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Check that the Mac is awake, the address is current, and Remote Login and Screen Sharing are enabled for the account you entered. In iPhone or iPad Settings, allow Mac Companion’s Local Network access when connecting locally. Check your Mac’s firewall and network restrictions.

Use the Mac account’s short username if its full name does not work. Terminal uses the saved Mac login by default, unless a separate SSH password or key is configured. A successful SSH login does not mean Screen Sharing is enabled. If a saved login is wrong, forget it in that Mac’s settings and try again.

Wait briefly for the first image, then end the session and reconnect. Confirm the Mac is awake and the network still works. If it repeats, note whether it happened after a display change, Mac sleep, a Space change, or returning from the background, and send that sequence with the exact error.

If a problem repeats, contact support with your app and macOS versions so we can investigate compatibility and recovery for your configuration.

Install and enable Tailscale on both your Mac and iPhone or iPad, using a network where the iPhone is allowed to reach the Mac. Add the Mac’s Tailscale IPv4 or IPv6 address to its saved entry. Check that access rules allow the connection and that Remote Login is running, along with Screen Sharing for Desktop and Trackpad & Keyboard.

Mac Companion supports local and private VPN routes. It does not provide its own VPN, public relay, or router setup. See Tailscale’s installation guide for its setup.

Yes. Open that Mac’s settings → Connection Addresses. Add your local and Tailscale addresses, then use Reorder to set their priority. The app tries addresses in order until a TCP connection succeeds; it does not keep trying other addresses after authentication begins.

Editing addresses or ports keeps that saved Mac’s login. Two saved entries may share an address and still keep separate credentials.

Yes. Open Advanced in the Mac’s settings. Screen Sharing normally uses port 5900; SSH normally uses 22. Leave a field empty to use its default. Enter a port from 1 to 65535 for a custom service configuration.

You can save both addresses and put the working one first. Check that Tailscale is active on both devices and the Mac is reachable under your network’s access rules. If only one route works, include the address type and exact error in your report; do not include your login or private network details unless needed.

Open the floating controls menu → View & Display → Choose Display. You can select an individual display when macOS supplies supported display-layout information. Otherwise, All Displays remains available. The app restores a saved choice only if it is valid for the current layout.

Selection changes your local viewport rather than creating a new connection. App/window selection and exact window smart zoom are not included in the direct client.

Pointer puts the Mac cursor where you touch; tap to click. Trackpad moves the cursor relative to your finger, like a laptop trackpad. Adjust trackpad speed in Keyboard & Input → Input & Quick Actions. Hold and move to drag.

Use Trackpad & Keyboard from the Mac’s menu if you want to control a Mac connected to a TV without viewing the desktop on your iPhone or iPad.

Pinch to zoom and pan to move around. A two-finger double tap toggles between a closer view and fit. In zoomed Trackpad mode, Follow Cursor keeps the cursor moved from this device in view near the edges; it can be turned off in Input & Quick Actions.

Opening the software keyboard reduces the desktop viewport. Closing it restores your previous view where the display layout remains valid. The keyboard button changes to indicate that it will dismiss the keyboard.

Tap Command, Option, Control, or Shift for a one-shot modifier; it releases after the next key. Hold to lock a modifier, then tap it again to release. Escape, Tab, and extra navigation keys are also available.

Tap the floating controls button to open the menu, or hold it, slide to an action, and release to select. You can cancel by moving away. Pro adds custom shortcuts and saved-text actions.

Use fullscreen controls in View & Display to hide the keyboard and modifier bar. The floating controls button remains available so you can bring controls back.

Optional Session Status appears on Dynamic Island and the Lock Screen. Expand it to Open or Disconnect the matching session. This is not a guarantee of an indefinitely active background connection; iOS may suspend the app, and recovery checks the connection when you return.

Enable Remote Login for your account on the Mac. In Mac Companion, open that Mac’s menu and choose Terminal. Verify the SSH server fingerprint through a trusted source before approving it, then use a password or selected SSH key.

Terminal is an SSH connection, independent of Screen Sharing. You can use Terminal without opening Desktop.

