Remote Mouse Mac

Remote Mouse Macros
Remote Mouse Macbook

Remote Mouse for Mac lets you use your mobile device to control your computer, both by moving the cursor and entering text when needed. With this app, you can step away from your computer and still. Remote Mouse is the easiest, most effective way to turn your iOS device into a wireless remote control for your Mac. Remote Mouse™ turns your iPhone or iPad into a set of wireless user-friendly remote control for your computer.

Remote Mouse Macros

Installation

The first step is to install the server application on your computer so that the Mobile Mouse app can connect to your computer. Please follow the installation instructions below.

Mac OS X

Windows

Download the server from the Mac App Store Downloads.
Copy the server application into your Applications folder.
Run the Server.
If you are prompted by your firewall or any antivirus software to block this program, please make sure you select to allow the connection.

Download the installer from our web site by clicking the appropriate link on the bottom of the homepage under Downloads.
Run the setup.exe file and follow each screen through until the end.
The installer should automatically start the server, but if it doesn't, run it by hand by going into the server folder under program files.
If you are prompted by your firewall or any antivirus software to block this program, please make sure you select to allow the connection.

After you install the server on your computer, please run the app on your device. It should automatically connect when it starts up. However, if it does not connect and remains in the 'Searching' state, there is most likely something on your network or computer that is preventing it from connecting. If that is the case, please refer to our troubleshooting section below.

Server Setup

Mac OS X

Windows

Once you start the app, you will see an icon of a mouse on your menu bar if you are running a Mac, or an icon in your system tray if you are on a PC. To access the server settings, click the menu item on the Mac menu bar, or double click on the icon in the system tray. To quit the server, simply select Quit from the menu items on the Mac, or right click on the icon in the system tray on a PC.

Testing the connection

We recommend that before you purchase the app from the app store you run this simple test to make sure that your iPhone can connect to the server properly. To do this, please open Safari on your iPhone or iPod touch and enter the following url:
connect.mobilemouse.com
Once the page loads on Safari, simply enter the IP and port number that are shown on the server and tap the connect button. If you are unable to connect, please refer to the troubleshooting steps below for help. If you are unable to connect using this page, the app won't be able to connect either.

Server Settings

Mac OS X

Windows

The Server tab contains all the settings related to networking the application.

The IP field shows the current IP that the server is listening on. In some cases you may need it to listen on a different IP, in which case you can select another IP from the list if there are multiple IPs available. If you select a specific IP, you must also uncheck the 'Listen on any' checkbox.
The Port field specifies which port the server is currently listening on. There may not be any reason to change this unless it conflicts with a port that another program is listening on, or the port is higher than the permitted port range on your computer. After you change the port number and click apply, the server will restart with the new port settings. Please make sure that if you have a firewall that was set to your previous port, that you change this to the new port also.
The Pass field allows you to specify a password that is required for anyone who tries to connect to your computer. This can be left blank if you do not need to require one. Once a device connects once, they won't br prompted to enter it again. If you want to disable devices that connected before, just change the password.

The Air Motion tab specifies the motion settings for the motion based mouse control.

The Pointer Speed sliders specify the x and y speed of the movement.
The Acceleration slider adds extra distance to your movements by increasing the distance the mouse moves on the screen when you make quicker movements, and decreases the amount for slower movements. This will allow you to move across the length of a larger monitor by moving your hand quicker, but will also allow you to perform tasks like clicking buttons or links by moving your hand slower. You can fine tune the amount of acceleration added by moving the slider.

The Touch Motion tab specifies the motion settings for the trackpad control.

The Pointer Speed sliders specify the speed of the movement.
The Acceleration slder adds extra distance to your movements by increasing the distance the mouse moves on the screen when you make quicker movements, and decreases the amount for slower movements. This will allow you to move across the length of a larger monitor by moving your hand quicker, but will also you to perform tasks like clicking buttons or links by moving your hand slower. You can fine tune the amount of acceleration added by moving the slider.

The Scrolling tab specifies the speed settings for the scrollpad.

The X slider specify the speed of horizontal scrolling. (Please note that horizontal scrolling isn't available on every OS/program).
The Y slider specify the speed of vertical scrolling.

Program Setup

By default, the server is set up for the most common Media and Web applications for your operating system. As we develop new application remotes, they will be automatically downloaded onto your server every day. However, if we are missing the media app you need to control, you can easily create a remote for it through the server. To do this, click the 'Program List' button on the main server screen. In the program list, you will see a list of Managed Programs and a list of User Defined Programs. The managed programs are the ones that are downloaded and maintained by us. The user defined programs are the ones that are created and maintained by you. If you want to use your own settings for a program that is on the managed programs list, just uncheck it from this list after you have created your own defninition for that application.

To add a new application, click on the Add button and select the executable. Once you have selected it, you will be presented with all the buttons that are available for that type of program. You can either set a keyboard combination to trigger that action in the program you are controlling, or you can write a script (Applescript on the Mac, VBScript on the PC) to do it. For Media applications, there are 8 additional custom keys that you can name and program to control any additional actions that are not covered by the main buttons. Also, for Media applications, you can check off the 'Enable scroll pad navigation' option. When checked off, this option will allow you to use the scroll pad to nagivate programs which use arrow keys to navigate their menus (please see our demo video for examples).

