We all know that the iPhone is a pretty incredible device with an endless list of capabilities. Just like it doubles up as a webcam or a remote for your computer, you can also use it as a mouse for your Mac. This can be really useful if you want to play and control music on your computer while doing chores around the house. Or even if your regular mouse suddenly stops working and you can’t immediately replace it. Using your iPhone as a mouse is possible through some apps. Let’s check out a few.
Use Multi-Touch gestures on your Mac With a Multi-Touch trackpad or Magic Mouse, you can tap, swipe, pinch, or spread one or more fingers to perform useful actions. On the Mac, you can do this by going to the Settings app on your Mac, pressing Bluetooth, and then right-clicking on your mouse in the list you see. Click Remove and the mouse will unpair.
Remote Mouse is a super handy iPhone app that works like a charm to convert your phone’s touchscreen display into a touchpad for a PC/Mac. It can also act as a keyboard. Best portable external hard drive for mac 2016.
Remote Mouse iPhone app comes in two versions: a free one that serves ads and a $1.99 version that comes with no ads. The app connects to your Mac/PC via Wireless (WiFi or cellular data). This is great because Bluetooth-controlled apps are not as powerful and have a limited range.
To use Remote Mouse, simply follow the steps below:
That’s it! Your phone display will turn into a trackpad now. A two-finger tap is taken as a right-click and a swipe is taken as a scroll. There are also buttons on the screen that you can tap on to emulate clicks. Remote Mouse is our favorite app to use your iPhone as a mouse but in case you want to try some other options, we’ve listed a couple more below.
This is a great app to instantly transform your iPhone into a wireless mouse for your Mac! Whether you want to surf the web, browse your photos or control your music player from your couch, Mobile Mouse makes it easy. There is a free version that offers both mouse and keyboard functionality. The paid PRO version goes a step further with awesome features such as a macOS-style dock, password protection, programmable hotkeys, and more. Get the mobile app from the link above and download the server on your computer from Mobilemouse.com
Price: $1.99
Download
This app is sleek, customizable, and fully functional immediately after you set it up. After downloading it on your phone by clicking the link above, get the helper version for your computer from Benzle.com. The app emulates all the Mac special function keys including brightness control and media/volume control. User reviews in the App Store especially praise its ease of use.
Mac safari browser testing online, free. Price: Free (In-App Purchases)
Download
How to disable your camera on mac. This one has over a million downloads and almost 90% positive reviews on the App Store. In addition to the mouse and keyboard functionality, you can even start any app on your Mac, send your Mac to sleep, wake it up and perform many more useful actions to control your computer remotely. You’ll need to download the Mac Helper application from Cherpake.com and then connect your Mac and iOS device to the same WiFi network to do the setup process.
Price: Free (In-App Purchases)
Download
This one is different from the rest because it is highly customizable and there are specific commands for each Mac application. You can launch files, control media, and shut down or restart your computer all with the flick or tap of your finger. You can update to the paid version to remotely take screenshots of your Mac and enjoy other cool features. The helper app for your computer is available free at Fullcontrol.cescobaz.com.
Price: Free (In-App Purchases)
Download
Wrapping Up…
So do you ever use your iPhone as a mouse? What do you use it for and which of these apps worked best for you? Share your experience in the comments below.
Jignesh Padhiyar is the co-founder of iGeeksBlog.com who has a keen eye for news, rumors and all the unusual stuff that happens around Apple products. During his tight schedule, Jignesh finds some moments of respite to share side-splitting contents on social media.
Hi all,
Not a question per se, but something I thought might be helpful for others.
I wanted to get my Magic Mouse (first gen) working with my Windows 10 laptop with Bluetooth 4.0.
The mouse works fine - left and right click works as does up/down & left/right scrolling.
Hope this helps someone looking to do something similar!
Posted on