Tech Specs
Every number, in one place.
Requirements, picture, input, connection, security—and what PocketRocket doesn’t do.
PocketRocket Host needs a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 26.1 or later. The PocketRocket app is coming soon to the App Store.
macOS 26.1 or later, on a Mac with Apple silicon
Up to 60 fps
Displayed at 90 Hz on Apple Vision Pro
Opus sound at up to 256 kbps
What do I need to use PocketRocket? — One Mac. Your device. The same Apple Account.
You need a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 26.1 or later running PocketRocket Host, plus an iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro or Mac with iOS 26, iPadOS 26, visionOS 26 or macOS 26 or later running the PocketRocket app. Both must be signed in to the same Apple Account. There’s no version for Windows, Linux or Android.
The Mac you connect to
Where you connect from
PocketRocket Host
Apple silicon
macOS 26.1 or later
Same Apple Account
- iPhoneiOS 26 or later
- iPadiPadOS 26 or later
- Apple Vision ProvisionOS 26 or later
- MacmacOS 26 or later
The full table.
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
Requirements | |
| PocketRocket Host | Mac with Apple silicon, macOS 26.1 or later |
| PocketRocket app | iPhone with iOS 26 or later iPad with iPadOS 26 or later Apple Vision Pro with visionOS 26 or later Mac with macOS 26 or later |
| Account | The same Apple Account on the Mac and on the device |
| Availability | PocketRocket app: coming soon to the App Store. PocketRocket Host: disk image signed with Developer ID and notarized by Apple, distributed outside the Mac App Store |
| First setup | PocketRocket Host needs a display or Screen Sharing once, to grant permissions, and it must be in the Applications folder |
Picture | |
| Codec | HEVC encoded in hardware with VideoToolbox (low latency, no B-frames), decoded in hardware and drawn with Metal |
| Frame rate | Up to 60 fps. On a weak connection, you choose the lowest acceptable rate (15, 20, 30, 60 fps; default 30) in PocketRocket Host under Advanced › Sharpness vs fluidity |
| Rendering on your device | 60 Hz on iPhone, iPad and Mac; 90 Hz on Apple Vision Pro |
| Adaptation | Compression first, then frame rate, then detail—never at the expense of latency. Delay-based bitrate control, adaptive error correction (FEC) and a mode for 5G radio losses |
| Bandwidth cap | From 1 Mbps to no limit, set in PocketRocket Host |
Display | |
| Virtual display | The exact proportions of the window of your device, so there are no black bars or cropping; named after the device, for example “PocketRocket iPad” |
| Scaling | From Retina 1:1 to More space, 100–200% in 5% steps, without restarting the stream; 1:1 mode without HiDPI |
| iPad Pro 13″ | 2752 × 2064 pixels |
| PocketRocket on Mac | Full resolution for HiDPI (Retina) windows |
Sound | |
| Sound from your Mac | ScreenCaptureKit at 48 kHz; Opus, mono or stereo, up to 256 kbps; adaptive buffer with clock correction |
Camera and microphone | |
| PocketRocket Camera | The camera of your iPhone, iPad or Mac (including Continuity Camera on a Mac) appears as a camera on the Mac you connect to. Front, Center Stage, wide, ultra wide or telephoto, depending on the device. It streams only while an app on that Mac uses it. Not on Apple Vision Pro |
| PocketRocket Mic | The microphone of your device, automatically for the length of a session |
Input | |
| Keyboard | Hardware and on-screen; key repeat runs on your device; ⌘ shortcuts that iPadOS captures reach your Mac |
| Touch | Touch and Touchpad modes (Touchpad speed 50–200%); right-click with two fingers, or by holding for 1 second in Touch mode |
| Mouse and trackpad (iPad) | Hover, right-click, scrolling and ⌘-, ⇧- or ⌥-click; pinch uses the zoom built into macOS; a two-finger swipe goes back and forward |
| Key bar (iPhone) | ⎋ fn ⌃ ⌥ ⌘ and the arrow keys; modifiers stay latched for the next key; fn + arrows = Page Up, Page Down, Home and End |
| Apple Pencil (iPad) | In testing: pressure and tilt reach your Mac as tablet events |
| Apple Vision Pro | Look and pinch to click, pinch and drag to scroll, pinch and hold to drag; a hardware keyboard works, too |
Clipboard | |
| Transfer | Both ways, for text, images and files. The size limit is set on your device: 16 MB by default, 128 KB to 1 GB on iPhone, iPad and Mac, and 16 MB on Apple Vision Pro. Larger items are skipped on iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro; a Mac fetches them when you paste |
Connection | |
