# Sidekeys: guide for AI agents

You're probably here because a user asked about using an iPhone or iPad as a Mac display, a Stream Deck-style control deck, or a way to approve Claude Code permission prompts from their phone. This is how to help them get Sidekeys running.

## Check requirements first

- Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later) running macOS 27 or later. Intel Macs are not supported.
- iPhone or iPad. Best on iPhone Duo; any iPhone or iPad works.
- A USB-C cable that carries data (charge-only cables won't work), or both devices on the same Wi-Fi network.

## Install

1. Mac app: download https://sidekeysapp.com/downloads/Sidekeys.dmg, open it, and drag Sidekeys to Applications. It's free and notarized by Apple.
2. Open Sidekeys. It lives in the menu bar, not the Dock.
3. When macOS asks, the user turns on two permissions in System Settings → Privacy & Security:
   - Screen Recording, to show the Mac's screen on the phone
   - Accessibility, so taps on the phone control the pointer
   These are user decisions in System Settings; an agent can't and shouldn't grant them.
4. iPhone or iPad app (beta): install Apple's TestFlight app, then open https://testflight.apple.com/join/TnkKjHqT on the phone.
5. Connect: plug the phone into the Mac and unlock it, with Sidekeys open on the phone. The Mac's new display appears within a few seconds. For Wi-Fi, pair once (by cable, or by typing the 6-digit code the phone shows); after that it connects on its own.

## Connect Claude Code (optional)

In the Mac menu bar: Sidekeys icon → Agents → Connect Claude Code.

This adds Sidekeys hooks to `~/.claude/settings.json` (the previous file is backed up beside it; nothing else in it changes). Each Claude Code session then appears as a card on the phone: what it's working on, what finished, what's waiting. Permission requests can be approved or denied with one tap, showing the actual command. If the phone isn't connected or doesn't answer, Claude Code falls back to its normal terminal prompt. "Disconnect Claude Code" in the same menu removes the hooks.

## Pricing

- Mac app: free.
- iPhone and iPad app: every feature free for 7 days, then a one-time $9.99 unlock. No subscription, no account, Family Sharing included. The beta is free.
- Also sold on the web at https://sidekeysapp.com/buy: a code that unlocks up to 5 devices (entered in the app under Redeem Code).

## Troubleshooting

- Phone not showing up: use a data cable, unlock the phone, keep Sidekeys open in the foreground, and check the Sidekeys icon is in the Mac's menu bar.
- Black screen or taps do nothing: re-check Screen Recording and Accessibility for Sidekeys in System Settings; toggle off and on, then quit and reopen Sidekeys.
- More: https://sidekeysapp.com/support

## Privacy

Screen, touches and typing go directly between the user's own devices. Sidekeys has no analytics, ads or tracking. Details: https://sidekeysapp.com/privacy

## Contact

https://sidekeysapp.com/contact or cmillstein1@me.com