How to Connect to Your Mac Terminal from iPhone

Your Mac is a powerhouse. The terminal is where the real work happens — from managing files and running builds to deploying applications and controlling servers. But what happens when you step away from your desk?

With Macky, your Mac's terminal is always in your pocket. Not a stripped-down mobile shell. Not a web-based emulator. Your actual Mac terminal, running on your actual Mac, controlled from your iPhone over an end-to-end encrypted connection.

Everything You Can Do in Terminal, from Your Phone

Macky gives you full terminal access. Anything you can type into Terminal.app or iTerm on your Mac, you can type from your iPhone. Here are just a few examples of what that means in practice:

Git and Version Control

Pull the latest changes, check diffs, commit work, push to remote, switch branches, resolve merge conflicts — all from your phone. If a teammate pushes a breaking change while you're away from your desk, you can investigate and fix it immediately.

Package Management and Builds

Run npm, yarn, pnpm, pip, cargo, brew — whatever your stack requires. Start a build, watch it compile, and catch errors in real time. No need to wait until you're back at your laptop.

Docker and Containers

Check running containers, restart services, tail logs, or spin up new environments. If a container crashes at 2 AM, you can diagnose and restart it from bed.

Database Operations

Connect to PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, MongoDB, or Redis. Run queries, check data, perform migrations. Your Mac already has the database clients configured — Macky just lets you use them remotely.

Server and Process Management

Start or stop development servers, check system resources, kill hung processes, monitor logs in real time. Your Mac's full process management toolkit is at your fingertips.

SSH into Other Machines

Your Mac likely has SSH keys configured for various servers. Through Macky, you can SSH from your Mac into any remote server — using your existing keys and config. Your Mac becomes a gateway to your entire infrastructure.

File Management

Navigate directories, move files, edit configs with vim or nano, compress archives, download files with curl or wget. Full filesystem access through the terminal.

AI Coding Tools: A Popular Use Case

One of the most popular reasons developers use Macky is to run AI coding agents from their phone. Tools like Claude Code (by Anthropic) and Codex (by OpenAI) run in the terminal and can take minutes or hours to complete tasks. With Macky, you can:

• Start a Claude Code or Codex session from your iPhone
• Monitor progress on long-running AI tasks
• Approve or reject file changes the AI proposes
• Provide follow-up instructions without returning to your desk
• Run multiple AI sessions across different projects

But AI tools are just one use case. Macky is a general-purpose terminal client — anything that runs in your Mac's terminal works through Macky.

How the Connection Works

Macky uses WebRTC — the same technology that powers video calls — to create a direct, peer-to-peer connection between your Mac and iPhone. Here's what that means:

• No SSH configuration. No port forwarding, no SSH keys, no static IP address needed.
• Works through NAT. Your home router, office firewall, or mobile hotspot — Macky punches through them all automatically.
• Zero config. Install the Mac host, install the iPhone app, sign in, connect. That's it.
• End-to-end encrypted. All terminal data is encrypted with DTLS-SRTP before it leaves your device. Macky's servers never see your commands or output.

Security You Can Trust

Macky uses four layers of security to protect your terminal:

1. E2E Encrypted Transport — DTLS-SRTP encrypted WebRTC tunnel. Data is invisible to the network and to Macky's servers.
2. Dual Layer Identity — Your account authenticates the connection, but a separate Master Password protects the terminal itself. Even if your account is compromised, the terminal stays locked.
3. Device Allow Listing — Your Mac must explicitly approve each iPhone before it can connect.
4. Blind Signaling — Macky's server only coordinates the WebRTC handshake. Terminal data (commands, output) never touches our infrastructure.

Getting Started

Setting up Macky takes about two minutes:

1. Download the Mac host app — Get the .DMG from macky.dev. Requires macOS 15 or later.
2. Download the iPhone app — Available on the App Store. Requires iOS 18 or later.
3. Create an account and set a Master Password — This password protects your terminal sessions.
4. Connect — Open Macky on your iPhone, select your Mac, enter your Master Password, and you're in.

The free plan gives you 5-minute sessions with 1 Mac and 1 iPhone — enough to try it out. The Pro plan ($29, one-time lifetime payment) unlocks unlimited sessions, unlimited devices, connection logs, and background connect.

Your Mac, Always Within Reach

Whether you're checking a build from the couch, restarting a server from a coffee shop, or running Claude Code from the park — Macky keeps your Mac's terminal one tap away. No VPN, no SSH, no configuration. Just your Mac and your iPhone, connected securely.