Set up MeowDisplay

Get the apps

You need MeowDisplay on the Mac that sends the display and a receiver on the device that shows it.

Release status: MeowDisplay 2.1 is the current release. iPhone and iPad 2.1 is on the App Store, and Mac 2.1 is a stable download. Android 2.0 is in a Google Play closed test and works with Mac 2.0 or later.

iPhone and iPad

Download MeowDisplay free from the App Store. It needs iOS or iPadOS 16.4 or later.

Mac

Download the Mac 2.1 companion (stable release: 2.1.0). The main Mac app can both share and receive. It needs macOS 14 or later, runs on Apple silicon and Intel, and is signed and notarized by Apple. On an older Mac that only needs to act as a display, use the separate receiver-only app (macOS 12 or later).

Download for MacRelease notes & checksums ›All downloads ›

A standalone Mac Receiver 2.1 is also available for macOS 12+. The unified Mac app’s receiver role and Mac-to-Mac input are implemented, but the latter still awaits physical two-Mac testing.

Android closed testing

Mac companion: Android 2.0 works with MeowDisplay for Mac 2.0 or later. Download the signed and notarized Mac 2.0 (macOS 14 or later), the companion that ships with the Android beta, or install Mac 2.1; both work. Open the DMG and drag MeowDisplay to Applications. Only the Android app is in closed testing. The Mac app has one update feed, so a Mac running 2.0 will be offered Mac 2.1 even if you use it with Android; installing it is fine. With Mac 2.1, when your Mac locks, the Android screen goes dark and ignores touches and keys until you unlock the Mac at the Mac; the picture then comes back by itself. Unlocking the Mac from your device, floating windows and the other new 2.1 features are on iPhone and iPad only for now.

MeowDisplay 2.0 for Android is available to approved Google Play closed testers, not the public production track. Android 10+ is required. Join with the same Google account used on your phone or tablet.

Get Android beta

1. Join the Google tester group.
2. Opt into the closed test on Google Play.
3. Install the app from the private Play listing once you have access.

Use local Wi-Fi or a private-network Remote connection. Android USB is not implemented. Try the Demo works without a Mac; live sessions need the sender running on your Mac.

Install & first run

These are minimum OS requirements, not a guarantee that every version or device has been tested. MeowDisplay 2.1 was tested automatically on macOS 27.0.1 and by hand on a Mac with macOS 27.0, an iPhone with iOS 27.0.1 and an iPad with iPadOS 27.0.1; the receiver-only Mac app hasn’t been tested on hardware yet. On macOS 15, the Mac app can quit right after you approve pairing (#219): 2.1 includes a proposed fix that hasn’t been verified on macOS 15 yet. Tested versions and known issues.

1. Install the Mac app. Optionally, with Homebrew, run brew install --cask raiseCatError/tap/meowdisplay in Terminal. Otherwise open MeowDisplay.dmg and drag MeowDisplay to Applications.
2. Open MeowDisplay from Applications. macOS may ask once to confirm opening an app downloaded from the internet; choose Open.
3. Install MeowDisplay from the App Store on your iPhone or iPad, open it, and keep it open.
4. Connect over USB or the same Wi-Fi network, then pair your devices and grant the permissions below.

Prefer to build it yourself? Both apps build from source with Xcode and XcodeGen; see the repository’s setup guide. To use another Mac as a display, download the optional MeowDisplay Receiver (macOS 12 or later), or run brew install --cask raiseCatError/tap/meowdisplay-receiver. Update later with brew upgrade --cask meowdisplay.

Versions & compatibility

MeowDisplay 2.1 speaks the same connection protocol as 2.0, so 2.0 and 2.1 apps connect to each other and keep their pairing. New features appear only when both sides support them.