Mouse (Touch Pad)

The first option for controlling your computer is to use this touch pad. This works the same as the touch pad on your laptop. It can be used in vertical mode with the keyboard showing or hidden, or in landscape mode by rotating your iPhone. The buttons are as follows:

Settings: Tap the gear icon in the upper left hand corner to access the app settings.
Swap View: Tap the swap icon in the upper right hand corner to toggle between the trackpad and in-air mouse.
Touch Pad: Move your thumb anywhere over this surface to control your mouse movement. As long as your movement originates in this space, you can utilize the entire space, even if you are moving your finger over the buttons and keyboard. Tapping quickly on the pad will activate a mouse click.
Scroll Pad: Run your finger up and down, or left and right to scroll within your current application.
Left Mouse Button: This will activate a left mouse button click. Additionally, if you hold this button down and move your finger onto the touch pad, you can move the mouse with the mouse button down.
Right Mouse Button. This will activate a right mouse button click.

The trackpad responds to all multitouch gestures supported in OS X. To scroll, just use two fingers on the trackpad to scroll in any direction. To perform a right click, single tap with two fingers on the touch pad.

Mouse (In-Air)

The next option for controlling your computer is to use the in-air mode. In this mode, you will use your hand movement to control your mouse. Just point your device at your computer, then holding down the trigger, move your hand around as if you were using a laser pointer and the mouse will follow. The buttons are as follows:

Settings: Tap the gear icon in the upper left hand corner to access the app settings.
Swap View: Tap the swap icon in the upper right hand corner to toggle between the trackpad and in-air mouse.
Trigger: Holding this button activates the mouse movements. Keep it held down as long as you want to move the mouse. You can pull your thumb off it, move the mouse back, then press it again to gain more movement space. You can also tap the trigger quickly to activate a mouse click.
Scroll Pad: Run your thumb up and down over this part to activate scrolling.
Left Mouse Button: This will activate a left mouse button click. Additionally, if you hold this button down, it will also activate the trigger. This is useful if you want to click and drag something or highlight some text.
Right Mouse Button. This will activate a right mouse button click. Additionally, if you hold this button down, it will also activate the trigger.

Keyboard

The keyboard can be used to type on your computer. It can be used in both vertical and horzontal modes. As you type on your iPhone, the letters will be typed in real time on your computer as well as on the screen of the app. You can type a Tab key by double tapping the Return key. Directly above the keyboard are 4 modifier keys. These are the same that you would find on your desktop keyboard. Shift, Ctrl, Win, Alt on the PC and Shift, Ctrl, Option, Command on the Mac. The modifier keys will change to the appropriate keys when you connect to your computer. These can be used to perform keyboard shortcuts, such as creating a new document by hitting Command-N. These keys also work for mouse click, so if you wanted to open a new tab in a web browser you could press the necessary modifier key and click on a link. Modifier clicks don't work in every program though, so your results may vary. To the right of the modifier keys is a minimize button. If you want to hide the keyboard completely in order to have the entire screen as a trackpad, just shake the phone in a downward motion or tap the keyboard icon at the top and it will slide away. To bring it back, just shake your phone in an upward direction or tap the keyboard icon again.

Application Switcher

The application switcher offers you a way to launch any of your favorite programs, as well as switch between all your running applications and perform different actions on any of them. If you are on a Mac, all the icons on your Dock will appear. On Windows XP/Vista, you will see all your running programs as well as your Quick Launch items. If you are running Windows 7, you will also see any programs that are pinned to the taskbar.
Run your finger over the icons to see the full size icon and application title on the screen as well as on your computer screen. To switch to or run an application, simply tap the icon. If you hold your finger on an icon for a couple seconds, you will get a popup menu to Close/Hide a running application, or Open a program which isn't running. Keeping your finger down, just drag your finger over the menu to select the option you want. If you hold your finger on the OS icon (the first icon in the upper left hand corner), you will be given the option to shutdown the computer or put it to sleep.

File Browser

The file browser allows you to browse your computer's file system, run applications, and open documents. The file browser is available by tapping the folder icon in the application switcher screen. Click here to view a demo of the file browser.

