BETTER REMOTE
Your iPhone as a trackpad, keyboard, media remote and screenshot button for your Mac.
An app by The Circumstances.


INSTALL  (Mac with macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon or Intel)

1. Open "Better Remote.dmg" and drag Better Remote into Applications.
2. Open Better Remote from Applications.
   The first time, macOS may say it can't check the developer. Go to
   System Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll down, and press Open Anyway.
3. In the Better Remote window, under PERMISSIONS:
   - ACCESSIBILITY > TURN ON   (pointer, clicks, keys, the screenshot key)
   - DOCUMENTS > ALLOW         (so the phone can see your screenshots)
   Sound levels and Magnifier are optional.


PAIR YOUR IPHONE  (once)

1. Point the iPhone camera at the QR code in the Better Remote window. It opens in Safari.
2. In Safari: Share > Add to Home Screen. Then open REMOTE from the Home Screen.
3. Your Mac shows NEW PHONE WANTS IN with a 4-digit code.
   If your phone shows the same code, press ALLOW.

Phone and Mac both need internet (Wi-Fi, hotspot or mobile data). They don't have to be
on the same network. Everything between them is end-to-end encrypted, and the Mac only
obeys phones you allowed in its window.


ON THE PHONE

PAD    one finger moves the pointer, tap to click, two fingers scroll, two-finger tap
       right-clicks, hold then move to drag. Pinch = magnifier. Three fingers up = all windows.
       Sliders around the pad: VOL (left), SCRL (right), BRIGHT (bottom).
VCR    play/pause and skipping for the app that's playing, volume and brightness wheels.
SNAP   takes a screenshot of the Mac (like Cmd+Shift+3). It lands in Documents/Screenshots.
KEY    keyboard and shortcuts.
PIC    your screenshots. SAVE FULL RES, HIDE HERE (off the remote only), DELETE ON MAC.
WALL   CRT backgrounds.
CFG    settings.

Magnifier: turn on System Settings > Accessibility > Zoom > "Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom"
once (the MAGNIFIER row in the Mac window has a SET UP button).

Sometimes a little crawler wanders across the phone. Touch it.


THE RELAY  (optional)

The phone finds your Mac through a small relay on the internet, shared by everyone who uses
Better Remote. It only passes encrypted data along. If you'd rather have your own (free),
open [RELAY] > MY OWN... in the Mac window and follow the three steps.


IF SOMETHING'S OFF

- NO SIGNAL strip on the phone: the Mac is asleep, offline, or Better Remote isn't running.
  It reconnects by itself as soon as the Mac answers.
- KEY CHANGED or NOT ALLOWED: scan the QR code again, then press ALLOW on the Mac.
- Closing the window keeps Better Remote running. Quit from the menu bar crawler or Cmd+Q.


Better Remote. An app by The Circumstances.
