How to Use Your iPhone as a Trackpad for Mac

Pair Pilot first

Install Pilot on your iPhone and the Pilot Mac helper on your Mac. Open the helper, follow its permission instructions, and pair by scanning its QR code in Pilot.

If you have not connected yet, follow the complete connection guide. This article starts from a paired Mac and focuses on using the controls.

Use the Trackpad surface

Select Trackpad in the bottom navigation. The large touch surface is the main area for controlling the Mac pointer. Check the connected Mac's name before you begin, then move on the surface while watching the pointer on your Mac.

Start with a simple task, such as positioning the pointer over a button in an open window. Learn the app's click and scrolling behavior before trying a task where an accidental action matters. The exact gesture behavior should be checked in the version of Pilot you are using.

Try the phone in portrait and landscape. Choose the orientation that gives you a comfortable grip and enough space for the task. The bottom navigation keeps the other Pilot modes accessible.

Move between pointer and keyboard

Use Keyboard when the selected Mac window needs text. Before typing, place focus in the field you intend to edit. Pointer position and text focus are different: a field must be active to receive the text.

The Trackpad controls include Command, Option, Control and Shift, alongside Escape and More Keys. These make Mac keyboard commands available without reaching for the physical keyboard. Check the modifier's state before continuing, especially after using a combination.

More Keys groups shortcuts such as Copy, Paste, Undo, Find and Spotlight. Choose a command for the window you are actually using; app-specific shortcuts can differ.

Send a short piece of text

For a phrase or short note, open More Keys and use its Compose area. Write the text on your iPhone, select the intended destination field on your Mac, then use Send to Mac.

Try this with an empty note first. It is an easy way to check where text lands before using it in a document or message. Review the result on the Mac before continuing your work.

When Screen View helps

If you cannot comfortably see the Mac display, use Screen from the Trackpad header to open Screen View. It shows the desktop on your iPhone and provides touch-mode and keyboard controls.

Trackpad is a control surface; Screen View adds a view of the desktop. Choose between them based on whether you need to see the Mac on your phone. For video playback or slide changes, Pilot's dedicated modes may save repeated pointer movements.

Connected, but the pointer does not respond?

Confirm the selected Mac and keep its helper open. Review the helper's permission instructions if input is unavailable. If the pointer works but typing goes to the wrong place, select the intended text field again.

If a shortcut affects another app, bring your target window to the foreground and retry a harmless command. Troubleshoot pointer input, text focus and shortcut routing separately rather than repeatedly sending the same action.