Open App Settings → SSH Keys. Create an Ed25519 key, import a supported OpenSSH key, rename it, or export its public key. In a Mac’s settings, select a named key for that Mac account.

Private-key export requires fresh device-owner authentication and a nonempty passphrase. Keep the encrypted export in a secure place. Current key support is Ed25519; RSA, ECDSA, and hardware-backed keys are not supported.

The free tier includes one active SSH key and key import/export. Pro adds multiple named keys. You can reuse a key or choose a different one for each Mac.

This Pro action is in the individual Mac’s settings. Choose a key and authenticate with an existing password or working key. The app appends its public key to that account’s authorized_keys, preserves other entries, and verifies a fresh key-only login before selecting it.

No Mac app or helper is installed. If setup times out or is canceled, the public key may already be present; the app does not retry the command automatically.

Stop and verify the new fingerprint through a trusted channel. A legitimate reinstall or SSH configuration change can replace a server key, but a mismatch can also mean you reached a different server. Only forget the saved server key in that Mac’s settings after you have verified the change.

The Terminal keyboard includes a number row by default. Tap a modifier for one key, or hold it to lock until released. Use Control with C, D or Z for familiar shell shortcuts. Pro lets you customize keyboard rows, keys, shortcuts and saved snippets.

Choosing a snippet that contains a newline can execute a command on your Mac. Review saved text before sending it.

With an active usable system division, Book puts desktop or Terminal content on the left and input controls on the right. Tabletop uses the content and input regions around the horizontal fold. With no active division, the ordinary layout remains in use.

Compose Text keeps its draft and editing controls in an available pane as the keyboard or layout changes. Changing layout does not send the draft. Use Send when you are ready. Layout adaptation does not create a new remote connection. Duo layouts are included in Free; Pro is not required.

No. The free limit is one saved remote Mac, not a single iPhone or iPad. Optional iCloud Sync shares saved Mac settings, keyboard layouts, shortcuts, saved text, menu items and their positions across your trusted devices. Passwords, private keys and trusted Mac identities remain local to each device.

No. Address and port edits preserve the login for that saved Mac. Saved credentials belong to the Mac entry, so two entries with the same address can have different logins. Open the Mac’s settings → Saved Login to update or forget its login. Terminal uses the saved Mac login by default unless you configure a separate SSH password or key.

App Settings offers optional app unlock using Face ID or your device passcode. It is separate from your Mac’s login. Under Appearance, choose System, Light, or Dark. Terminal colors have their own Follow App, Light, or Dark choice.

iCloud Sync is off by default. On iPhone and iPad, it syncs saved Mac settings, keyboard layouts, shortcuts, saved text, menu items and their positions across devices using the same Apple Account with iCloud Keychain. Passwords, private keys and trusted Mac identities stay on this device. Review recovered alternatives when edits conflict.

Its protection relies on your Apple Account, trusted devices, and iCloud Keychain. Turning sync off does not erase cloud copies. To remove those, turn off sync on other devices and use Delete Mac Data from iCloud. See the full iCloud privacy explanation.

Yes. The free plan has no time limit and does not require a Pro trial. It includes one saved Mac, one active SSH key, Desktop, Trackpad & Keyboard, basic SSH Terminal, standard keys and the number row, multiple addresses and ports, display selection and zoom, and Files over SFTP. Security, accessibility, and key import/export remain free.

You start it explicitly from App Settings → Pro. It unlocks Pro features for 14 days from the original verified enrollment. It does not renew or charge automatically. Restoring or reinstalling does not restart it; basic features remain available after it ends.

Multiple saved Macs and named SSH keys, Install Key on This Mac, custom remote quick actions, custom Terminal keys and saved text snippets. The U.S. price is $9.99 once; your local App Store price is shown before purchase.

In App Settings → Pro, choose Restore Purchases using the Apple Account associated with the purchase or trial. Existing extra Macs and keys remain editable and exportable if your entitlement changes; an active connection is not ended by a purchase-state change.

Download the app from the App Store, then open App Settings → Pro to see your local price and purchase Lifetime Pro. Apple handles payment; the optional 14-day trial does not renew or charge automatically.