Media Mode

The media keys screen contains all the most common buttons that you will need to control all your media apps. The middle button is used to play/pause your media tracks. On either side is a Back and Next button, for going to the next or previous tracks. If you double tap the Next/Back buttons they will be used to Forward or Rewind your media. Above and below the play/pause button is the +/- buttons, which are typically used to change channels, or to adjust the volume of the application. On the left and right of the screen are 8 custom buttons. The functionality of these buttons will change based on the program you use, or may not have any functionality for certain programs. Along the bottom are buttons for volume up/down and mute. These control the volume of the system, not the application. In the middle is a Menu button, which has many purposes that vary depending on what program you are running. On the right is a # button, which brings up a numeric keyboard that is most commonly used to change channels. The eject button ejects any media currently in your drive. The AirPlay icon let's you change the output of your audio on your computer as well route it to any AirPlay device. It will also let you mirror your diplay over AirPlay if your version of OS X supports AirPlay mirroring and you have an AirPlay device that supports AirPlay video, such as an AppleTV.
The media screen will automatically come up anytime you are using a media program that has itself set up in the server settings. Additionally, you can quickly switch back to the last most recently run media program by pressing the music note button on the toolbar. This button will only activate a media program if you were already running one, it will not launch your media programs.
The image on the right shows our universal volume control. This allows you to access the volume even when the media screen is not showing. To activate it, just press and hold your finger down on the music note icon on the toolbar. Once you see the volume popup appear, release your finger and tap the volume icons to change the volume levels. The menu will automatically hide once you stop tapping the volume icons.

Web Mode

The web keys screen contains all the most common buttons to control all your web browsers. The top row of buttons contain Back, Search, Home and Next buttons. The second row of buttons contain Reload, Stop, Bookmarks. Along the buttom of this screen are +/- buttons, which most commonly act as the zoom in/out buttons. In the center is the Open button, which will set the focus to the Location field on your browser and bring up a URL keyboard on your iPhone.

Presentation Mode - Basic (iPhone Only)

The basic presentation mode contains oversized next and back buttons along with a Start button on the bottom, making it easy to navigate your slide show without needing to look down at your iPhone. While your slide show is running the current slide title will show up on the trackpad. The current slide number will show up on the Start button, which will now stop the slide show when you tap on it. To switch to the pro version of the presentation mode, simply tap the star icon.
* The basic presentation mode works with Keynote 09+ (Mac) and Powerpoint 08+ (Mac or PC).

Presentation Mode - Pro (iPhone Only)

The pro presentation mode will show you an image of the current slide you are viewing on the top portion of the screen. On the bottom you will see the presentation notes of the current slide. Above that is a presentation timer, which will show you how much time you have left in your presentation. As you reach the warning and alert points in your presentation, the timer will turn yellow, then red and will vibrate the iPhone to indicate that you have reached these points. The total presentation time as well as the presentation points can be configured through the timer setup by tapping the 'i' icon on the bottom. To start the timer, tap the timer icon on the bottom. To navigate your presentation slide show, simply swipe the presentation slide to the left of right, or tap the slide to move forward. At any point you can hide the current slide by dragging it upward and off the screen. When you do this it will turn into a drawer, which you can slide back down to view the current slide. To navigate to a specific slide, simply tap the button with the slide numbers. This will bring up a slide picker, allowing you to jump to any slide, or stop the slide show. We also feature a slide pointer. To activate this, tap the pointer icon. When this is active, anywhere you tap on the slide in the app will show a pointer on your presentation in the same location. To switch back to the basic version, just tap the '-' icon. Click here to view a demo of the presentation mode.
To use the presentation mode you must have 'Enable access for assistive devices' is checked in System Preferences->Universal Access. If you are using Keynote, please go under the Slideshow Preferences, then click the Slideshow tab and make sure 'Allow Expose, Dashboard and others to use screen' is checked.
* The pro presentation mode works with Keynote 09+ (Mac) and Powerpoint 08+ (Mac or PC).

Clipboard Sync

When the clipboard sync option is enabled, the clipboard on your computer will be synced with the clipboard on your device. So every time you cut or copy an item on your computer, it will automatically be in the clipboard of your device. This is great for quickly getting snippets of content from your computer onto your iPhone. Such as if you see a picture in a web browser on your computer and want to quickly text it to a friend. Just copy the image on your computer, and it will be in the clipboard on your device and ready for you to paste into the 'Messages' app.
Additionally we have added a clipboard notification option as shown above. When enabled it will alert you when it recognizes the type of content in your clipboard. Such as if you copy a phone number on your computer, it will ask you if you want to dial it on your iPhone. It will also recognize addresses, images and URLs.
Click here to view a demo of the clipboard sync option.

Function Keys

The function key screen contains all the function keys you would find on your regular desktop keyboard as well as an Escape key, Delete, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down and arrow keys. These keys also respond to the modifier keys. Above the function keys are 4 customizable hot keys. These are set up in the server settings by clicking the Function button. They can be named and assigned to run a program or perform a keyboard shortcut. In addition to the 4 hot keys, the scroll pad is also a programmable hot key, which can be configured in the Function screen too.

Numeric Keypad

Standard

Shift Key Down

The numeric keypad contains all the keys your would find on the numeric keypad on your desktop keyboard. If you press the shift key, you will get a modified keypad with the arrow keys.

