One tap, one shortcut (or a few)
Each button sends a key combo to your Mac, like Shift-Command-4. A button can also send several combos back to back. Give it a short label so you know at a glance what it does.
A Grid for every Mac app, switching by itself
A Stream Deck alternative for Mac, using the iPhone you already have.
A Stream Deck is a grid of buttons that fire actions on your computer. If most of your buttons would be Mac keyboard shortcuts, the iPhone or iPad in your pocket can do that job. Control My Mac gives every Mac app its own Grid of one-tap shortcut buttons, made in one tap and switched in by itself when that app comes to the front, plus a trackpad and keyboard for everything else.
macOS 14+ · iOS/iPadOS 18+ · Free Mac app · No account
iPhone & iPad app:
How the Grid works
Five things make the Grid behave like a deck of shortcut keys, without buying another gadget for your desk.
Learns shortcuts from your Mac
Start recording on the phone, press the combo on your Mac's keyboard, and it's saved to the button. No hunting through menus for the right symbols. You can also enter a shortcut by hand.
A Grid for every Mac app
With an app in front on your Mac, tap “Grid for Photoshop” (the button shows whichever app it is) and that app gets its own Grid, starting as a copy of your Default grid. From then on it appears on your phone by itself whenever that app is in front, and every other app uses Default. Want one grid to stay put? Turn Auto-Switch off, right in the Grid.
Your size, your order
Choose how many rows and columns you want, then drag buttons into the order that suits your thumb. On iPad the Grid gets bigger, with room for more buttons. With Full App you can also put Grid buttons and your own shortcuts in the trackpad's top row, up to 12, so the ones you use most are one tap away.
All your grids in one place
Tap the grid's name to see every grid and the apps it's for. Manage Grids lets you rename them, pick which Mac apps use each one, set rows and columns, and delete the ones you're done with. The same list lives in Settings, under Grids, and How App Grids Work explains it all in the app.
Two honest details. Learning a shortcut needs the Input Monitoring permission for Control My Mac on the Mac. It only listens while you're recording, and saves just the combo you pressed. If you'd rather not grant it, type the shortcut in manually. And the full Grid, including app Grids and Auto-Switch, is part of the paid Full App: the free Essentials plan includes one Grid button, so you can try the idea before paying.
Example setups that work well
The Grid sends keyboard shortcuts, so the best setups are apps you already drive from the keyboard. A few realistic starting points.
Screenshots, in any app
Three buttons: Shift-Command-3 for the whole screen, Shift-Command-4 for a selection, Shift-Command-5 for the screenshot toolbar with its recording options. They work everywhere, so this makes a good default Grid.
Your browser
New tab (Command-T), reopen the tab you just closed (Shift-Command-T), reload (Command-R), jump to the address bar (Command-L). Make it the Grid for Safari or Chrome and it shows up by itself whenever the browser is in front.
Finder housekeeping
New folder (Shift-Command-N), Get Info (Command-I), Go to Folder (Shift-Command-G), Move to Trash (Command-Delete). Sorting a downloads folder becomes tap, tap, tap.
Your editing or design app
Video, photo, audio and design apps have dozens of shortcuts. Record the ten you actually use (tools, markers, undo, export) into that app's own Grid, like a Grid for Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro or Photoshop. Learning them straight from the Mac saves you looking them up.
One thing to keep in mind: an app's own shortcuts only work while that app is in front. That's exactly why the Grid follows the frontmost app, and why the launcher and window switching sit one tap away when you need to bring a different app forward first.
Control My Mac vs Stream Deck
Control My Mac’s prices are from the US App Store and vary by region.
