macOS Permissions for Poket PC
Published 2026-09-26 · Updated 2026-10-05
The Poket PC Mac helper needs two permissions from macOS. Without them, the cursor will not move or the screen will stay black. Grant them on the Mac, not on the iPhone.
The quickest route is the helper’s menu: click the Poket PC icon in the menu bar. Under Permissions, each row reads On, Off, or Turned off by macOS. Click Fix (or Turn On) and the helper opens the right System Settings pane; switch Poket PC on there. The Accessibility row turns green within a second or two; Screen Recording needs the helper to reopen first (see below).
Accessibility (control)
Path: System Settings › Privacy & Security › Accessibility
- Open System Settings.
- Click Privacy & Security in the sidebar.
- Click Accessibility.
- Switch Poket PC on.
Poket PC uses this permission to move the pointer, click, and type when you, or an Ask task you start, control the Mac from your phone.
If the cursor still does not move: toggle Poket PC off and on, or see Remote cursor not moving.
Screen Recording (see the display)
Path on macOS 14 Sonoma: System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen Recording
Path on macOS 15 and later: System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen & System Audio Recording
- Open System Settings › Privacy & Security.
- Open Screen Recording or Screen & System Audio Recording.
- Switch Poket PC on.
- The helper sees a new Screen Recording grant only after it reopens. Choose Quit & Reopen if macOS offers it, or click Reopen in the helper’s menu if it shows one; otherwise click Quit Poket PC in the menu and open Poket PC from Applications again.
The helper sends the main display only while you are connected. It does not store recordings. When Ask drives the screen, the screenshots it takes go to the model you chose for it.
If the screen is black: see Black or frozen screen.
First-launch setup (order)
When you open the helper from the DMG, a five-step setup walks through:
- Welcome. If the helper is not in Applications, it offers Move to Applications.
- Accessibility (Let your phone control this Mac).
- Screen Recording (Let your phone see this Mac).
- Start with your Mac: an optional Open Poket PC when I log in switch.
- Pair your phone from the menu bar.
Every step can be skipped. Reopen it any time from Set Up Poket PC… in the menu. Full narrative: How to Control Your Mac From Your iPhone. Download: /mac/.
After a macOS update
macOS sometimes turns these permissions off after an update, and on newer versions it asks about Screen Recording again from time to time. The helper notices: its menu marks the permission Turned off by macOS and the status dot turns red. Click Turn On to fix it.
Login Items (not a Privacy permission)
Turn on Launch at login in the helper’s menu (or the setup switch above) if you want the Mac reachable after a restart without opening the app by hand. If an admin or MDM setting holds the login item, the menu shows Approve in Login Items…: allow Poket PC in System Settings › General › Login Items. This does not replace Accessibility or Screen Recording.
Email support@poketpc.com if both permissions are on and control still fails.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Poket PC need Accessibility?
To move the pointer, click, and type when you use Trackpad, Screen, Deck, or typing from your iPhone, and when an Ask task you start drives the screen.
Why does it need Screen Recording?
To send the Mac's main display to your paired phone while you are connected, and to let Ask take the screenshots a task needs. The stream is not recorded or kept.
What changed on macOS 15?
The permission list is labeled Screen & System Audio Recording instead of Screen Recording. Poket PC 1.0 still sends no audio to the phone.
Do I grant permissions to the iPhone app?
No. These macOS permissions apply to the Mac helper only.
Can I revoke permissions later?
Yes. Turn them off in Privacy & Security. The helper's menu then shows the permission as Off, or as Turned off by macOS, and says what stops working.