Download DuoDesk Host
DuoDesk Host is the companion app for your Mac. It lives in the menu bar, sends the Mac's screen to the iPhones you've paired, and carries out your taps and typing.
DuoDesk Host 1.0
Signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple.
zip · 2.1 MB · SHA-256 2977e72364ceb724f3c059474b42c84f19445e538a3446af74be3da409c73a16
DuoDesk for iPhone
On the App Store, for iOS 27 or later. Free to download; connecting to a Mac needs DuoDesk Pro, with a 7-day free trial.
System requirements
- Mac: macOS 15 Sequoia or later.
- iPhone: any iPhone with iOS 27 or later. On the foldable iPhone Duo, the layout also follows how it's folded.
- Network: both devices just need internet access. They don't have to be on the same network, and you don't need a VPN or Tailscale.
- Stay logged in: the Mac needs a logged-in user. A locked screen is fine; you can type the password from your phone once connected.
First-time setup
Permissions can only be granted at the Mac itself, so do this step in person.
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Open the app you downloaded
Open the downloaded file and double-click DuoDesk Host. When macOS asks whether to open an app downloaded from the internet, click “Open”.
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Move it to Applications
DuoDesk Host asks “Move DuoDesk Host to the Applications folder?”. Click “Move to Applications”. It moves itself, reopens, and the DuoDesk icon appears in the menu bar.
When macOS says a background item was added, leave it allowed: DuoDesk Host then starts when you log in and restarts on its own if it ever crashes.
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Allow Screen Recording and Accessibility
Click the DuoDesk icon in the menu bar, click “Grant Access” next to Screen Recording and turn on DuoDesk Host in System Settings. When macOS asks to reopen the app, click “Quit & Reopen”. Do the same for Accessibility. You're done when both turn green.
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Pair your iPhone
Choose “Pair New iPhone…” in the DuoDesk menu and a QR code appears on the Mac. In DuoDesk on your iPhone, tap “Scan to Add Mac” on the home screen and scan it, or scan it with the iPhone Camera. The code works once, within 5 minutes.
Once paired, the Mac shows up in the list on your phone as “Online”.
Keep your Mac reachable
Don't let it sleep
In System Settings › Energy (on a laptop, Battery › Options), turn on preventing automatic sleep when the display is off, and “Wake for network access”. Keep a laptop plugged in. DuoDesk Host also keeps the Mac from idle sleep while it runs.
Stay logged in
Don't log out; a locked screen is fine. A Mac with FileVault stops at the unlock screen after a restart, before any network is up, so someone has to log in at the Mac once.
The monthly Screen Recording check
About every 30 days macOS asks again whether to allow screen recording. If the picture is still coming through, click “Allow” from your phone; if it's blocked, someone has to click it at the Mac.
StandBy panel (optional)
To see Claude Code and Codex usage on your phone, sign in to Claude Code on this Mac with your subscription (run claude in Terminal, then /login), and sign in to the ChatGPT desktop app or the Codex CLI.
Updating
Download the new version, open it and move it to Applications as you did the first time. It replaces the old copy and keeps the permissions you granted.
Uninstalling
Choose “Quit” in the DuoDesk menu, then move DuoDesk Host from Applications to the Trash. To remove everything, also delete the folders ~/Library/Application Support/DuoDesk and ~/Library/Logs/DuoDesk, and remove both permissions under Privacy & Security in System Settings.