Graphic Tablet

The graphics tablet allows you to use your iOS device as a graphics tablet for your computer. To select your stylus, go to the app settings, then to Options, scroll down to the Tablet options and tap the button labeled Stylus. Selecting the Touch stylus will allow you to use your finger or any non-pressure sensitive stylus. The stylus options below 'Touch' are pressure sensitive ones that are supported by Mobile Mouse. Currently pressure sensitivity is only supported on OS X.
After you select your stylus of choice, the selected stylus logo will show up in the tablet screen next to the status light. The status light will turn green if your stylus was able to connect to the app. Once you load the tablet screen, a light blue box will appear on your computer screen. This workspace corresponds to the one on your iOS device and will match the orientation of your device. If you want to resize the workspace just pinch the screen to grow/shrink the workspace on your computer.
To emulate the hover feature found in most traditional graphic tablets, the app will treat any activity that is below a minimum pressure amount as mouse movement. Once you press hard enough where the pressure value exceeds the minimum pressure amount, the tablet will start drawing and responding to the pressure values. Depending on your stylus brand and how it has been calibrated this value may need to be adjusted to your needs. This can be down by adjusting the “Min Pressure” slider in the Tablet options.

App Settings

Server List: When you first run the app, it will automatically try to find and connect to the first available server it finds. If it is unable to do so, you may need to manually select the server from this list. If there are none available, it will display a message saying that it is searching. While it is searching, please make sure that your server is running and is not blocked by any firewalls or antivirus software. When you see your server listed, click on the server name to connect. If you are running multiple servers on the same network, this list will show them. You can use this screen to switch between them at an time. If you are unable to connect to your server, please follow the troubleshooting steps below.

IP: The IP/Port fields can be used to manually enter an IP that you wish to connect to. Any time you have an IP and Port in these fields, you will automatically be connected to that computer each time and it will ignore the servers in the list. If you want to go back to using a server in the list, just erase the IP and Port completely so that they say 'Auto' in each field. Manually entering the IP can be used to connect to computer which aren't running Bonjour, or to connected to your computer over the Internet.

Force Vertical: When this switch is in the On position, it will prevent the orientation of the trackpad from switching to landscape mode when the device is turned sideway.

Sound: This switch can be used to disable all the sounds in the app.

Tap Click: When this option is turned off, the trackpad wont perform mouse clicks by tapping on it.

Drag Lock: When the drag lock option is enabled, anytime you tap and drag an item, it will remain dragging until you either tap the trackpad again or you stop using the trackpad for a couple seconds. This is great when you are trying to move a window or icon across a large monitor, or resize a window

Pinch To Zoom: When this switch is turned on, you can pinch the screen in trackpad mode to zoom in on your computer. (Only works with OS X and Win 7)

Left Handed: This option is used if you have your operating system in left handed mode. Turning this switch on will reverse the mouse buttons and the tap-to-click button.

Natural Scroll: This option is used to change the scroll direction.

Frequency: The Frequency slider sets the frequency in which mouse data is sampled and sent to the computer. Increasing this value will provider greater sensitivity and smoother mouse movement on faster networks, but can cause a lag on slow or unreliable networks. Lowering this value can provide less lag on slower networks, but may produce choppier movement. We suggest you leave the default setting unless you are having problems with your mouse movement.

3 Finger Swipe: This option will change the 4 finger swipe gesture to use 3 fingers instead. This makes this gesuture easier to use on the iPhone screen, but will disable the 3 finger pan gesture.

Key Buffer: When this switch is in the On position, any keys you type will be buffered to the screen before they are sent to your computer. This is useful if you want to see everything you type before you send it, or if you want to use the device's built in spell correction. This feature should also be turned on if you are using a foreign language keyboard that combines characters as you type them, such as a Korean keyboard.

Enable Shake To Hide: When enabled this option will allow you to show/hide your keyboard by shaking your iOS device.

Sleep: This switch controls whether the device is allowed to sleep while the app is running. By default this is on, turn it off and the device will never go to sleep while the app is running. This is useful when you're giving a presentation, but otherwise should be used with caution as to not drain your battery.

Stay Connected: Turning this on will attempt to keep the app connected to the server even after the device is sleeping, or the app is running in the background. Enabling this will keep the app from having to re-connect, but may reduce battery life.

Proximity Sensor: Turning this switch on will allow the proximity sensor to turn off the screen. This is useful when you have the Sleep option set to Off because you can simply lay the device down on it's face to turn off the screen and conserve battery life when not in use, but still remain connected to the server.

Auto-wake server: When turned on, this option will automatically send a wake-on-lan signal to the most recent server when the app is started.

Call inturrupts media: This option will pause any media playing on your computer when a call comes in, or mute your computer if the app doesn't know how to control the current media player.

Use UDP for mouse: Enable this option to use UDP traffic for all mouse movements instead of TCP. This may help if you are experiencing a lag in when your cursor initally starts to move.

Use volume buttons: This option will allow you to use the volume buttons on your iOS device to control the volume of your computer. When you enable this option it will take over the audio of your device, so any previously playing audio will be suspended.

Clipboard - Sync: If this option is enabled, the clipboard on your computer will be synced with the clipboard on your device. So every time you cut or copy an item on your computer, it will automatically be in the clipboard of your device. This is great for quickly getting snippets of content from your computer onto your iPhone.

Clipboard - Notifications: If this option is enabled along with the Clipboard Sync option, it will alert you when it recognizes the type of content in your clipboard. Such as if you copy a phone number on your computer, it will ask you if you want to dial it on your iPhone. It will also recognize addresses, images and URLs.

