Poket PC Pairing Help
Published 2026-09-26 · Updated 2026-10-01
Pairing ties your iPhone to your Mac with a QR code and a six-digit code bound into the encrypted handshake. When pairing fails, it is usually timing, a code mismatch, or an old QR screenshot.
Start clean
- On the Mac, click the Poket PC menu-bar icon.
- Choose Pair New Device. A new QR code and a six-digit code appear.
- On the iPhone, open Poket PC, tap Pair your computer (or the Pair button), then Scan QR code. Scan within two minutes.
- Compare the six-digit code on both screens. If they match, tap Codes match — Pair.
Pairing works on the same Wi-Fi or, when the two are on different networks, through the encrypted relay. Both need an internet connection for the relay.
Codes do not match
Stop. Tap They don’t match. Different codes mean the phone scanned a different pairing code from the one this Mac is showing, such as an old screenshot or another Mac’s QR.
- On the Mac, click Cancel pairing if the pairing panel is still open, then choose Pair New Device.
- Scan the new QR and compare codes again.
Window closed or “too many tries”
- The window closes after 120 seconds, and the QR disappears from the menu. A code from a closed window fails rather than connecting, so choose Pair New Device for a fresh one.
- Three wrong codes close the window. The menu then reads: Pairing closed after 3 attempts with the wrong code. Start pairing again to get a new code.
- Only one phone pairs per window; finish one device before pairing another.
QR scans but nothing happens
- Scan from inside the Poket PC app. The iPhone app is in a public TestFlight beta; get it from /beta/. Version 1.0 is in App Review, not on the App Store yet.
- Confirm the Mac helper is running: its icon is in the menu bar. Download it from /mac/.
- Check the network. See iPhone can’t find Mac.
After pairing
Keep the Mac helper running for later connections. Full setup: How to Control Your Mac From Your iPhone. Security details: /security/.
Lost a phone? Revoke it from the Mac’s menu bar under Paired devices.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the QR code valid?
The pairing window closes after 120 seconds. Choose Pair New Device again if it expired.
What if the six-digit codes differ?
Tap They don't match on the iPhone, then choose Pair New Device on the Mac and scan the fresh QR. The code is bound into the encrypted handshake, so a phone holding a different code cannot pair.
What happens after three wrong codes?
The Mac closes the pairing window and says so in its menu. Choose Pair New Device to get a new QR and a new code.
Can two phones pair at once from one QR?
No. Exactly one device can pair per window.
How do I remove a phone?
Click Revoke next to it under Paired devices in the Poket PC menu on the Mac. Its live session ends immediately.