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 and Intel).

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.

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 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 or €19.99 lifetime) adds scrolling, the full Grid with app auto-switch, Launcher and window switching without upgrade prompts, Mac keyboard shortcuts, full gestures, presets and tuning. 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.

Contact

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