MeowDisplay is free and open source on Mac, iPhone and iPad. Android is in closed testing. Get MeowDisplay › Explore the features ›

MeowDisplay

Mac Everywhere.
On Whatever Display.

Turn an iPhone, iPad, Android device or another Mac into a display for your Mac. Mirror it, extend it, and control it with touch.

Download Mac 2.1Download on the App StoreJOIN CLOSED TESTING ONGoogle Play

Free and open source. iOS 2.1 on the App Store · Mac 2.1 for macOS 14+ · Android 10+ in closed testing.
All downloads ›

USB Plug in.Wi-Fi Stay nearby.Remote Access Go further.

Floating windows New in 2.1

Float Mac windows
over your layout.

In Window view, a Mac window can float over your panes instead of taking a place in the layout. Move it, resize it, tuck it against an edge, and put it back in the layout when you’re done.

Safari and Notes side by side in two panes on an iPad, in Window view. Notes can float over Safari, then be moved, resized, tucked into an edge behind a thin strip, brought back, and added to the layout again.

Arrow keys move it. Plus and minus make it larger or smaller. Option or Alt with an arrow key tucks it into that edge.

Float a window out of its pane, move and resize it, tuck it against an edge, then bring it back.
Float · Move · Resize · Tuck
Float
Drag a window onto Float, or choose Float This Pane.
Move and resize
Drag its title to move it. Drag a lower corner to resize.
Tuck away
Throw it at an edge. Tap the strip to bring it back.
Add to Layout
Put it back as a pane from its ⋯ menu.
More about floating windows ›

Window view

Arrange Mac windows
on your iPhone or iPad.

Choose individual Mac windows instead of showing the full display. Arrange them in tabs or panes, then swap or resize them as you work. To move a window, touch and hold its label, then drag it.

Mac windows
Touch and hold a window’s label, then drag it.
Tab · Split · Swap · Resize
Tab
Drop a window on the top strip to add it as a tab.
Split
Drop it on an edge to open a new pane beside it.
Swap
Drop it in the centre and the two trade places.
Resize
Drag the divider to give a pane more room.
Explore Window view ›

Stage Peek

Switch windows
from the screen’s edge.

Touch and hold the edge of your iPhone or iPad to open a column of Mac windows. Tap one to switch to it.

Hold the left edge.
After a moment, about 0.3 seconds, the column of windows appears.
Slide to scrub.
Move up or down to magnify each window in turn.
Lift, then tap.
The column stays open when you lift. Tap a window to show it.
Explore Stage Peek ›
Press and hold the left edge of the screen.
Hold · Slide · Tap

Natural Touch

Tap, scroll and drag
with Natural Touch.

Tap to click, swipe to scroll, hold then move to drag, or hold longer to right-click. MeowDisplay distinguishes these gestures by how long you pause before moving.

Tap to click.
Tap twice to double-click.
Swipe to scroll.
Scrolling starts right away, with momentum.
Rest, then move to drag.
Pause for a quarter second and the drag begins.
Hold to right-click.
Keep your finger still for half a second.

Two fingers tap to right-click and pan to scroll.

Explore Natural Touch ›
Tap, swipe, rest then move, or hold. Try it on the list.
Tap · Swipe · Drag · Hold

Remote Finder

Browse files
on your Mac.

Tap Finder in Stage Peek to browse files on your Mac in a touch-friendly view.

Your Mac decides.
Allow access on your Mac first. It decides what each device may do.
Preview almost anything.
Open files with your Mac’s Quick Look.
Save, add and tidy.
Save copies on your device, add your own files and tidy folders.

Prefer Finder itself? Its windows are one tap away. Copy on one and paste on the other with Unified Clipboard.

Explore Remote Finder ›
Tap Finder in Stage Peek to browse your Mac’s files.
Tap · Allow · Preview · Save

Per-device displays

Choose a display mode
for each device.

You can Mirror on one receiver and Extend on another. Change each device’s mode separately. Drag the virtual displays to arrange them around your Mac, just like in Displays settings.

Multiple displays ›
Arrange displays
Mac Main display
iPhoneMirror
iPadExtend

Drag either receiving display. Each receiver can independently Mirror or Extend.

Features can differ by platform. Android is currently in closed testing. Platform status ›

Two ways to make room.

Mirror your display
or add another.

