The Best Remote Desktop App for iPad and iPhone
Written by the people who make Peering, so read it knowing that. Researched from each product's own pages, 2026.
Start with what you want to control
Every remote desktop app on an iPad or iPhone is two programs: a viewer on the phone and a host on the computer. The viewer is the easy part. What decides which app suits you is the computer on the other end, and what you do once you are connected.
If it is a Mac
Peering is built for exactly this pairing. You confirm a six-digit code once on your own network, and after that the iPad or iPhone finds the Mac from anywhere. There is no account, the Mac's sound comes through, files move both ways and the clipboard is shared. It is free on your own network with no time limit, and gives 30 minutes a day from elsewhere; $2.99 a month or $24.99 once removes the limit.
Jump Desktop and Screens also control Macs well, and reach Windows and Linux too. They are the better pick when your setup is mixed. See the full comparison.
If it is a Windows PC
Peering controls Macs only, so look at Jump Desktop (one-time purchase, high frame rate), Chrome Remote Desktop (free), or RustDesk (free if you host the server). Microsoft's own remote desktop client is also an option on a Windows Pro machine.
If you help other people
TeamViewer and AnyDesk are built for support sessions: a person reads you an ID, you connect, and you leave when you are done. They carry far more than a personal setup needs.
What matters on a touchscreen
- Pointer model. A direct touch cursor is fast; a virtual trackpad is precise. Good apps offer both.
- Keyboard. Arrow keys, Escape, Control and Command need a key row, because the iOS keyboard has none of them.
- Sound. VNC-based apps such as Screens do not carry it. Peering, Jump Desktop, TeamViewer, AnyDesk and RustDesk do.
- Away from home. Check how it works off your own network, and who can see the traffic on the way.
- Accounts. Some apps want one on both ends. Peering and Screens over a direct connection do not.
Common questions
What is the best remote desktop app for iPad?
For a Mac, Peering: it needs no account, plays the Mac's sound and is free on your own network. If you also need to reach Windows or Linux, Jump Desktop or Screens. Chrome Remote Desktop is the free option if a Google account is fine.
What is the best remote desktop app for iPhone?
The same apps work on iPhone and iPad. Peering, Jump Desktop, Screens and Chrome Remote Desktop all have iPhone apps. Pick by the computer you want to reach, not by the phone.
Is there a free remote desktop app for iPad?
Yes. Peering is free on your own network with no time limit and gives 30 minutes a day from other networks. Chrome Remote Desktop and self-hosted RustDesk are also free.
Can an iPad control a Mac without installing anything on the Mac?
No app can see a Mac's screen without something running on it. Apple's built-in Screen Sharing has no iPhone or iPad client, so you install a small host app on the Mac, such as Peering's, and the iPad app connects to it.