Tablet - Stylus: Tap this button to specify which stylus you wish to use with the graphic tablet option.

Tablet - Min Pressure: This slider specifies the minimum pressure needed to produce a pen stroke. Any movement that is below this value will be handled as mouse movement. This option aims to emulate the hover feature found in traditional graphic tablets.

Wake On Lan

When you first connect to your computer, if the computer is sleeping, the app will attempt to wake it. However if it was unable to wake it, or you want to wake a different computer, press the power icon in the upper left hand screen of the app preference. A list of all the servers that you have connected to will come up and you can select which server you want to attempt to wake.
Please note that wake on lan requires that your computer be connected to your router using an ethernet cable. Many computers may require additional setup to support wake on lan. Our app simply sends a wake on lan packet to your computer, if your computer does not wake up, you will need to troubleshoot this on your own since this has to do with the configuration of your computer.

Advanced Communication Package

The Advanced Communication Package allows you to connect to your Mac using Bluetooth/WIFI Direct, or USB, without the need for a local area network. This is useful if you do not have a local area network to connect to, or you are on a public network that does not permit this kind of traffic. This option is available as an in-app purchase, and only for Mac OS X.
Peer To Peer: This option uses a combination of Bluetooth and WIFI direct to communicate with your computer. The option must be enabled in the server settings as well as the app settings, and you must also have WIFI and Bluetooth enabled on your iOS device and Mac. Once you enable it, you will should see you computer listed in the server settings. If the mouse tracking is choppy after connecting, please check the server settings and make sure the status light next to Peer-To-Peer is green. If it is yellow, try connecting again. You must be using iOS 7+, OS X 10.10+, and a Mac that supports WIFI Direct and Bluetooth LE. When you click to enable the Peer To Peer option the server will tell you if your computer is not supported.
USB: This option will connect over a standard USB cable. The option must be enabled in the server settings as well as the app settings. Once it is enabled, the app will connect over USB anytime your iOS device is connected to your computer using a USB cable. To retry the connection, tap the reload button next to the USB button.

Menu
The Apple watch App offers three options of control. A Media Remote, a Presentation Remote, and an App Switcher. The title at the top of the screen shows the name of the computer that the app is connected to. The Watch app will automatically connect to the last server that the Mobile Mouse app has connected to. If it is unable to connect you will see an error message with an option to try again. Use the force touch will give you the option to put the computer to sleep or reconnect.
Media
The media remote allows you to control the frontmost media player on your computer. If you are running a media player that has been setup in the server settings, the basic remote will allow you to play/pause/forward/reverse, and control the volume of the computer. If you are running a Spotify or iTunes you will also see the almbum art and info. Use a force touch to bring up the mute option.
Presentation
There are three presentation remotes. For presentation programs that are not supported by Mobile Mouse, the first remote provides simple next/back buttons that will work with any software that uses the arrow keys, even online presentation programs like Prezi. If you are using a supported program, such as Keynote or PowerPoint, you have the option to use the basic remote or pro version (available as an in-app purchase in Mobile Mouse). The basic remote offers next/back buttons as well as the slide number and slide title. If you have purchased the pro version, you will alse see a picture of the slide itself and a presentation timer. Use force touch to start/stop or configure the presentation timer.
App Switcher
The App Switcher allows you to switch between any currently running app on your computer. This is useful for bringing your desired media program to the foreground so you can control it. Use a force touch to bring up the option to toggle between showing all apps or just managed apps. Managed apps are only ones that have remotes built for them.

Troubleshooting
We have listed all the most common problems users are encountering. Please check every step very carefully, because the majority of problems that users contact us about can be resolved by one of the steps below. If you have gone through all these steps and are still having problems, please contact us immediately and we would be happy to help you get it working. We see many people posting their questions and problems in the iTunes review section. Unfortunately there is no way for us or anyone else to respond to your questions there, so please contact us directly. The app will not connect to my computer: If it isn't connecting properly, then it's almost always a networking issue. These can be tricky to diagnose, but please be assured that we will help you get it working. First off let’s start with the most common issues, can you please check the following: You have a firewall blocking it. If you have a firewall, even if you added an exception, please disable it temporarily to see if that is blocking it. If it is, you can re-enable it after an add an exception. You have antivirus software blocking it. If so, disable your antivirus software temporarily to see if that is blocking it. If it is, you can re-enable it after an add an exception. Your phone isn't connected to a WIFI network, or is not connected to the same WIFI network as your computer. Please make sure to go into the device settings and make sure that the WIFI network selected is the one your computer is using. It needs another port. Try lowering the port number to something like 9099. You haven't installed the Mobile Mouse server on your computer. Please download and install it from mobilemouse.com The app is asking for a password but I forgot what I set it to: Open the server settings and change or delete the password entered in the password field. The server all of a sudden stopped tracking my movement. Verify that your IP address hasn't changed Quit the iPhone app and start it up again. Reselect your server under the app settings. On my Mac, I can't use the zoom feature, or when I'm zoomed in, the screen doesn't follow the mouse around as I move Please go to System Preferences->Universal Access and make sure that the radio button under Zoom is set to On. Then make sure 'Enable access for assistive devices' is checked too. Make sure that you are using the Command key modifier to activate zooming, and using the scroll pad to zoom in and out. Please update the server software to the newest version if you can't move your mouse around. In order to get the screen to follow your pointer, please go to System Preferences->Universal Access. Then click on the Options button under the Zoom section. In the 2nd to last section on the screen, make sure to select the radio button that says 'So the pointer is at or near the center of the image' The Mobile Mouse iPhone app suddenly quit This can be due to a shortage of free memory on your iPhone. If this happens repeatedly, please restart your iPhone by holding down the sleep and home key at the same time to free up some memory. My keyboard does not work Check the status message on the server and make sure that it is showing a message when you are typing If you are using a non-English keyboard, we currently do not suppport all languages in OS X 10.4, it is doubtful that there will be a fix for this. My hotkeys or keyboard shortcuts don't work If you are running Windows Vista, please check to see if you have UAC enabled, if it is disabled, then keyboard shortcuts won't work. This is a security limitation of the OS to prevent malicious applications from causing harm to your computer when they cannot be verified though UAC. The options to resolve this are to either enable UAC, or to run the server as an administrator. If all else fails, please use our contact form to submit a support request and we will be happy to help you get it running. Please be sure to include the following information: Are you running a Mac or PC? What version of the OS are you running? What processor do you have (Intel, 64bit, PPC, ect)? What steps have you tried so far to get the software running? If you find a bug or have a feature request, please send us an email.