Mirror what’s on your Mac, or give it a whole new display. Switch between them any time in the Mac app.

Mirror.
The same screen on both.

Your iPhone shows the selected Mac display as you work. If your Mac has more than one display, choose which one to share.

Extend.
A second screen of its own.

Your iPhone becomes a separate display beside your Mac. Drag a window over, keep a reference or a second app there, and arrange it with your other displays in macOS.

More about Mirror & Extend ›
Mirror: the same screen on both.

Devices

Manage paired devices
from your Mac.

Your paired iPhone, iPad, Android device or receiving Mac appears in Devices on your Mac. See its connection, choose Mirror or Extend for that device, pause or disconnect it, and manage its permissions. Android is currently in closed beta.

Pair once and you’re set. Forget removes a device whenever you like.

More about Devices ›
The MeowDisplay receiver on Cinnamon’s iPad, paired and nearby

No display required

Use your MacBook
with the lid closed.

Extend creates a virtual display in software, so your iPhone or iPad can be the screen.

Works in clamshell mode.
Close the lid and keep working from iPhone or iPad while your MacBook is connected to power.
No dummy adapter.
No HDMI plug is needed just to keep a display alive.
More about clamshell and headless use ›

Picture in Picture

View your Mac
in Picture in Picture.

Open another app on your iPhone or iPad and Picture in Picture keeps your Mac display visible in a floating window.

Starts when you leave.
With Picture in Picture on, leaving MeowDisplay during a live session moves your Mac into the floating window. You can also start it from Settings.
For glancing.
The window is view-only. It shows what your Mac is doing, and all control stays in the full MeowDisplay receiver.
One tap back.
Use the window’s restore button to jump straight back into MeowDisplay.

On by default and easy to turn off in Settings. If the receiver’s Audio is on, Mac audio can keep playing with the window.

More about Picture in Picture ›
Leave MeowDisplay and your Mac keeps going in a floating window.

Input

Control your Mac
from the receiver.

Tap, drag, scroll, swipe between Spaces, and type from the receiver. Touch, keyboard, and mouse input travel back to your Mac. You stay in control with Allow Input.

Direct TouchTap exactly where you look
TrackpadGlide the pointer, like a MacBook
One fingerTap & drag
Two fingersScroll
Three-finger tapSpotlight

Requires Accessibility permission on the Mac. Pausing the stream also pauses input.

Explore input & gestures ›

Audio

Listen to your
Mac’s audio.

System audio can accompany the display, from the Mac to the connected receiver.

Audio is started by the receiving device. The Mac’s Streaming settings show when it’s active.

Audio help ›

Allow Input

Choose which devices
can control your Mac.

Allow Input on the Mac is the master switch for remote control. Your iPhone and iPad can always connect and show your Mac. Whether they can control it is up to you.

Off: look, don’t touch.
Connected devices still show your Mac, but nothing they do reaches it. The receiver hides its control tray; its Settings gear stays reachable.
On: control, with permission.
A device has to ask for control each session. With Ask, your Mac shows a prompt to approve. Always Allow Requests skips the prompt, but the device still has to ask.
Every session starts off.
Connecting never turns input on by itself.

Controlling your Mac requires Accessibility permission. Pausing the stream also pauses input.

Permissions setup ›
Allow Input
Allow Input off: both devices show your Mac, but their touches never reach it.

Control

Touch and keyboard controls
for your Mac.

View your Mac on your iPhone or iPad, then use touch, gestures or a keyboard to control it when the Mac allows input.

  • TouchTap where you look
  • TrackpadGlide the pointer
  • KeyboardType on the receiver
  • GesturesSpaces, Mission Control
  • ShortcutsOne tap away
  • Two traysControl and Function
  • Apple PencilDraw on iPad
  • Precise ControlFine-tune, then click
  • Smart TouchOne-finger scroll
Explore input & controls ›

Precise Control

Fine-tune the pointer
with a second finger.

A fingertip covers exactly what you’re aiming at. In Direct Touch or Trackpad, keep one finger down and use a second: the pointer moves from where it already is, and a tap clicks right where it points.