• iPhone or iPad 2.1 with Mac 2.1: everything in 2.1.
• iPhone or iPad 2.1 with Mac 2.0: works. Floating windows, Fill Window on Mac, lock screen control, the arrow keypad’s own modifiers and the Open and Save panel fix need Mac 2.1, so they’re hidden or work as before.
• iPhone or iPad 2.0 with Mac 2.1: works, with the 2.0 features.
• Android 2.0 (closed testing) with Mac 2.0 or 2.1: works. See below.

Android: MeowDisplay for Android 2.0 (closed testing) works with MeowDisplay for Mac 2.0 or later. The Mac app has one update feed, so a Mac running 2.0 is offered each new Mac version even if you use it with Android; installing it is fine. With Mac 2.1, when your Mac locks, the Android screen goes dark and ignores touches and keys until you unlock the Mac at the Mac; the picture then comes back by itself. Unlocking the Mac from your device, floating windows and the other new 2.1 features are on iPhone and iPad only for now.

Supported systems are the same in 2.0 and 2.1: the Mac app needs macOS 14 or later, the receiver-only Mac app macOS 12 or later, iPhone and iPad iOS or iPadOS 16.4 or later, and Android 10 or later. See the requirements table.

Permissions

On the Mac, open System Settings → Privacy & Security to review permissions.

• Screen Recording: lets MeowDisplay capture the Mac display.
• Accessibility: enables remote touch, keyboard, mouse, and gesture input.
• Local Network: allows local Wi-Fi discovery on the Mac and receiving device.

macOS shows its screen-recording indicator during capture. This is a system privacy signal.

Pair your devices

On the first connection, compare the short authentication code on both devices. Accept only when the codes match. MeowDisplay saves the trusted identity for future connections.

To deliberately reset trust, choose Forget Device in the Mac app’s device list, then pair again. If a trusted device unexpectedly shows Pair, try restarting both apps before resetting trust.

USB & local Wi-Fi

USB for iPhone/iPad

Use a data-capable cable. Unlock the iPhone/iPad, accept Trust This Computer if asked, and keep MeowDisplay open. No extra USB tunnel tool is required. Android has no USB transport.

Local Wi-Fi

Give both apps Local Network permission and join the same local network. Select the receiving device from the Mac app. Bonjour handles discovery; nearby peer-to-peer Wi-Fi is also supported.

The active connection can be labelled USB, LAN, or AWDL. AWDL is Apple’s nearby peer-to-peer Wi-Fi path; it is not a remote internet connection. Route availability depends on the devices and network.

Mirror & Extend

Open Displays → Display Mode on the Mac. Each receiving device can independently select Mirror or Extend; this multi-device feature has been physically verified.

• Mirror: shares an active physical Mac display. Select the source display when more than one is available. Mirror is unavailable without an active physical display.
• Extend: creates a separate display for the receiver. Video capture must be enabled. Use Arrange Displays… to position it in macOS.

Clamshell or no monitor: use Extend. It doesn’t need a physical display or a dummy adapter, so it works with the lid closed. For clamshell use, keep the MacBook connected to power. With no display attached, Mirror offers to switch to Extend. Headless Macs are a design goal that’s still being tested on more hardware. See Clamshell & headless.

Extend uses the private macOS CGVirtualDisplay API. The immediate Mac distribution plan is a notarized direct download.

Input & audio

Enable Allow Input on the Mac, grant Accessibility permission, and use Request Control in receiver Settings. Connecting alone never grants control. Tap to click, drag with one finger, scroll with two, or use a three-finger tap for Spotlight. Keyboard and mouse input are also supported. Pausing cancels input until the stream resumes.

System audio can stream alongside the display. The receiver starts audio; the Mac’s Streaming → Audio section reports whether it is active.

Window view & floating windows

Window view shows the Mac windows you choose in panes on your iPhone or iPad. In MeowDisplay 2.1, a window can also float over the panes. For a quick look, see Floating windows.

