Remolo or Keynote Remote
The remote built into Keynote is free and good: notes, a timer, a laser and drawing — but only for Keynote, and the phone has to be near the Mac. Remolo also drives PowerPoint, Google Slides and PDFs, has a free stopwatch, and outside a talk it becomes a trackpad and remote for the whole Mac.
Updated
| Remolo | Keynote Remote | |
|---|---|---|
| Price on iPhone | free; Pro $2.99/mo or $14.99/yr | free (part of Keynote) |
| Trackpad with gestures | yes; 3–4 fingers in Pro | — |
| Keyboard | any language, F1–F12 | not stated |
| Advance slides | Keynote, PowerPoint, Google Slides, PDF | Keynote only |
| Talk timer | stopwatch; countdown with a buzz in Pro | yes |
| Speaker notes on the phone | Keynote, PowerPoint (Pro) | yes |
| Laser, drawing | laser, spotlight, marker (Pro) | laser and drawing |
| The Mac’s screen on the phone | yes, with a magnifier (Pro) | slides only |
| Custom buttons and macros | buttons, chains, AppleScript and Shell | not stated |
| Control from anywhere | yes, built-in relay with end-to-end encryption (Pro) | not stated |
| Temporary access for someone else | one-time link for 1 hour, 1 day or 7 days (Pro) | — |
| Account needed | no | not stated |
| Apple Watch | yes (Pro) | yes |
| Windows PCs | no, Mac only | — |
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 Keynote Remote is the better pick
- You only present Keynote and don’t want to install anything.
- You want drawing on slides for free.
When Remolo is the better pick
- PowerPoint, Google Slides in a browser or a PDF in Preview — one remote for everything.
- A time limit with a silent buzz 2 minutes before the end, and pocket mode with the volume buttons (Pro).
- After the talk — a trackpad, keyboard and buttons for the Mac.
- A colleague can advance your slides with a guest link (Pro).
Questions
Does Remolo read Keynote notes?
Yes, notes from Keynote and PowerPoint, in Remolo Pro. Notes aren’t read from Google Slides or PDFs.
Does Remolo work without Wi‑Fi in the venue?
Yes: with Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth on both devices the phone and the Mac connect directly. Step by step in the guide on slides from your iPhone.
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.