during FileVault pre-boot | No |
Use the Lock tile when you want to secure the machine; know that you cannot undo that from the phone. See Lock Your Mac From Your iPhone.
Security habits
- Revoke old phones from the Mac menu bar.
- Keep the iPhone locked; Face ID before opening Poket PC is planned, not shipped.
- Do not leave the Mac logged in as an admin account you would not trust on a reachable network without macOS firewall habits you already use.
Read the threat model on /security/.
Mac mini and headless setups
For a headless Mac mini, the usual setup is an HDMI dummy plug, the login item on, sleep tuned, and the helper always in the menu bar. You still need an initial local login after power loss unless you automate login separately (macOS feature with its own security tradeoffs).
For volume and media without the screen, use Deck tiles — Control Mac Volume From Your iPhone.
Beta note
The iPhone controller app is in public TestFlight beta, and its App Store release is in review; the Mac helper is available now. See /beta/ for the phone app. Version 1.0 is free, with no ads and no in-app purchases.
If the phone cannot find the Mac, walk through /help/cant-find-mac/.
Frequently asked questions
What does unattended access mean for Poket PC?
The Mac helper can start at login and accept connections while nobody is at the keyboard, but the Mac must stay awake and logged in. There is no lock-screen or firmware-password bypass.
Should I enable Open Poket PC when I log in?
Yes, for a Mac you want to reach after a restart. It is a switch in the helper's setup, and Launch at login in its menu. If macOS holds it for approval, allow Poket PC in System Settings › General › Login Items.
Can Poket PC wake a sleeping Mac?
No. Poket PC has no wake control, so keep the Mac from sleeping. A Mac that is asleep or shut down cannot be reached.
Is unattended access encrypted?
Yes. The same end-to-end encryption applies whether you connect on LAN or through the relay.
Can I lock the Mac from the phone and unlock later remotely?
You can lock with the Lock tile, but you cannot unlock from the iPhone. Someone must log in at the Mac.