Place it, then refine it.
In Direct Touch, your first finger puts the pointer where you touch. Add a second finger and the pointer stops jumping. Move either finger to nudge it onto small targets.
Tap to click at the pointer.
Tap the second finger to click. Tap twice to double-click, or tap, then hold and move, to drag from that exact spot.
Trackpad works the same way.
The pointer is already relative there. Rest one finger, then tap another to click or drag right where the pointer is.
Lift to finish.
Lift every finger and your next touch starts fresh.

Works in Direct Touch and Trackpad. There’s nothing to turn on.

More about Precise Control ›
Hold one finger, add a second to nudge the pointer, then tap to click.

Smart Touch Experimental

Scroll and move windows
with one finger.

With Direct Touch, Smart Touch checks what’s under your finger before it acts. Scrollable areas scroll with one finger, and title bars move their window.

Up, down, sideways and diagonally.
Lists, documents, web pages and spreadsheets follow your finger. Straight swipes stay on course; diagonal ones move both ways.
Hold a title bar to move the window.
Hold for a moment, then drag. A haptic tells you when the window is ready.
Hold anywhere else for Direct Touch.
Holding still turns that touch into plain Direct Touch.
Taps stay taps.
Two-finger scroll, pinch, rotate and Mac gestures work as before.
No guessing.
If MeowDisplay isn’t sure what’s under your finger, it’s ordinary Direct Touch.

Optional and off by default. Works best with apps that expose standard macOS accessibility information.

More about Smart Touch ›Accessibility setup ›

notes.meow.local
Field Notes

From the windowsill

Nearby

Tide poolsRead
Harbor walkRead
LighthouseRead
Night marketRead

Tide table

Smart Touch
Two fingers scroll

Try it: drag the page or the table, tap Read, or hold the title bar, then drag.

Apple Pencil

Use Apple Pencil
with your Mac.

On supported iPad models, Apple Pencil strokes reach your Mac as pen-tablet input, separate from your fingers.

Pencil hovering above iPad

Every stroke, live. Pencil input is sent at the iPad’s full touch sample rate.

Tilt and hover. Tilt travels with each stroke. On iPads with Pencil hover, the pointer follows the tip before it touches.

Your palm stays out of it. Fingers resting on the screen are ignored while the tip is down.

Apple Pencil support is still evolving, with more capabilities and refinements planned. What works today ›

Trackpad mode

Use your device
as a trackpad.

In Trackpad mode, the pointer moves from wherever it is, just like on a MacBook. Touching the screen never makes it jump.

Don’t need the picture? Turn Video off and keep going. Your iPhone becomes a trackpad and keyboard for your Mac, with the trays and gestures still ready.

More about input modes ›
Move the pointer

Chords

Mac shortcuts
in on-screen controls.

Hold ⌘ and the commands that go with it appear right beside it. Add ⌥ or ⇧ and the palette changes. Slide onto a command and let go — no keyboard needed. Try it below.

One key, or a few. Modifiers stay latched until you use them, so a chord is just a tap or two.

Quick actions, always there. The Function Tray keeps Zoom, Undo, Redo and Return one tap away, on either side of the screen.

Made yours. Choose the shortcuts in each palette, reorder or hide controls, and keep separate profiles.

Automatically hide
the Control Tray.

Auto-hide hides the Control Tray after a short period of inactivity. It stays visible while you use it and reappears when you reach for it.

Prefer it always visible? Turn Auto-hide off. Show, Hide and Collapse still work the way they always have.

Explore the trays ›

Android closed testing

Try MeowDisplay
on Android.

Use an Android phone or tablet as a receiver over Wi-Fi or a private network. Mirror, Extend, Window view and Natural Touch are available to closed testers. Android connects over the network; USB isn’t supported.

JOIN CLOSED TESTING ONGoogle Play

Closed test · Android 10 or later · Works with Mac 2.0 or later · How to join ›

Connections

Connect by USB,
Wi-Fi or a private network.

Connect over USB on iPhone/iPad, local Wi-Fi, or a private network such as Tailscale. Android uses network connections, not USB. There’s no MeowDisplay account or hosted streaming relay.

Find your connection ›
01

USB on iPhone and iPad

Connect a data cable, unlock your iPhone or iPad, and tap Trust. No extra USB tunnel tool is required.

02

Local Wi-Fi

On the same network, your Mac finds your device on its own. Nearby devices can also connect directly over peer-to-peer Wi-Fi.

