Where can I get PocketDesk?
PocketDesk is preparing its first release. A public, notarized Mac installer has not been released yet. Public-network service and App Store subscription availability are still being prepared. Contact support.pocketdesk@gmail.com for current testing availability.
Which devices are supported?
The app requires iOS or iPadOS 17 or later and a Mac running macOS 14 or later. The Mac host must be installed and running on the Mac you want to control. Keep the iPhone/iPad app and Mac host updated to compatible versions.
How do I connect for the first time?
- Connect the iPhone/iPad and Mac to the same local network, then open the Mac host.
- In the host window, select Allow next to “See this screen” and “Move the cursor and type”, and approve Screen Recording and Accessibility for PocketDesk Host in System Settings → Privacy & Security. Reopen the host if macOS asks.
- With both permissions granted, the host starts sharing by itself and shows “Scan to pair”. If it says “Not sharing”, select Start sharing. On iPhone/iPad, allow Local Network access and choose the Mac that appears.
- Choose Scan QR code and scan the QR code shown on that Mac. If you prefer not to allow camera access, choose Enter key manually and enter its 26-character pairing key. Spaces and grouping hyphens can be omitted. Keep both the key and QR code private. The iPhone/iPad saves the local pairing for later connections.
Why can’t my iPhone find the Mac?
Confirm that the host is running and sharing, both devices are on the same network, and PocketDesk has Local Network permission on iPhone. Guest Wi-Fi or router client isolation can prevent devices from seeing each other. A VPN or managed network may also block discovery or connection. If the app says “Local Network access is off”, tap Open Settings and turn on Local Network for PocketDesk. If it says “Join your Mac’s network”, connect the iPhone/iPad to the same Wi-Fi as the Mac. You can also choose Connect by address and enter the Mac’s local IP address.
If the Mac appears but pairing fails, scan the QR code or enter the current 26-character key shown on that Mac. A six-digit account-registration code cannot pair a screen/control session. If you changed the pairing key or upgraded from an older six-digit pairing build, pair again. For help, send device and OS versions plus the exact error; do not send the key or QR code.
How does access from another network work?
When available in your released build, connect locally once before leaving. Then choose Reach this Mac from anywhere on the Mac. The host shows a separate six-digit code labelled “Remote access code”. On iPhone/iPad, sign in with Apple, open Account, and under Add a Mac enter the code currently shown on the Mac; these codes expire and are replaced. Activate or restore PocketDesk Anywhere from the subscription screen.
The 26-character pairing key secures the screen/control session. The six-digit registration code associates the Mac with your PocketDesk account. These are separate steps. Access from another network also needs an active subscription, a reachable connection service, and the Mac running and sharing.
Cellular and restrictive networks can affect connection quality or block connections. A relay may be used when a direct connection cannot be established. A successful local session does not guarantee access through every external network.
If your subscription expires or is revoked, or the Mac association or account is removed, the cross-network session ends after the service confirms that change. Check Account and finish any required activation or registration before reconnecting.
Why is the screen blank or marked locked?
Check Screen Recording permission on the Mac and whether the Mac is locked or asleep. PocketDesk does not show the lock screen: if the Mac is locked when a session starts, the app says so, and the picture appears once the Mac is unlocked at the Mac itself. PocketDesk has no remote-unlock or wake-from-sleep feature. While it is sharing, the host keeps the Mac from sleeping when idle.
If the picture appears but taps or typing do not work, check Accessibility permission for the Mac host. Protected content or some application windows may have capture or input restrictions.
What can I control?
You can view the Mac display or choose a running window. The phone sends pointer, scrolling, keyboard, and composed-text input. Plain text you copy on the Mac is placed on the iPhone or iPad’s clipboard during a session. Remote actions run in the Mac’s applications; PocketDesk does not host those applications.
What is free, and what needs a subscription?
Connections on your own local network are free and need no account. Access from another network uses the PocketDesk connection service and requires an account and an active subscription when offered. Current prices, billing periods, and eligible trials appear in the app and Apple’s purchase confirmation.
Anywhere allows at most four simultaneous cross-network connections per PocketDesk account, with one active cross-network session per Mac. If the app says the Mac is already in use, end the existing session on the connected device and try again. If you have reached the account limit, disconnect one of your other sessions first.
How do I restore, cancel, or request a refund?
Restore with the Apple Account used for the purchase: open the subscription screen and choose Restore purchase, and sign in to the same verified PocketDesk sign-in identity used for that purchase. If you previously deleted your PocketDesk account, signing in with that same identity allows a valid subscription to be restored to the newly created account. If Apple shows an active purchase but remote access remains unavailable, contact support.pocketdesk@gmail.com rather than buying again. If activation is pending after payment, use the app’s retry action; payment alone does not mean server activation has finished.
To cancel, open iPhone Settings → your name → Subscriptions → PocketDesk. While Anywhere is active, PocketDesk → Account → Manage opens the same Apple screen. Apple’s instructions: support.apple.com/en-us/118428. Deleting the app or PocketDesk account does not cancel billing.
Apple handles refund requests for App Store purchases: support.apple.com/en-us/118223.
How do I stop sharing or remove an account?
Choose Stop sharing on the Mac to end sharing. On iPhone/iPad, Account → Your Macs → Remove removes that Mac from your server account. This does not erase the locally saved pairing key or stop all local access. To invalidate saved local pairings, select New pairing key in the host window while it is sharing and no device is connected, then pair your own devices again.
To delete your account, open Account → Delete account and confirm. You may need to authenticate with Apple again. A successful deletion revokes Apple authorization and removes the account identity, email, registered devices, and stored credentials in the service environment currently used by your installation. A limited pseudonymous subscription ledger can remain under the retention limits in the Privacy Policy. Accounts or test data in another environment are not automatically deleted; contact support.pocketdesk@gmail.com to request their deletion. Apple billing and locally saved pairing keys require separate action. If deletion shows an error, retry or contact support; if you cannot sign in, contact us from the account email.
What should I send when asking for help?
Email support.pocketdesk@gmail.com with the iPhone and Mac model, OS version, PocketDesk version, local or external-network connection type, approximate time and time zone, the steps you took, and the exact error. If you attach a screenshot, hide private content.
Never send your password, account token, pairing key, pairing QR code, registration code, or connection secret. Support can help investigate using ordinary technical details.
What changes when I use a TestFlight test version?
If you are invited to test through TestFlight, PocketDesk uses a separate test connection service based on Apple’s verified installation information. Accounts, registered Macs, and purchase access there are separate from the App Store production service. Sign in and add the Mac in the matching test environment, using the Sandbox Host supplied for that test.
TestFlight purchases use Apple’s Sandbox and do not incur actual charges. A test subscription does not activate a production subscription or transfer your registered Macs. The usual local-network pairing key can still be used for free local connections.
To remove a test account, use Delete account in that test installation. To request removal of data in another environment, email support.pocketdesk@gmail.com and explain which test or production installation you used. Apple sign-in authorization belongs to the same app, so revocation can affect the same identity’s authorization in the other environment; the account data stores remain separate.
Privacy and terms
Privacy Policy: getpocketdesk.com/privacy/. Service Terms: getpocketdesk.com/terms/. The App Store app uses Apple’s Standard EULA: www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/.