Troubleshooting

We have listed all the most common problems users are encountering. Please check every step very carefully, because the majority of problems that users contact us about can be resolved by one of the steps below. If you have gone through all these steps and are still having problems, please contact us immediately and we would be happy to help you get it working. We see many people posting their questions and problems in the iTunes review section. Unfortunately there is no way for us or anyone else to respond to your questions there, so please contact us directly.

The app will not connect to my computer:
If it isn't connecting properly, then it's almost always a networking issue. These can be tricky to diagnose, but please be assured that we will help you get it working. First off let’s start with the most common issues, can you please check the following:
- You have a firewall blocking it. If you have a firewall, even if you added an exception, please disable it temporarily to see if that is blocking it. If it is, you can re-enable it after an add an exception.
- You have antivirus software blocking it. If so, disable your antivirus software temporarily to see if that is blocking it. If it is, you can re-enable it after an add an exception.
- Your phone isn't connected to a WIFI network, or is not connected to the same WIFI network as your computer. Please make sure to go into the device settings and make sure that the WIFI network selected is the one your computer is using.
- It needs another port. Try lowering the port number to something like 9099.
- You haven't installed the Mobile Mouse server on your computer. Please download and install it from mobilemouse.com
The app is asking for a password but I forgot what I set it to:
- Open the server settings and change or delete the password entered in the password field.
The server all of a sudden stopped tracking my movement.
- Verify that your IP address hasn't changed
- Quit the iPhone app and start it up again.
- Reselect your server under the app settings.
On my Mac, I can't use the zoom feature, or when I'm zoomed in, the screen doesn't follow the mouse around as I move
- Please go to System Preferences->Universal Access and make sure that the radio button under Zoom is set to On. Then make sure 'Enable access for assistive devices' is checked too. Make sure that you are using the Command key modifier to activate zooming, and using the scroll pad to zoom in and out.
- Please update the server software to the newest version if you can't move your mouse around.
- In order to get the screen to follow your pointer, please go to System Preferences->Universal Access. Then click on the Options button under the Zoom section. In the 2nd to last section on the screen, make sure to select the radio button that says 'So the pointer is at or near the center of the image'
The Mobile Mouse iPhone app suddenly quit
- This can be due to a shortage of free memory on your iPhone. If this happens repeatedly, please restart your iPhone by holding down the sleep and home key at the same time to free up some memory.
My keyboard does not work
- Check the status message on the server and make sure that it is showing a message when you are typing
- If you are using a non-English keyboard, we currently do not suppport all languages in OS X 10.4, it is doubtful that there will be a fix for this.
My hotkeys or keyboard shortcuts don't work
- If you are running Windows Vista, please check to see if you have UAC enabled, if it is disabled, then keyboard shortcuts won't work. This is a security limitation of the OS to prevent malicious applications from causing harm to your computer when they cannot be verified though UAC. The options to resolve this are to either enable UAC, or to run the server as an administrator.
If all else fails, please use our contact form to submit a support request and we will be happy to help you get it running. Please be sure to include the following information: Are you running a Mac or PC? What version of the OS are you running? What processor do you have (Intel, 64bit, PPC, ect)? What steps have you tried so far to get the software running?
If you find a bug or have a feature request, please send us an email.

