Prepare your Mac first

Install and run the desktop beta on the Mac you want to access. Grant Screen Recording and Accessibility permissions and keep it awake, online and logged in. iPadOS cannot act as the host; your iPad is the controller.

Open the mobile controller in Safari

Open the existing mobile web client, sign in if prompted and enter your Mac’s device ID and connection password. The app currently uses Korean. You may add the page to your Home Screen for your next visit; it still needs an internet connection.

iPhone-to-Mac setup guide · iPad-to-Mac setup guide

Open mobile controller

Use touch and keyboard tools

Use the mobile touch controls to move around the remote screen, click and scroll. The input toolbar provides keyboard entry and common modifier shortcuts. For text composition, finish composing your text before sending it to the Mac. Desktop tools and mobile tools differ; do not assume every desktop shortcut or clipboard feature is available in the browser.

Test before you travel

Hotel Wi-Fi, cellular networks and company policies can block direct connectivity. A prepared Mac is necessary but does not guarantee a reachable connection. Run a test using the networks you plan to use, and keep an alternative way to obtain essential files.

SIDECAR OR REMOTE DESKTOP?

A second display and a remote Mac are different jobs.

Apple Sidecar uses an iPad as a second display for a nearby Mac, with its own device and connection requirements. RemoteDuo’s browser controller is for viewing and controlling a prepared Mac’s screen. It does not install macOS on your iPad or create a separate Mac computer.

Apple: use iPad as a second display ↗

Keep the browser in the foreground.

Locking the iPad or switching to another app can interrupt a browser session. Return to the controller and follow the reconnect message if that happens. Automatic recovery cannot bypass a network that blocks direct access.

Using your phone instead? Read the iPhone-specific touch and Safari guide.