03

Private-network connections

Use a private network you already trust, such as Tailscale, to reach a paired Mac from elsewhere. Pairing still verifies every connection.

Remote Access

Reach your Mac
over a private network.

Connect through a private network such as Tailscale. Paired devices can exchange their own Tailscale addresses; automatic dialing is enabled only on verified Android–Mac IPv4 routes. You can also enter an address yourself.

Set up Remote Access ›

Wake and reconnect
to your Mac.

Wake & Connect sends a Wake-on-LAN request to your paired Mac, then reconnects. It needs Wake for Network Access, supported hardware, and a way for the wake request to reach the Mac’s local network.

Auto-Reconnect restores the session when the connection returns.

A sleeping Mac can’t pass along its own wake request over Tailscale. From farther away, another device or router on the Mac’s network has to send it.

Designed for an existing logged-in Mac session that sleeps or locks. Cold boot and the fully logged-out login screen are outside the current supported workflow.

Built for your devices

Native apps for
Mac, iOS and Android.

Native Mac and iPhone/iPad apps are built with Swift, and the Android receiver is built in Kotlin. Capture, decoding and input use platform-native frameworks. A Mac remains the sender.

Swift 6SwiftUIScreenCaptureKitVideoToolboxNetwork.frameworkMetalKotlinJetpack ComposeMediaCodec

Pairing & privacy

Pair your devices
with a matching code.

Confirm the matching code on both devices. Future connections authenticate against the device identity you trusted.

MeowDisplay uses mutually authenticated TLS 1.3 and pins each paired device’s public key. A saved network address helps find your Mac; it doesn’t replace that trust.

Identity & trustStored in your Keychain

MeowDisplay accountNone required

MeowDisplay-hosted relayNone

Read about privacy ›

Support independent development

Support MeowDisplay

MeowDisplay stays free and open source. If it helps you, a contribution supports its development. Thank you ♥

Support on Ko-fi ↗GitHub Sponsors ↗

Built in the open.

MeowDisplay is open-source software under GPL-3.0. Read the code, follow development, or contribute.

Explore on GitHub ↗

A few good questions

Before you connect.

Is MeowDisplay free?

Yes. The Mac, iPhone and iPad apps are free, and Android is in free closed testing. There are no subscriptions, ads or MeowDisplay accounts. The source is open under GPL-3.0. Donations are optional and greatly appreciated.

Where can I download MeowDisplay?

The latest public Mac installer is the stable v2.1.0 release. The Android 2.0 beta works with Mac 2.0 or later; its tester page keeps the Mac 2.0 download. Get the iPhone/iPad app on the App Store. Android 2.0 is available through Google Play closed testing.

Which devices are supported?

The sender runs on macOS 14+. Receivers include iPhone/iPad (iOS/iPadOS 16.4+), Android (10+, closed beta), and another Mac (standalone receiver from macOS 12, or integrated receiving in the main Mac app). Mac-to-Mac input is implemented but physical two-Mac verification is pending. Compare platforms ›

Do I need a monitor or a dummy display adapter?

No dummy adapter is needed. Extend creates a virtual display in software, so your iPhone or iPad can be the Mac’s screen, including with the lid closed. MeowDisplay is designed to work with no monitor attached; headless setups are still being tested on more Macs. Mirror copies a physical display, so it needs one to be active. Clamshell and headless use.

Is MeowDisplay a remote desktop app?

MeowDisplay lets you use your own Mac from another device, including for professional work. It is not an enterprise remote-support or fleet-management service. Feature availability depends on the receiving platform and release version.

Do I need Tailscale?

No. USB and local Wi-Fi work without it. Remote Access needs a reachable network; Tailscale is one option. Third-party networking services have their own terms.

Can I wake my Mac from another network?

Local Wake & Connect depends on Mac hardware and settings. Waking an unreachable Mac from another network requires something on its own LAN to send a wake packet. MeowDisplay does not provide a hosted wake relay.

Get started

Get MeowDisplay
for your devices.

Free on Mac, iPhone and iPad today.
Android 2.0 is in closed beta.

Mac 2.1 companionDownload on the App StoreJOIN CLOSED TESTING ONGoogle Play

All downloads ›Setup guide ›Find help ›

The unified Mac app shares and receives displays on macOS 14 or later. Older Mac? The receiver-only Mac Receiver runs on macOS 12 or later.