Macky is a secure mobile client that lets you connect to your Mac's screen and terminal from your iPhone using end-to-end encrypted WebRTC. It supports native shell (Zsh, Bash), Claude Code by Anthropic, Codex by OpenAI, and full remote desktop.

How does Macky connect my iPhone to my Mac?

Macky uses peer-to-peer WebRTC with DTLS-SRTP encryption. A signaling server coordinates the initial handshake, but all screen and terminal data flows directly between your devices without passing through any cloud server.

Yes. Macky uses four layers of security: E2E encrypted WebRTC transport, dual-layer identity verification (account tokens plus a master password), device allow-listing, and blind signaling where screen and terminal data never touches Macky's servers.

Does Macky log my terminal commands?

No. Macky has a zero-logs policy. Terminal commands, output, and screen data are never recorded, stored, or accessible by Macky's servers. All data is end-to-end encrypted between your devices.

What AI tools does Macky support?

Macky supports Claude Code (by Anthropic) and Codex (by OpenAI) in addition to native Zsh and Bash shells and full remote desktop, all accessible from your iPhone.

What are the system requirements for Macky?

The Mac host app requires macOS 15 or later. The iPhone remote app requires iOS 18 or later.

How much does Macky cost?

Macky offers a free Basic plan with 5-minute sessions, 1 Mac host, and 1 iPhone remote. The Pro plan costs $29 as a one-time lifetime payment and includes unlimited sessions, unlimited devices, 30-day connection logs, and background connect.

Is it safe to expose the Docker daemon over TCP?

No. Anyone who reaches an unauthenticated Docker port 2375 can execute root commands on your Mac file system. Accessing Docker via an encrypted terminal session is much safer.

What is the best lightweight Docker alternative for Mac?

OrbStack is much lighter than Docker Desktop, boots in under two seconds, and uses very little CPU at idle.

4. Oktober 20265 min read

How to Manage Docker Containers on Mac from iPhone (Without Port Forwarding)

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If you run Docker Desktop or OrbStack on your Mac, your machine is probably hosting several background services right now: a local Postgres database, a Redis cache, maybe a development API container or a message broker.

When you step away from your desk, things inevitably happen: a migration container exits with code 1, memory spikes on a database container, or you just want to restart an unhealthy service without sitting back down at your computer.

Here is how you can monitor and manage your Mac's Docker environment directly from your iPhone without exposing dangerous management ports or installing bloated web dashboards.

The Security Risk of the Docker API Socket

Some mobile Docker dashboard apps ask you to expose your Mac's Docker Engine API over TCP (usually port 2375 for unencrypted traffic or port 2376 with TLS certificates).

Exposing the Docker API over a network is a known high-severity security hazard. Having access to the Docker daemon gives root-level access to the host file system. Anyone who reaches your Docker socket can spin up a privileged container, mount your entire root drive, and read every SSH key and file on your computer.

Rule of thumb: Never expose the Docker daemon over plain TCP or port-forward port 2375 to your local network or internet.

The Safe Way: Native CLI Access via Macky

The safest and fastest way to control Docker is running standard docker CLI commands in your authenticated Mac shell from your phone.

With Macky, your phone connects to your Mac over an end-to-end encrypted WebRTC channel. You authenticate with your local Master Password, and you are immediately inside your regular terminal with all your aliases, Docker compose files, and tools ready to go.

Essential Mobile Docker Commands

Here are the commands you will use most often when checking your Mac containers from your phone:

docker ps --format "table {{.Names}}\t{{.Status}}\t{{.Ports}}"

Gives you a clean, compact view of running containers that fits cleanly on an iPhone screen without horizontal scroll clutter.

docker logs -f --tail 50 [container_name]

Follows the live logs of a specific container in real time. Hit Control-C on Macky's accessory bar to exit when you are done.

docker restart [container_name]

Restarts a hung container in seconds.

docker stats --no-stream

Takes a quick snapshot of CPU and RAM consumption across all your active containers so you can see what is eating your Mac's battery or memory.

docker compose restart

Navigate to your project directory and restart your entire stack with one command.

OrbStack vs Docker Desktop on Mac

If you are running containers on an Apple Silicon Mac, you should also look into OrbStack as a replacement for Docker Desktop.

OrbStack uses a fraction of the CPU and memory that Docker Desktop uses at idle, boots in under two seconds, and has native Rosetta translation for x86 containers. Because it is so lightweight, it is far less likely to freeze or drain your Mac's battery while running headless or closed in clamshell mode.

Get Started in Minutes

You don't need complex reverse proxies, third-party dashboard subscriptions, or exposed socket ports to keep tabs on your containers. Macky gives you immediate terminal access to your Mac wherever you are.

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