Put a window on your phone — and actually use it
Not a viewer. Tap it and it clicks, drag it and it drags, two fingers scroll, pinch to zoom. It behaves like the trackpad you already know.
- Follows the frontmost app on the computer by default
- Tap, drag, scroll, pinch and multi-click all work
- Modifiers apply to any of those operations
Screen mirror and control · RemoteCrab
Most mirroring is look-only
Typical screen sharing mirrors the picture, and swiping on the phone does nothing — you still have to walk over and touch the computer. What you actually want is different: the screen in your hand should be a screen you can operate.
Open it and go
The default is auto-follow: whatever app is frontmost on the computer shows up on the phone.
- 1
Open the mirror
Tap the mirror icon in the toolbar on your iPhone. The picture appears.
- 2
Just operate it
Tap to click, long-press or two-finger tap for right-click, double-tap to select, one finger to drag, two fingers to scroll.
- 3
Switch target when needed
The window button lets you pin a specific window, or switch to the whole desktop.
Gesture reference
All of it happens on the mirrored image, and it matches trackpad feel.
Single tap = click
It clicks where you land — absolute, not relative.
Long press or two-finger tap = right-click
The context menu appears, exactly as on a trackpad.
One-finger drag = drag
Move windows, drag files, select text.
Two-finger drag = scroll
It works out whether you meant to scroll or to pan the view, and does not fight itself.
Pinch = magnify a region
Zoom into detail, double-tap to zoom or reset.
Modifiers = any operation plus keys
Hold ⌘ / ⌥ / ⌃ / ⇧ and the next tap or drag carries them.
When it is the right tool
The difference between mirror and extended display is whether you intend to touch it.
- Presenting from across the room — cast to your hand instead of walking back to the computer.
- Standing, phone on a stand — watch the mirrored view and reach over to tap it.
- Emergency remote work — the computer is taken; handle something over there from the phone first.
- Second screen plus second input — extended display is "one more screen"; the mirror is "a screen I can also use".
What you need
- macOS 26 or later on Apple silicon (M-series)
- iOS / iPadOS 26 or later
- Both devices on the same WiFi network
- Screen Recording permission on the computer, used to capture the window
The privacy story is simple: stop following, or revoke Screen Recording, and the picture is gone.
The same view, as a genuine second screen
If you do not need to interact and just want something that is always there, extended display is the better tool — it registers as a real display in the system.
See extended display →Put the computer in your pocket
Download the desktop app, pull a window onto your phone, and try dragging something on it.