PocketCtrl is a free, open-source, native remote desktop client for controlling a Mac from another Mac, iPhone, or iPad. It connects your devices directly over your own Wi-Fi or Tailscale network, with no account required.
Created by Kylan O'Connor at Iterative, which owns and maintains the official PocketCtrl project.
The main branch may contain features not yet included in published releases. Screen, audio, control, and clipboard traffic are encrypted and authenticated with a per-device credential, but the protocol has not received a professional independent audit. Do not expose PocketCtrl's raw ports to the public internet; use a local network or Tailscale.
PocketCtrlNative/— macOS host/viewer and iPhone/iPad app targets.Sources/PocketCtrlHostCLI/— optional command-line control utility for the running Mac app.mcp/— local MCP integration for controlling the Mac host.
- macOS 15.6 or newer for the native Mac app
- Xcode 26 or newer to build the native apps (website release checked with Xcode 26.5)
- Screen Recording permission on the host Mac
- Accessibility permission when remote input is enabled
Build the optional command-line control utility:
swift build --product pocketctrlAfter launching the Mac app, choose PocketCtrl > Settings > Command Line > Install CLI to install the pocketctrl command in /usr/local/bin. The app requests administrator approval for the installation and configures the local control credential automatically.
The same settings pane can install PocketCtrl's portable Agent Skill for Codex or Claude Code. The skill contains no credentials; it teaches local agents to use the installed CLI and handle pairing or state-changing commands carefully.
Open the native apps:
open PocketCtrlNative/PocketCtrl.xcodeprojSee PocketCtrlNative/README.md for app setup.
The development version includes supervised OpenAI Computer Use from the iPhone/iPad viewer's robot button: tap to type, or hold to speak and release to send an on-device transcription. It requires your own OpenAI API key on the host Mac and a separate Computer Use grant for the paired device. Choose GPT-6 Luna, Sol, or Astra and a supported thinking level before sending a task. This optional feature sends screen content and task instructions to OpenAI; ordinary remote desktop connections do not require it. See setup and limitations.
The full Mac app is distributed through the PocketCtrl website, separately from the iOS App Store release. See Mac website release for the Developer ID signing, provisioning, notarization, packaging, and release-testing workflow. Published downloads may differ from the development version described here. Use the release notes to check which features a downloaded build includes.
Remote-control software has a large security surface. Please read SECURITY.md before deploying PocketCtrl or reporting a vulnerability. Pair only with devices you trust, keep local discovery disabled when it is unnecessary, and use view-only mode unless remote input is needed.
Never commit device credentials, signing certificates, provisioning profiles, .env files, captures, diagnostics, or generated service configuration. Both the root and native-project .gitignore files exclude these common private artifacts.
Issues and pull requests are welcome. See CONTRIBUTING.md for the development checks and contribution terms.
PocketCtrl's public client and core are available under the Mozilla Public License 2.0. See LICENSING.md for the exact boundary. PocketCtrl's name, icon, official builds, website identity, and PocketCtrl Network branding are covered separately by the trademark guidelines.
PocketCtrl was created by Kylan O'Connor at Iterative, which owns and manages the project. See GOVERNANCE.md for the project's stewardship and decision-making model.