iPhone Can't Find Mac (Poket PC)
Published 2026-09-26 · Updated 2026-10-01
If your iPhone cannot find or connect to your Mac, work through this list on the Mac first, then the phone.
On the Mac
- Helper running — the Poket PC icon (an iPhone) is in the menu bar. If it is missing, open Poket PC from Applications.
- Discoverable — the helper’s menu says Discoverable on this network. If it says Not advertising, choose Quit Poket PC and open it again.
- Logged in and awake — the helper runs only after someone logs in, and a sleeping Mac cannot be reached through the relay. Poket PC 1.0 has no keep-awake setting and cannot wake the Mac, so set macOS not to sleep on a Mac you reach remotely (unattended guide).
- Launch at login — turn it on in the helper’s menu if you expect access after a restart. If the menu shows Approve in Login Items…, allow Poket PC in System Settings › General › Login Items.
- Network — Wi-Fi or Ethernet connected. Guest and corporate networks often block local discovery; the relay still works there.
On the iPhone
- Paired with this Mac? The app holds one paired computer at a time; pairing another replaces it. New phones need QR pairing at the Mac (pairing help).
- Local Network — if the Devices list says Local Network is off, tap Open Settings and turn on Local Network for Poket PC. Without it the app cannot find the Mac on your Wi-Fi.
- Internet — cellular or Wi-Fi up, Airplane Mode off.
- App updated — install the latest build from the public TestFlight beta (/beta/).
Away from home
You do not need port forwarding. The app uses the encrypted relay when it cannot reach the Mac on the local network (access remotely); the connection chip then reads Anywhere. If the Mac is off or sleeping, the relay cannot wake it.
Still missing?
- If the app keeps saying Handshake failed — check the pairing code, pair again: on the iPhone, Settings › Unpair this computer; on the Mac, Pair New Device.
- Email support@poketpc.com with your macOS version, the iPhone app version from Settings › Version, and whether it fails on the same Wi-Fi, away from it, or both.
Install helper: /mac/. Setup: How to Control Your Mac From Your iPhone.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn't my Mac show up in the iPhone app?
Usually the helper is not running, the Mac is asleep or not logged in, or you have not paired this phone with it yet.
Do both devices need the same Wi-Fi?
No, not even to pair. On different networks the app uses the encrypted relay. The Mac still needs to be awake and online with the helper running.
I rebooted the Mac — now it is gone.
The helper starts at login, not before. Turn on Launch at login in its menu, and after a restart make sure someone logs in to the Mac.
Can firewall software block Poket PC?
Yes. On the same Wi-Fi the phone connects in to the helper; away from it, the helper connects out to the relay. A firewall or filter that blocks either path stops that connection.