Remote desktop from Mac to Mac
Home is where your Mac is.
Open the Mac at home in a window on another Mac—from a hotel, an office or halfway around the world.
Requires macOS 26 or later on the Mac you use, and PocketRocket Host on a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 26.1 or later. The PocketRocket app is coming soon to the App Store.
Get the highlights.
One window for every Mac you connect to.
Full resolution on a Retina display.
A display shaped like your window.
A Connection menu for every session.
The camera in front of you, for the Mac far away.
Copy and paste between Mac computers—files too.
How do I connect to another Mac over the internet, not just on the same network? — Beyond your network.
Install PocketRocket Host on the Mac you want to reach and PocketRocket on the Mac you’re using, both on the same Apple Account. The Mac shows up on its own. PocketRocket connects over your local network when it can and over the internet when it can’t, with no VPN or port forwarding—and everything is end‑to‑end encrypted.1
Every Mac gets its own window.
Connect to the Mac at home and the Mac mini at the office at the same time—each in its own window, each with its own Connection menu.2
Will text on the remote Mac look sharp? — Sharp, down to the pixel.
Yes. When the Mac you’re using runs a HiDPI display mode, PocketRocket sends the full resolution, so text stays crisp. The remote Mac gets a virtual display matched to your window, and you can switch between Retina 1:1 and More space, from 100 to 200 percent, without restarting the stream.
Take a closer look.
Slide from Retina 1:1 to More space and watch the remote desktop make room.
| Scale | 100–200% |
|---|---|
| Step | 5% |
| Switching scale | No stream restart |
| HiDPI on the Mac you use | Full resolution |
The camera in front of you.
For the Mac far away.
The camera of the Mac you’re using—Continuity Camera included—can become PocketRocket Camera on the Mac you’re connected to.
In apps on that Mac—Photo Booth, for example—it works as a camera named PocketRocket Camera. More about camera and microphone ›
Sound on. Clipboard shared.
The remote Mac plays its sound on yours in stereo, and the clipboard works both ways for text, images and files.3
Sound · Stereo
Clipboard · Both ways
- Text
- Images
- Files
Isn’t this what Screen Sharing does? — Built in, or built for distance.
Partly. macOS includes the Screen Sharing app, and its High Performance mode connects two Mac computers with Apple silicon; it requires 75 Mbps for one 4K display, and Apple recommends a wired network. Apple describes it for Mac computers on your network. PocketRocket also works from iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro, and connects over the internet without a VPN.
High Performance also blanks the displays of the Mac you sign in to, and it’s built into every Mac. See the full comparison ›
| Criterion | PocketRocket | Screen Sharing |
|---|---|---|
| Use it from | iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro, Mac | Mac |
| Distance (per documentation) | Anywhere with an internet connection; tested on 5G and hotel Wi‑Fi abroad | No distance stated; described for Mac computers on your network |
| Over the internet | Yes—local network, VPN, direct connection or relay | Documented for your network; use over the internet without a VPN not documented |
| Network setup | None required; VPN optional | High Performance: UDP ports 5900–5902 reachable; wired network recommended |
| What you install | PocketRocket Host on the Mac, PocketRocket on your device | Built in |
| Physical displays of the Mac | Go dark during the session, restored afterward | High Performance: blanked when you sign in as the logged-in user |
| Several Mac computers at once | On iPad, Apple Vision Pro and Mac, one window per Mac | Not documented |
| Devices per Mac at once | One; a new device takes over the session | High Performance: one session per Mac |
| Requirements | Host: Mac with Apple silicon, macOS 26.1 or later; app: iOS, iPadOS, visionOS or macOS 26 or later | High Performance: Apple silicon and macOS 14 or later on both Mac computers; 75 Mbps per 4K display |
Before you start.
How do I connect to my home Mac from my MacBook when I’m in a hotel?
Install PocketRocket Host on the home Mac and PocketRocket on the MacBook, both signed in to the same Apple Account; the home Mac then opens in its own window over hotel Wi‑Fi or any other network.
PocketRocket connects over your local network when it can and over the internet when it can’t, with no VPN or port forwarding. Each Mac you connect to gets its own window and Connection menu.
Will text look sharp when I use my Mac from another Mac?
Yes: when the Mac you’re using runs a HiDPI display mode, PocketRocket sends the full resolution, and you can switch between Retina 1:1 and More space.
More space goes from 100 to 200 percent in 5 percent steps without restarting the stream, and the remote Mac gets a virtual display matched to your window.
Does the built-in Screen Sharing on Mac work over the internet?
Apple describes Screen Sharing for Mac computers on your network, and its High Performance mode needs UDP ports 5900–5902 and a fast, steady connection; PocketRocket reaches your Mac over the internet without router setup.
According to Apple, High Performance connects two Mac computers with Apple silicon and requires 75 Mbps for one 4K display. PocketRocket also works from iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro, without a VPN.
What are PocketRocket’s system requirements?
PocketRocket Host needs a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 26.1 or later, and the PocketRocket app needs iOS 26, iPadOS 26, visionOS 26 or macOS 26, or later.
How do I install PocketRocket?
Install PocketRocket Host on your Mac from its disk image and allow the permissions macOS asks for, then install the PocketRocket app on your device, signed in to the same Apple Account—your Mac appears as a tile.
Can I open two different Mac computers at the same time on one iPad?
Yes: on iPad, Apple Vision Pro and Mac, each PocketRocket window can show a different Mac at the same time.
Leave your Mac at home. Take it everywhere.
Install PocketRocket Host
On the Mac you want to reach. It lives in the menu bar.
Get the PocketRocket app
On iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro or another Mac.
Tap your Mac
Use the same Apple Account, and your Mac shows up on its own.
PocketRocket Host needs a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 26.1 or later. The PocketRocket app is coming soon to the App Store.