Float a window

• From a pane: touch and hold the pane’s title for a moment, let go, and choose Float This Pane (Float This Tab for a tab).
• From Stage Peek: hold a window’s card and choose Open as Floating Window.
• While dragging: release a window on Float, beside Cancel at the bottom of the screen. Or draw a circle with it for about a second to switch between Pane and Floating; a ring above your finger fills as you circle.
• By default: Default Window Placement in Settings ▸ Controls ▸ Window Switcher decides whether windows you open from Stage Peek arrive as a pane or floating.

Move, resize, tuck and restore

• Move: drag the title on the float’s top edge, or the short bar under it. Let go quickly and it glides on.
• Resize: drag the curved grip at either lower corner. ⋯ ▸ Size ▸ Match Window gives it the window’s own shape again.
• Tuck: throw it toward any edge, pull it more than halfway past one, or choose Tuck Left or Tuck Right in its ⋯ menu. A thin strip of the window stays at the edge as its handle. Slide the strip along the edge to move it.
• Restore: tap the strip, or pull it inward. When many floats share one edge, they share one handle with a menu of their windows.
• Fullscreen: double-tap the title. Exiting puts the float back where it was.
• Back into the layout: ⋯ ▸ Add to Layout makes it a new pane, or a tab when there’s no room. Remove from This Device takes it off this device only; the Mac window stays open.

Turn floating windows off

Enable Floating Windows in Settings ▸ Controls ▸ Window Switcher is on by default, separately on each iPhone or iPad. When you turn it off:

• every floating window, tucked ones too, moves into the layout as a new pane, or as a tab when the layout is full;
• Float This Pane, Open as Floating Window, the Float drop zone and the circle switch are hidden, and Default Window Placement uses Pane (your choice is kept for later);
• nothing changes on the Mac or on your other devices.

Turn it back on and windows can float again. Nothing in your layout moves.

Resize here, or on the Mac

Resizing a float with its corner grip changes only the view on your iPhone or iPad. The window on the Mac keeps its size and place. To change the real window, choose Fill Window on Mac in a pane’s menu, or in a float’s ⋯ menu under On Your Mac. The Mac window then fills its screen, below the menu bar and clear of the Dock, without going full screen. Restore Previous Size on Mac puts it back. Both need control of the Mac and MeowDisplay 2.1 on the Mac.

Something not working? See Window view troubleshooting and keyboard troubleshooting.

Lock Mac & unlock

Lock your Mac

Choose Lock Mac in the receiver’s Settings ▸ Input, or in Session Actions. In MeowDisplay 2.1, a device without control offers Request Control & Lock Mac: the Mac allows control as usual, then locks.

Unlock from a trusted iPhone or iPad

1. On the Mac, open Settings ▸ Devices ▸ your iPhone or iPad ▸ Input Authorization. Set it to Always Allow Requests and leave Allow Lock Screen Control on.
2. When the Mac is locked, your device says the Mac is locked. Tap Show Lock Screen.
3. macOS’s own lock screen appears, with a keyboard of its own. Type your Mac password and press Return. macOS checks it; MeowDisplay passes the keys on and never checks, logs or keeps them.

The lock screen view ends when the Mac unlocks, when the device disconnects, or after two minutes without input. It needs MeowDisplay 2.1 on the Mac and on iPhone or iPad.

What you see when the Mac is locked

While the Mac is locked, normal session content is not shown or sent. Lock screen control is the exception for authorized devices, as described above. Your iPhone or iPad covers the screen with “your Mac is locked” and keeps your layout for when it’s unlocked. If the device can’t use the lock screen, there’s no Show Lock Screen button, and it says why:

• “Lock Screen Control is turned off for this device in its settings on the Mac.”
• “This device didn’t have control before the Mac locked, and nobody can allow it while it’s locked.”
• “This device is set to Never Allow control on the Mac.”
• “Allow Input is off on the Mac.”

In each case, unlock it at the Mac. See troubleshooting.

Remote Access

Paired devices can exchange their own Tailscale addresses, but automatic use of reported endpoints is enabled only on physically verified Android–Mac IPv4 paths. Manually entered addresses remain supported, and no tailnet-wide directory is implemented.