| Control My Mac | Stream Deck MK.2 (hardware) | Stream Deck Mobile | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | iPhone and iPad app (Control My PC on Android), plus a free Mac or Windows companion app | USB-C desk controller with 15 LCD keys | iPhone, iPad and Android app that works with the Stream Deck desktop software |
| Price | Essentials free (includes one Grid button). Full App $4.99/month, $39.99/year or $119.99 once | See its store page for the current price. | See its store page for the current price. |
| Buttons | A Grid with the rows and columns you choose | 15 physical keys | 6 free, up to 64 with Pro |
| What a button can do | Keyboard shortcuts, recorded from the Mac or entered by hand | Shortcuts plus a large library of plugins, profiles and icons | Actions and plugins from the Stream Deck software |
| Changes by app | Yes. Every Mac app can have its own Grid, made in one tap, that switches in automatically (Full App) | Yes, with Smart Profiles | Set up in the Stream Deck desktop app |
| Connection | Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, paired by QR code, no account | USB-C cable | Wi-Fi, with the Stream Deck app running on the computer |
| Computers | Mac (macOS 14 or later) and Windows 10+ | Mac and Windows | macOS 10.15+ or Windows 10+ |
| Trackpad and keyboard too | Yes | No | Check the app’s page |
Sources: Stream Deck MK.2, Stream Deck Neo, Stream Deck Mobile and its App Store page, Smart Profiles, and the Control My Mac App Store page.
When a real Stream Deck is better
Plenty of people should just buy the hardware. Here's when.
You want to press without looking
Physical keys sit in the same spot every day and you can find them by feel. There's no phone to pick up or unlock, and nothing else competes for the screen.
You stream or automate beyond shortcuts
Stream Deck plugins connect to apps directly. If you need actions that aren't keyboard shortcuts, like controlling streaming software through a plugin, the Grid can't do that.
You want dials or a pedal
Elgato makes models with dials and a touch strip, plus a foot pedal. A phone screen is flat glass, so it can't replace those.
And when Stream Deck Mobile is better
If you already own Stream Deck hardware and rely on its plugins, Stream Deck Mobile adds keys to the setup you know. It also works with Windows and Android.
When Control My Mac fits better
- You already have an iPhone or iPad and your buttons would mostly be Mac shortcuts.
- You'd like a trackpad and keyboard in the same app, for the couch, a presentation or a Mac across the room.
- You want every Mac app to get its own buttons that switch in by themselves, with shortcuts learned straight from the Mac.
- You'd rather not add another device and cable to the desk.
- You work one-handed. Every control is built to be reached with one finger. More on that in the one-handed guide.
Questions people ask
Can I use my iPhone as a Stream Deck?
For keyboard shortcuts, yes. Control My Mac turns an iPhone or iPad into a Grid of one-tap buttons that send shortcuts to your Mac, and every Mac app can have its own Grid that switches in by itself. It doesn't run Stream Deck plugins, so for streaming software and smart lights the Stream Deck app is the better fit.
Is there a Stream Deck Mobile alternative for Mac?
Control My Mac is one. It works with a free Mac companion app instead of the Stream Deck desktop software, connects over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi without an account, and adds a trackpad and keyboard to the same app. It works with Macs and Windows PCs.
Does it work with Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve or Final Cut Pro?
Yes, through their keyboard shortcuts. Each of them can have its own Grid. There are ready-made starter Grids for Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve and Final Cut Pro.
Is it free?
The Mac app is free, and the free Essentials plan in the iPhone and iPad app includes one Grid button. A Grid for every Mac app and Auto-Switch come with Full App: $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year in the US after a 7-day free trial, renewing until you cancel, or $119.99 once.
More guides
Premiere Pro
A ready-made Grid of Premiere Pro shortcuts.
DaVinci Resolve
A ready-made Grid of DaVinci Resolve shortcuts.
Final Cut Pro
A ready-made Grid of Final Cut Pro shortcuts.
Macro pad for Mac
A starter Grid of Mac shortcuts that work in every app.
iPhone as a mouse
Step-by-step setup, Bluetooth vs Wi-Fi, and using an iPad as a trackpad.
Compare remote apps
Control My Mac vs Remote Mouse, Mobile Mouse and Unified Remote.
Power users
Launcher, window switching and shortcuts on glass beside your keyboard.
One-handed Mac
Built-in macOS options, where they fall short, and what helps.
Try the Grid on the phone you own
The Mac app is free. Start the 7-day free trial of Full App on iPhone or iPad to give every Mac app its own Grid. If you don't keep it, Essentials stays free with the trackpad, keyboard basics and one Grid button.
macOS 14+ · Apple silicon · Intel Macs up to version 1.2.3 · No account