FAQ
Can I use the iPhone app to control and iPad? Unfortunately no, this is not technically possible. Can I use this over Bluetooth? Yes, we currently support Bluetooth connections using our Advanced Communication Package. It still requires our service software though, and is only available for Mac OS X An alternative, which seems to work just as well is to set up an ad hoc wireless network. We have created a page with instructions on how to set this up here. Does this work with Apple TV or Android OS? No, currently we do not support either Is there a Linux version available or on the way? Currently we do not have a version for Linux. There are a number of open source Mobile Mouse servers available for Linux, however we do not maintain or support any of them. Can I become a beta tester? Yes! If you would like to help beta test new versions of the iPhone and server apps, please send us an email letting us know that you'd like to help test. Please include the OS you are running as well as your 40 character iPhone Identifier (you can find this by running iTunes with your iPhone connected, then going to the summary panel of the iPhone, and clicking on the Serial Number field to reveal the identifier). We have a limit on how many we can accept so it will be on a first come, first serve basis and you have to have already bought the app to participate. Why can't this work like a real mouse, where I can just slide the phone around the table to move the mouse? There is no way to track side to side movement using the iPhone accelerometer or the camera (we've tried). This mouse is intended for in air use only, in situations where you don't have a table to work on. It's not possible to make it as accurate as a real mouse, nor is it meant to replace a real mouse.

FAQ

Can I use the iPhone app to control and iPad?
- Unfortunately no, this is not technically possible.
Can I use this over Bluetooth?
- Yes, we currently support Bluetooth connections using our Advanced Communication Package. It still requires our service software though, and is only available for Mac OS X
- An alternative, which seems to work just as well is to set up an ad hoc wireless network. We have created a page with instructions on how to set this up here.
Does this work with Apple TV or Android OS?
- No, currently we do not support either
Is there a Linux version available or on the way?
- Currently we do not have a version for Linux. There are a number of open source Mobile Mouse servers available for Linux, however we do not maintain or support any of them.
Can I become a beta tester?
- Yes! If you would like to help beta test new versions of the iPhone and server apps, please send us an email letting us know that you'd like to help test. Please include the OS you are running as well as your 40 character iPhone Identifier (you can find this by running iTunes with your iPhone connected, then going to the summary panel of the iPhone, and clicking on the Serial Number field to reveal the identifier). We have a limit on how many we can accept so it will be on a first come, first serve basis and you have to have already bought the app to participate.
Why can't this work like a real mouse, where I can just slide the phone around the table to move the mouse?
- There is no way to track side to side movement using the iPhone accelerometer or the camera (we've tried). This mouse is intended for in air use only, in situations where you don't have a table to work on. It's not possible to make it as accurate as a real mouse, nor is it meant to replace a real mouse.

Remote access to Mac, anywhere

Get Screens and work across multiple remote Macs.

While many countries are on a lockdown due to COVID-19, remote work is becoming a lifestyle. Remotely accessing a Mac is designed to be easy. Apple has spent a lot of time ensuring anyone can log in to their Macs — both desktop and laptop — from any other Mac device, anywhere. And, besides, there are a variety of third-party apps ready to help with that too.

Still, remotely managing their Mac sounds overly complicated to a lot of people. From how you connect to sharing files or screens to using your Apple device as a remote mouse, we want to demystify the process in the easy-to-follow guide below.

Best Remote Access Apps for Mac

Setapp sets you up with all the tools you need to access your computer remotely. Best utilities in one pack, give it a go!

How to access your Mac from another location

There're two ways: you can allow remote login to your Mac from another computer, or allow others to access your computer using Remote Desktop (it's available from the App Store).

Allow remote login to your Mac from another computer

For devices using the same macOS, you can allow remote Mac login using a Secure Shell (SSH). This enables Mac remote desktop access using a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP).

To set up Remote Login:

Go to System Preferences > Sharing
Select Remote Login.
Choose which users you want to have remote access to or the ability to control your Mac.

You can either select All Users, which means any other device on your network, or any Mac you own, can access and connect, or click the plus sign to pick the exact users.

When you want to remotely log in to your Mac from another device, you need to know your username (the name that appears when you login) and your computer's IP address. Write them down and keep them safe, as allowing access to your Mac does make it potentially less secure, especially over cellular or public Wi-Fi networks.

Accessing, controlling, or viewing information on your Mac can be done with a built-in Terminal or any other SSH app using your username and IP address.

Remote Mouse Macbook

Allow others to access your computer using Apple Remote Desktop

With macOS remote Mac access, things are even easier. To set up it:

Go to Menu > System Preferences > Sharing
Select Remote Management - it should appear as a checkbox.
Now you can select who has remote desktop access. Either select, All Users, which means any other device on your network, or Mac you own, can access and connect, or click the Add button(+), which gives you the ability to select who can have remote access and/or control.

If you are using a VPN or VNC viewer and want to access your Mac remotely, you will need to set up a password first. It is also possible to use iOS devices, such as an iPhone and iPad, through Apple Remote Desktop, available from the App Store.

How to stay on the same page with Screens

Collaboration has become of utmost importance to today's workplaces. And with more and more people working remotely, being on the same screen (ahem, page) is a must.

Screens allows you to work remotely with any computer regardless of your location. Whether you are on a business trip or traveling, stay confident knowing you can access any file on your home computer at any time.

