Help center
PocketCtrl connects your iPhone, iPad, or Mac directly to your own Mac with no account and no cloud in between. That makes it private, and it also means the two devices have to be able to reach each other. Almost every problem comes down to one of four things: the Mac is not hosting, a permission is off, the devices are not on the same network, or the request was never approved on the Mac. These articles walk through each one in plain language.
Start here
The 60-second version
On the Mac
- Open PocketCtrl and choose Start hosting on this device, then Start Hosting in the side panel. The status should read that the Mac is hosting.
- Screen Recording must be allowed. Accessibility is needed only for remote control. Both are in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
- To add a device, choose Pair New Device. A QR code and a 12-character Computer Code appear. They expire after two minutes.
- When the other device asks, a New Device Request window appears. Choose what it may do, then Authenticate and Approve with Touch ID or your password. You have three minutes.
On the iPhone or iPad
- Be on the same Wi-Fi network as the Mac, or have Tailscale turned on and signed in on both devices.
- Allow Local Network when iOS asks. If you tapped Don't Allow, turn it on in Settings → Apps → PocketCtrl → Local Network.
- Choose Connect a new Mac, scan the QR code or type the Computer Code, then look at the Mac and approve.
- Screen viewing works right away. Clicking, typing, clipboard, and audio only work if they were switched on when the Mac approved this device.
Jump straight to an answer
- “My iPhone says it is connecting, but nothing happens.”Run the connection checklist
- “The Mac never showed me an approval request.”Approval request not appearing
- “It says Tailscale is off, but I am at home.”You may not need Tailscale
- “I can see the screen but cannot click or type.”Remote input is a separate permission
- “The pairing code says it expired.”Codes last two minutes
- “It worked yesterday and not today.”What changes overnight
All help articles
- Fix connection problemsThe step-by-step checklist when your iPhone, iPad, or Mac cannot reach the host Mac.
- Are my devices on the same network?How to tell, why guest Wi-Fi and hotspots break it, and what to do when they are not.
- Pairing explainedComputer Codes, QR codes, pairing links, the approval request on the Mac, and what each permission means.
- Permissions on Mac and iPhoneScreen Recording, Accessibility, Local Network, camera, microphone, and how to fix each when it is off.
- Tailscale troubleshootingNot detected, off on the iPhone, different tailnets, relays, and when you do not need Tailscale at all.
- The Mac app, screen by screenHosting controls, Network, Diagnostics, trusted devices, launch at login, and the command-line tool.
- The iPhone and iPad appSaved Macs, the remote view, keyboard and voice typing, quality sliders, and every status message.
- GlossaryHost, viewer, tailnet, unattended access, and the other words PocketCtrl uses.
Still stuck?
Email hello@talkupapp.com with your device models, OS versions, whether you are on the same Wi-Fi or using Tailscale, and the exact message PocketCtrl shows. Screenshots help. Never send pairing codes, QR images, or credentials.
Found a bug or have an idea?
PocketCtrl is open source. Bug reports and feature requests are welcome on GitHub. For anything security-related, use private vulnerability reporting instead of a public issue.