1. Make the Mac and receiver reachable over your private network. Tailscale is one option; sign in on both devices if you choose it.
2. Save the reachable host address and port in the app’s Remote Access settings.
3. Connect to the paired device. A saved endpoint supplies a route, while trusted pairing still supplies authentication.

The Mac needs an existing logged-in user session. MeowDisplay’s current workflow supports sleep and lock, not cold boot or a fully logged-out LoginWindow session.

MeowDisplay does not run a hosted relay. A third-party private network may use its own relays and infrastructure.

Wake & reconnect

Wake & Connect sends bounded local Wake-on-LAN packets, requests interactive wake, and attempts to recover the session. Enable Wake for Network Access on supported Mac hardware. Broader physical validation remains in progress.

A sleeping Mac’s Tailscale node cannot relay its own wake packet. Remote wake needs a router or another awake device on that Mac’s LAN. MeowDisplay does not supply an integrated remote wake relay.

Auto-Reconnect controls automatic reconnect attempts. Turning it off does not end an active session or disable manual Connect, Reconnect, or Wake & Connect.

Questions & answers

Where do I get MeowDisplay?

Get the Mac 2.1 companion (macOS 14+) and the iPhone/iPad App Store app (iOS/iPadOS 16.4+). Android 2.0 is in Google Play closed testing and works with Mac 2.0 or later; iOS 2.1 is on the App Store.

What is MeowDisplay?

MeowDisplay is a free, open-source app that turns an iPhone or iPad into a mirrored or extended display for a Mac, with touch, Trackpad, gesture, keyboard and audio support.

Can I use an iPhone as a display for my Mac?

Yes. Mac-to-iPhone is the primary tested experience. Run the Mac sender and the receiver on your iPhone, pair once, then connect.

Can I use an iPad as a display for my Mac?

Yes. The same receiver runs on iPadOS 16.4 or later, and supported iPads can use Apple Pencil. iPad still needs broader hardware validation.

Can MeowDisplay extend my Mac desktop instead of only mirroring it?

Yes. Extend creates a separate display that you arrange in macOS. Mirror shows an existing physical Mac display.

Does MeowDisplay work over USB?

Yes on iPhone/iPad: use a data-capable cable and trust the computer. Android currently uses Wi-Fi or a private network, not USB.

Does MeowDisplay work over Wi-Fi?

Yes. Both devices can connect on the same local network or over nearby peer-to-peer Wi-Fi. Remote Access works over a private network you configure, such as Tailscale.

Can I control my Mac from the iPhone or iPad?

Yes. With Allow Input enabled, Accessibility permission granted and control allowed for the current session, touch, pointer control, Mac gestures, keyboard input and the Control Tray travel back to your Mac. Connecting alone never grants control; use Request Control in receiver Settings.

Does MeowDisplay support Apple Pencil?

Yes, on supported iPads. Apple Pencil input goes back to the Mac.

Can MeowDisplay play Mac audio on the receiver?

Yes. System audio can stream from the Mac alongside the display. The receiver starts audio.

Can another Mac be used as a receiver?

Yes. The standalone Mac Receiver runs on macOS 12+. The unified Mac app also supports receiving, while keyboard/trackpad input still awaits physical verification using two Macs.

Does clamshell mode work?

Yes, with Extend. Extend doesn’t need a physical display or dummy adapter, so it works with the lid closed while the MacBook stays connected to power.

Does MeowDisplay require an account?

No. MeowDisplay doesn’t require a name, email address or MeowDisplay account.

Does screen, audio or input data pass through MeowDisplay servers?

No. Screen, audio and input data travel directly between your paired devices over mutually authenticated TLS 1.3. MeowDisplay runs no hosted relay or cloud service.

Is MeowDisplay open source?

Yes. The source code is available on GitHub under the GPL-3.0 license.

More help

Visit Support for troubleshooting, or read Privacy for local storage and network details.

Deeper reference: source setup, security model, and release process.