Support

Help for Control My Mac — the iPhone & iPad app and its free Mac menu-bar companion.

Getting started

1. Download the free Mac app, open the .dmg and move Control My Mac to Applications.
2. Launch it — it lives in your menu bar and shows a QR code.
3. Grant the one-time macOS permissions it requests (Accessibility, and Bluetooth if you plan to use it).
4. Install the iPhone & iPad app from the App Store and put both devices on the same Wi-Fi network, or turn on Bluetooth on both.
5. Scan the QR code on your Mac with the iPhone & iPad app. You're paired — the connection is direct and encrypted.

Requirements: iOS/iPadOS 18 or later, macOS 14 or later (Apple Silicon; Intel Macs up to version 1.2.3).

Pairing & connection troubleshooting

The iPhone or iPad can't find my Mac.

• Same Wi-Fi network: make sure both devices are on the same network — not one on Wi-Fi and one on Ethernet behind a different subnet, and not a guest network. Guest networks and some office/hotel networks block devices from seeing each other ("client isolation"); switch to Bluetooth there.
• Bluetooth on: if you're pairing over Bluetooth, confirm Bluetooth is enabled on both the iPhone or iPad and the Mac.
• Mac app running: the menu-bar icon must be present and showing a QR code or "ready" state.

Pairing worked, but nothing connects (or it drops).

• macOS firewall: open System Settings → Network → Firewall → Options and make sure incoming connections for Control My Mac are allowed.
• Local Network permission (Mac): on macOS 15 and later, check System Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network and confirm Control My Mac is enabled.
• Local Network permission (iPhone or iPad): check Settings → Apps → Control My Mac → Local Network is on. iOS and iPadOS ask once and silently block discovery if it was declined.
• VPNs: a VPN on either device can route local traffic away. Pause the VPN or enable its local-network exemption.
• Still stuck? Quit and reopen the Mac app, toggle Wi-Fi on the iPhone or iPad, and try Bluetooth as a cross-check — it isolates whether the network is the problem.

Pointer moves but clicking or typing does nothing.

The Mac app needs the Accessibility permission to act on your behalf. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility and confirm Control My Mac is listed and enabled. After granting it, quit and reopen the Mac app.

The QR code won't scan.

The camera permission may be off — check Settings → Apps → Control My Mac → Camera. The camera is used only for scanning the pairing code; see the Privacy Policy.

Grids, dark mode and resetting

How do app Grids work?

With Full App, every Mac app can have its own Grid. Bring the app to the front on your Mac, open the Grid and tap “Grid for …” at the top (it shows that app's name). The new Grid starts as a copy of your Default grid. From then on it switches in by itself whenever that app is in front, and every other app uses Default. How App Grids Work, in the grid menu, explains it in the app.

How do I stop the Grid from switching by itself?

Turn off Auto-Switch. The switch sits right in the Grid, above Rearrange. While it's off, the grid you pick stays on screen whatever app is in front. Turn it back on and your app Grids switch in again.

Where do I rename, resize or delete my grids?

Tap the grid's name at the top of the Grid to see every grid and the apps it's for. Manage Grids, in that menu or in Settings → Grids, lets you rename a grid, pick which Mac apps use it, set its rows and columns, and delete it.

How do I turn on dark mode or change the accent color?

Open Settings → Look. Choose System, Light or Dark, then pick an accent color: one of seven presets or any color you like. Dark mode uses warm, low-glare colors that are easy on the eyes. It's free on every plan.

What is Help Mode?

In Help Mode, tapping a button explains what it does instead of doing it, and nothing is sent to the Mac. New installs start in Help Mode once your Mac is connected. When you're ready, tap Turn off Help Mode on any help note, or use the Help Mode switch in Settings, where you can turn it back on anytime.

How do I reset the app?

Open Settings → Reset to Defaults and pick one of three choices, each with a confirmation. Reset Settings puts your settings back and keeps your grids, shortcuts and presets. Reset Settings and Customizations also deletes your grids, custom shortcuts, top row, presets and layouts. Erase Everything also forgets your paired Macs, so the app starts over like new. Your purchases always stay.

Plans & pricing

What's free and what's paid?

The Mac app is free, full stop. The iPhone & iPad app starts with a free 7-day trial of Full App. The trial auto-renews at $4.99/month or $39.99/year in the US (€5.99 or €44.99 in euro countries) unless you cancel before it ends — cancel anytime in Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions and you stay on Essentials, free, with trackpad movement, click, right click, Live and Draft Keyboard basics, one Grid button, and Launcher preview. Full App ($4.99/month, $39.99/year or $119.99 lifetime in the US; €5.99, €44.99 or €129.99 in euro countries) adds scrolling, the full Grid (including a Grid for every Mac app with Auto-Switch), Launcher and window switching without upgrade prompts, Mac keyboard shortcuts including your own shortcut buttons, full gestures, presets and tuning. Dark mode, accent colors, Help Mode and Reset to Defaults are free on every plan. There are no ads in either plan. The paid Full App upgrade is bought only in the iPhone & iPad app through Apple — there's nothing to pay for on this website or in the free Mac app.

How do I manage or cancel a subscription?

Purchases are handled by Apple. On your iPhone or iPad: Settings → your name → Subscriptions. Cancelling takes effect at the end of the current period; the lifetime purchase never renews.

Privacy

Is it private?

Yes. No account, no servers, no analytics. Your devices talk directly to each other over your local network or Bluetooth, encrypted. Details in the Privacy Policy.

Legal notice for customers in Japan

Information required by Japan's Act on Specified Commercial Transactions (特定商取引法に基づく表記) for purchases made in the iPhone and iPad app through the App Store.

• Seller: Sebastian Škoić (Sebastian Apps)
• Address: Šturmova ulica 7A, Ljubljana, Slovenia
• Contact: support@controlmymac.com. A phone number is provided without delay on request.
• Price: the amount shown on the purchase screen in the app, consumption tax included. Internet connection charges are your own.
• Payment: charged by Apple to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. The monthly or yearly subscription is charged when the free trial ends, then renews automatically every month or year until you cancel.
• Delivery: Full App is available as soon as the purchase is complete.
• Cancellation and refunds: digital purchases can't be returned. You can cancel the subscription in your Apple Account settings at any time, up to 24 hours before the current period ends; Full App then stays available until the end of the period already paid for. Refund requests are handled by Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com.
• Requirements: iOS or iPadOS 18 or later, and the free Mac app on macOS 14 or later.

Contact

Email support@controlmymac.com with your macOS and iOS or iPadOS versions and a short description — screenshots of any error help a lot.