How to Access Your Mac Remotely

Your Mac is somewhere else and you need to get into it. Maybe you're traveling and forgot something. Maybe you work from different places and want your main machine available wherever you are. Maybe you just stepped out and realized you left something open.

Remote access lets you connect to your Mac over the internet, see its screen, and control it from wherever you are. This guide covers how it works and the easiest way to get it running.

What remote access actually means

Remote access means your Mac stays at home (or at the office, or wherever it lives) and you connect to it from another device. In this case, your iPhone. You see your Mac's screen on your phone, you can move the cursor, click on things, open files, type, launch apps. Everything you could do sitting in front of it.

The Mac does the actual work. Your phone is just the window into it. So you get your Mac's full storage, all your apps, all your files, from anywhere with a signal.

Why most remote access tools are a pain to set up

The traditional way to set up remote access involves opening ports on your router, setting up a VPN, or dealing with changing IP addresses. It works, but it's the kind of thing that takes an afternoon, breaks when your router reboots, and needs occasional fixing. Most people don't want to deal with any of that just to check on their Mac.

Macky takes a different approach. It uses WebRTC, the same technology that powers video calls in apps like FaceTime. WebRTC was built to punch through routers and firewalls automatically. You don't configure anything on your network. The two devices just find each other.

How to set up remote access to your Mac

Step 1: Download Macky for Mac

Go to macky.dev and download the Mac host app. It installs as a menu bar app and runs quietly in the background. Requires macOS 15 or later.

Step 2: Get the iPhone app

Search for Macky on the App Store and install it. Requires iOS 18 or later.

Step 3: Create an account and sign in on both devices

Use the same account on your Mac and your iPhone.

Step 4: Set a Master Password

This protects your remote sessions separately from your account. Even if someone got into your account, they can't connect to your Mac without this password.

Step 5: Connect

Open the iPhone app, tap your Mac from the list, enter your Master Password, and you're in. Your Mac's screen shows up on your phone.

What you can do once you're connected

Once you're connected remotely, you have full control of your Mac. Here are some things people use remote access for:

• Getting a file you left on your desktop or in a folder
• Closing something you accidentally left open
• Checking on a download or a long-running process
• Launching an app or finishing something you started
• Controlling music or video playing on your Mac
• Helping someone who's using your Mac while you're away

Works on any network

Macky works whether your iPhone is on WiFi or cellular. It also works from hotel networks, coffee shop WiFi, and corporate networks that block other types of remote access. The WebRTC connection finds a path regardless of where you are.

The only requirement is that your Mac stays awake. If it sleeps, the connection drops. Go to System Settings and adjust your sleep settings, or use an app like Amphetamine to keep your Mac awake on demand.

Security

The connection between your iPhone and Mac is end-to-end encrypted. Macky's servers help the devices find each other, but your screen and everything you do never passes through their infrastructure. Your Mac also has to explicitly approve your iPhone the first time, so nothing connects without your permission.

Pricing

The free plan gives you 5-minute sessions with 1 Mac and 1 iPhone. That's enough to see if it works for you. Pro is a one-time payment of $29 and unlocks unlimited session length, unlimited devices, and background connect. No subscription, no monthly fee.