This robust screen sharing tool for Mac supports:

Multiple displays
Drag-and-drop file sharing
Hiding your remote screen while accessing it
Accessing other computers (e.g. colleague's) as a guest
Alternative shortcuts (useful when connecting Mac to PC)
Custom actions in case of disconnection

To start using Screens, get the app from Setapp and configure the following:

Remote login and remote management (as per the guide above)
Install Screens Connect helper app and create a Screens ID on every machine you'd like to connect to in the future
Use your Screens ID in the Screens app and it will automatically determine which of your computers are available for connection

Remote desktop client for Mac

Control any computer remotely – a perfect way to access your Mac from anywhere without limitations.

Share files between devices

Today we have plenty of ways to send and share files. But ask someone to send something, and you are likely to get it through email. Due to the ubiquitousness of email, it's still the default method for file sharing, despite its obvious flaws and constraints.

Fortunately, there are much better ways:

Native macOS File Sharing

Few people know that their Mac has native file sharing functionality built-in. To use this feature, activate it in the Sharing pane of System Preferences by checking File Sharing. If you only want to share specific folders, add them to the Shared Folders list. If you only want specific users to access the folder, add them to its Users list. Otherwise, everyone will be able to access it.

AirDrop

Although not the most reliable solution, AirDrop works fine for occasional sharing a file between Apple devices. In the Finder, choose Go and then AirDrop on both the sending and receiving Mac. As soon as you see the receiver's user icon, drag the desired file onto it to send.

Dropshare

If you don't want to send files Mac-to-Mac directly but rather through a cloud storage, there is no easier way than Dropshare. The app works with numerous cloud providers, from Dropbox to Google Drive, and saves your files for sharing by simply dragging them onto its menu bar icon.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

The most technical but also the most robust way to share files from your Mac is to use FTP, which you could do either through Terminal or an FTP Client, the latter being much more user friendly.

There are a few popular FTP clients one could choose from. The robust file managing app ForkLift covers most of the FTP functionality but takes it to the next level and could be a viable replacement for the Finder altogether with its quick search, instant previews, and file comparison.

DCommander is another full-featured file transfer app for Mac that combines speed and reliability, able to handle thousands of files, schedule backups, and even automate transfers.

At last, when it comes to sharing the same files on different devices, an app like ChronoSync Express becomes invaluable.

ChronoSync Express is a powerful tool for sharing and transferring files from Mac to Mac, or any other Apple device. With a feature called Synchronizer Document, you can select which files need to be automatically synchronized and shared between devices, just like that:

Create a new synchronizer document for each folder synchronization you'd like to perform
Name the synchronization
Change the Operation to Synchronize Bidirectionally
Select folders to sync on the left and right
Test with a Trial Sync

Do you need to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network)?

Whether you are working on your Mac directly, logging into your Mac remotely, or sharing access with someone else, security should be on top of your mind.

As a rule of thumb, you should always use a VPN when connected to a public Wi-Fi network, as someone could log in and see the information you send just as easily as you do.

And with remote access — even in the View Only mode — someone can see every file and document on your Mac, except those that are password protected. Unfortunately, if you leave passwords in a visible document, you expose yourself to immense risks.

A secure VPN client for Mac like Shimo is well worth using to stop unwanted eyes from lurking around, especially if you are sharing sensitive files, financial records or customer data.

However, for extra peace of mind and security, consider firing up your VPN automatically on all networks you are not 100% sure about to keep your emails, bank accounts and personal documents safe.

To share your Mac with someone else, download a remote Virtual Network Computing (VNC) app like Jump Desktop. With full remote access and Mac remote control, the other person — or yourself connecting to another Mac — can have the same level of control as the person using that device. Except for Admin level access, since it's password protected.

Starting with Jump Desktop is easy: either yourself (gaining access) or the person you are giving a remote view or control access to your Mac, needs to add details of the device and the password.

Secure your access with VPN

Get a VPN client for Mac to avoid privacy infringement while connecting remotely. It's secure and free to try.

Once permission is granted at the other end, remote Mac screen sharing or control (whereby you can use the iOS device as a remote mouse) becomes possible.

How to use your iOS device as a remote mouse

If your remote work starts on a patio hammock somewhere in east Asia, you should note that Apple iOS devices, such as an iPhone or iPad, can be used to control a Mac remotely, much like a mouse can control a desktop or laptop. Apps that make this possible work on VNC.

Remote Mouse is the easiest, most effective way to turn your iOS device into a wireless remote control for your Mac.

Although remote access through a local network would be most effective, since the closer you are to the device the quicker the connection, it's also possible from anywhere in the world, providing the network is secure and fast enough.

Setting up and granting access to the iOS device is the same process as when someone wants to access using a Mac. Except you need to give them a password. And make sure it is different from your primary Mac or iOS (App Store) one.

So working together or checking on your devices can be done from anywhere in the world and there are lots of ways to do that, from sharing screens and files to having complete access to a system set up far away. Setapp equips you with all the apps needed to remotely access any device you need and elevate your work to the global level.

These might also interest you:

Setapp lives on Mac and iOS. Please come back from another device.

Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.

Read on

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