Remolo or Chrome Remote Desktop
The Chrome Remote Desktop app for iPhone and iPad is no longer in the App Store: Google now points iPhone users to the remotedesktop.google.com website, added to the Home Screen. The service is free and needs a Google account. Remolo is a native iPhone and iPad app: trackpad, keyboard, a clicker for slides and your own buttons, and with Pro, control from any network through an end-to-end encrypted relay, with no accounts at all.
Updated
| Remolo | Chrome Remote Desktop | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | free; Pro $2.99/mo or $14.99/yr | free |
| iPhone app to control a Mac | yes, for iPhone and iPad | — the app is gone from the App Store; only the remotedesktop.google.com website |
| From any network, no router setup | yes, built-in relay with end-to-end encryption (Pro) | yes |
| Account needed | no | yes, Google |
| Touch control | trackpad with gestures; 3–4 fingers in Pro | a virtual trackpad in the browser |
| The Mac’s screen on the phone | yes, to watch, with a magnifier; you steer with the trackpad (Pro) | full remote desktop |
| Files between iPhone and Mac | one file at a time, both ways (Pro) | not stated |
| Slides, timer, notes | Keynote, PowerPoint, Google Slides, PDF; timer; notes (Pro) | not stated |
| Custom buttons and scripts | buttons; chains, AppleScript and Shell (Pro) | not stated |
| Temporary access for someone else | one-time link for 1 hour, 1 day or 7 days (Pro) | one-time code; confirm every 30 minutes |
| Wake a sleeping Mac | no; it keeps the Mac awake instead (“Mac always ready”) | not stated |
| Apple Watch | yes (Pro) | not stated |
| Windows PCs | no, Mac only | yes |
Data from the official pages as of 6 October 2026; “not stated” means the official pages don’t mention it. All the alternatives side by side are on the Compare page.
When Chrome Remote Desktop is the better pick
- You need a full remote desktop for free and don’t mind a Google account.
- You also control Windows PCs: Remolo works only with Macs.
- You need to help someone once with a one-time support code.
When Remolo is the better pick
- A real iPhone and iPad app instead of a browser tab, with a trackpad and macOS gestures.
- No Google account or any other: the phone and the Mac pair with a code.
- A clicker for Keynote, PowerPoint and Google Slides with a timer, a media remote and your own buttons — things a remote desktop doesn’t do.
- End-to-end encryption: the Remolo relay sees only ciphertext (Pro for access from outside).
Questions
Why is Chrome Remote Desktop not in the App Store?
Google no longer offers an iOS app: the App Store doesn’t find it, and Google’s help suggests opening remotedesktop.google.com in the iPhone browser and adding it to the Home Screen to see the desktop full screen.
Can I control a Mac from an iPhone without an account?
Yes. Remolo has no accounts: at home the phone and the Mac connect directly, and with Pro through a relay with end-to-end encryption. Step by step in the guide on the Mac mini.
Does Remolo show the whole Mac desktop?
With Pro, yes: the Mac’s screen above the trackpad, with a magnifier and a display switcher. It is for control and checking, not hours of work — a full remote desktop is better for that.
A month of Pro for those who wait
The iPhone and iPad app is coming soon to the App Store, and Remolo Helper for Mac is already available.