| Paths | The first path that works is used: local network (Bonjour) → VPN (optional, for example WireGuard or Tailscale) → direct (NAT-PMP or UPnP; the port is mapped automatically and, by design, only for the session) → relay (both sides connect outward; media over UDP) |
| Discovery | Through iCloud, and live on your local network with Bonjour—no IP addresses to type and no pairing codes |
| Path switching | During a session, without dropping it (make‑before‑break) |
| Tested on | 5G and hotel Wi‑Fi abroad |
Security | |
| Encryption | ChaCha20‑Poly1305 on every channel; ephemeral X25519 keys with HKDF; Ed25519 identity of the host. Security at a glance |
PocketRocket Host | |
| App | Menu bar app, with no Dock icon. Settings: General, Display (while a device is connected), Network, Shortcuts, Advanced, Updates and Diagnostics |
| Without a monitor | Works without a monitor attached: PocketRocket Host creates its own virtual display |
| Permissions | Screen Recording, Accessibility, system audio recording and local network; the administrator password for the microphone plug-in; approval of the camera extension |
| Privacy | The physical displays of your Mac go dark during a session and come back afterwards, with recovery after a crash |
| Always ready | Starts at login, can keep running, wakes the display when you connect and prevents idle sleep during a session. It can’t wake a Mac that’s asleep |
| Updates | Sparkle, at launch and every 24 hours; installed when no device is connected |
| Shortcuts | ⌃⌥⌘= and ⌃⌥⌘− scale, ⌃⌥⌘H HiDPI, ⌃⌥⌘D diagnostics; configurable, with a glass indicator |
Sessions | |
| Background | A session stays alive in the background for as long as you choose: off, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 90 seconds, 3, 5 or 10 minutes; the choice syncs through iCloud |
| Library | Connections sync through iCloud, with a thumbnail of the last screen |
| Several Mac computers | On iPad, Apple Vision Pro and Mac, each in its own window |
iPhone | |
| Orientation | Portrait and landscape; the display of your Mac follows the rotation |
| Live Activity | Live Activity and Dynamic Island show the connection with a rocket and the path icon |
| Session bar | Mouse mode, Camera, Show keyboard and Disconnect; the key bar can hide the keyboard |
iPad | |
| Windows | Several windows, each with a different Mac (Stage Manager, Split View) |
| Screen | Fitted to the physical pixels of the iPad, for example 2752 × 2064 on iPad Pro 13″ |
Apple Vision Pro | |
| Windows | 16:9, from 1600 × 900 to 9600 × 5400 points; the size is remembered per connection and the window stays pinned in space |
| Display | 90 Hz |
| Several Mac computers | Another Mac in another window, opened from the pill above the window |
Mac | |
| Windows | One window per connection; the Connection menu |
Languages | |
| Apps | English, Polish, French and German |
WireGuard is a registered trademark of Jason A. Donenfeld. Tailscale is a trademark of Tailscale Inc.
What PocketRocket doesn’t do.
The honest edges, in one list.
A Mac serves one device at a time; a new device takes over the session.
There are no versions for Windows, Linux or Android, and the computer you reach must be a Mac with Apple silicon.
There’s no camera sharing from Apple Vision Pro.
It can’t wake a Mac that’s asleep—your Mac needs to be on.
The first setup of PocketRocket Host needs a display or Screen Sharing, once.
We don’t publish end‑to‑end latency figures yet.
There are no pairing codes—by design. Trust comes from your Apple Account.
Before you start.
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.
Both must be signed in to the same Apple Account (formerly Apple ID), with an internet or local network connection. There’s no version for Windows, Linux or Android.
What frame rate does PocketRocket stream at?
Up to 60 frames per second; for a weak connection you choose the lowest acceptable rate—15, 20, 30 or 60—in PocketRocket Host, and Apple Vision Pro displays the session at 90 Hz.
The setting is in PocketRocket Host under Advanced › Sharpness vs fluidity, and the default is 30 fps. iPhone, iPad and Mac render the session at 60 Hz.
Does PocketRocket work with an Intel-based Mac?
No: PocketRocket Host runs only on Mac computers with Apple silicon and macOS 26.1 or later.
Does PocketRocket work with Windows, Linux or Android?
No: PocketRocket is made only for Apple devices—the computer you reach is a Mac, and you connect from iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro or Mac.
Which languages does PocketRocket support?
The apps are available in English, Polish, French and German.
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.