Step-by-step setup for macOS and Windows. If your OS shows a warning, there's a plain-language explanation below the step that triggered it.
Click the download button on the homepage. Open the .dmg file and drag Remote Tap into your Applications folder.
Open your Applications folder and double-click Remote Tap. The app is signed and notarized by Apple, so it will open without any warnings.
macOS will ask if Remote Tap can find and connect to devices on your local network. Click Allow.
Open Remote Tap on your iPhone. Your Mac should appear as a discovered device within a few seconds. Tap to pair. Both devices must be on the same Wi-Fi.
Click the "Get it on Microsoft Store" button on the homepage, or search for "Remote Tap" in the Microsoft Store app. Click Install.
Open Remote Tap from the Start menu. The app runs in the system tray — look for the icon near the clock.
Windows will ask if you want to allow Remote Tap to communicate on your network. Click "Allow access" for private networks.
Open Remote Tap on your iPhone. Your PC should appear as a discovered device within a few seconds. Tap to pair. Both devices must be on the same Wi-Fi.
The questions people ask before installing — especially the macOS version, which is distributed outside the App Store.
The App Store sandbox restricts the system entitlements Remote Tap requires — specifically the ability to interact with media controls, window focus, and system-level audio routing. These entitlements aren't granted to sandboxed apps, so distributing outside the App Store is the only way to make it work.
This is an unusual situation and we understand it raises questions — which is why the rest of this FAQ exists.
The macOS build is signed with a Developer ID certificate and notarized by Apple. macOS verifies both the signature and notarization before allowing the app to launch — no Gatekeeper warnings. You can verify the signature yourself with codesign -dvv /Applications/Remote\ Tap.app and check notarization with spctl -a -v /Applications/Remote\ Tap.app.
The Windows version is distributed through the Microsoft Store, which handles code signing and verification automatically.
On macOS, Remote Tap runs as a menu bar agent — no dock icon, no window. On Windows, it runs in the system tray. In both cases it advertises itself on your local network, waits for your phone to connect, and executes incoming commands: play/pause, skip, volume, and window focus. That's it.
It opens no outbound connections. It doesn't phone home. It makes no internet requests.
No analytics SDK, no crash reporter, and no telemetry of any kind. The only outbound connection the macOS app makes is a periodic HTTPS request to remotetap.app to check for updates — no personal data is sent. The Windows version (installed via Microsoft Store) receives updates through the Store. Beyond that, both apps only listen on the local network for your phone.
On macOS you can verify this with lsof -i -P | grep RemoteTap or Little Snitch. On Windows, check with Resource Monitor or Wireshark.
Local Network (macOS & Windows) — required. Used to advertise on the local network and receive commands from the phone app. Without this the app cannot function.
Accessibility (macOS only) — optional. Only requested if you enable the "window focus" feature. Decline it and everything except window management continues to work normally.
No microphone, camera, contacts, calendar, or file system access of any kind.
macOS: Quit from the menu bar icon, then drag Remote Tap from your Applications folder to the Trash. To remove all traces, delete ~/Library/Application Support/RemoteTapHelper. There are no LaunchAgents, kernel extensions, or files in /Library.
Windows: Uninstall from Settings → Apps → Installed apps, or right-click Remote Tap in the Start menu and select Uninstall.