What is PhoneDeck?

PhoneDeck turns your iPhone into a fully customizable Mac controller — no extra hardware required. It's a free, two-app system (iPhone + macOS) that lets you launch apps, control media, adjust brightness and volume, and trigger shortcuts directly from your phone's screen. Built by a solo developer in just seven days, it works over local Wi-Fi with zero setup, no subscription, and no data leaving your home network.

Who it's for

• The hustler — who needs to switch from a side project to Slack in one tap, without anyone noticing.
• The builder — who wants to keep their hands on the keyboard and never break flow reaching for a mouse.
• The minimalist — who prefers a clean desk with zero extra hardware, using the iPhone already charging beside them.

Key features

Unlimited customizable pages

Most hardware controllers give you 8 buttons. PhoneDeck gives you unlimited pages. Swipe between pages on your iPhone — Design, Dev, Music — and tap any tile to instantly launch that app on your Mac. Tiles rotate when you lay the phone flat.

Full system controls on your iPhone

Brightness, keyboard backlight, volume, media playback, dictation, screenshot — drag any control onto any page as a tile. Your Mac's entire function row is now in your hand, requiring only a one-time Accessibility permission on the Mac.

Automatic wireless connection

Leave your iPhone charging beside your Mac. PhoneDeck finds it automatically over Wi-Fi, reconnects every time you wake your Mac, and stays completely invisible until you need it. No pairing codes, no PINs, no setup headaches.

Local privacy by design

PhoneDeck uses Apple's Multipeer Connectivity — the same tech AirDrop uses — so everything runs on your local Wi-Fi. No servers, no accounts, no telemetry. Your app list, shortcuts, and usage patterns never leave your network.

What stands out

The hardware is already in your pocket. Or charging on your desk. You paid for it years ago.

PhoneDeck replaces a $250 StreamDeck with the iPhone you already own — and it's completely free. No subscription, no hidden costs, no extra dongles. The solo developer built it because they needed it themselves, and that practical, no-nonsense approach shows in every design decision.

Worth checking out if…

You use a Mac and want a second screen for quick app switching, media control, or system adjustments — without spending money or cluttering your desk. It's especially useful if you're a creator juggling OBS, browser, and chat during a live stream, or a developer who wants to keep both hands on the keyboard. PhoneDeck requires iOS 17+ and an iPhone XS or newer, with the Mac app available now for direct download (Mac App Store version coming soon).