Sidekeys Turns iPhones Into Mac Displays and Control Decks
A new utility enables touch-based Mac control and AI agent monitoring via iPhone.
1Hardware-Based Display Expansion
Sidekeys transforms any iPhone or iPad into a secondary display for Macs running Apple silicon. By connecting via a USB-C cable, users gain a touch-enabled screen that supports window dragging, scrolling, and typing. The system maintains full visibility of the Mac menu bar while allowing seamless rotation and edge-to-edge content display.
2Context-Aware Control Decks
The software automatically adapts its interface based on the active application on the Mac. For professional tools like Xcode, Final Cut Pro, Figma, or VS Code, it displays specific shortcut keys. This eliminates the need for memorizing complex commands, allowing users to execute functions with a single tap directly from their mobile device.
3Meeting and Communication Integration
During video calls on platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or Slack, the interface shifts to provide dedicated buttons for muting, camera control, and leaving meetings. These controls remain accessible even when the primary meeting window is buried behind other active applications, ensuring users maintain control without switching focus on their Mac.
4Monitoring AI Agent Workflows
Sidekeys provides a visual dashboard for users running coding agents in the terminal. Each agent appears as an individual card, detailing current tasks, completed actions, and pending approvals. This allows developers to monitor agent progress at a glance and jump directly to the relevant terminal window with a single tap on the phone.
5Technical Requirements and Connectivity
The tool requires a Mac with Apple silicon running macOS 27 or later. Connectivity is achieved via a data-capable USB-C cable for minimal latency or through encrypted end-to-end Wi-Fi. The Mac application is distributed directly from the developer's website because it utilizes virtual display technology, which is restricted on the Mac App Store.
6Privacy and Data Security
The architecture prioritizes user privacy by ensuring no data leaves the local devices. Screen information, touch inputs, and keystrokes are transmitted directly between the iPhone and Mac. The software does not collect analytics, display advertisements, or require user accounts, maintaining a strictly local connection between the hardware components for enhanced security.
7Pricing and Licensing Model
Sidekeys offers a seven-day free trial for all features. Following the trial, users can unlock the software for a one-time payment of $9.99. This license supports Apple Family Sharing, allowing multiple members of a group to access the software. A single web purchase provides a code that unlocks up to five individual devices.
8Strategic Utility for Professionals
By repurposing mobile hardware as a dedicated control interface, Sidekeys addresses the limitations of single-screen workflows. The integration of shortcut decks and AI monitoring suggests a shift toward modular computing environments. This approach allows power users to offload secondary tasks to a touch-sensitive peripheral, effectively increasing their primary screen's available real estate.
Original article: Hacker News: Show HN — Sidekeys Turns iPhones Into Mac Displays and Control Decks