PocketHook vs Sidekey

Your iPhone, wired to anything you build. PocketHook is the native chat that connects your Apple devices to your own HTTPS server — your webhook, your n8n workflow, your Home Assistant, your own script. You type, your server answers, and iOS Shortcuts run on cue. No account. No tracking. No middleman between you and your own data. Send a message, watch your server reply with Markdown, images, links, even a Shortcut to trigger automatically. Chain steps. Speak instead of typing. Schedule background checks that poke your server and notify you when something changes. It all happens on your infrastructure, through your credentials, stored only in the Apple Keychain. PocketHook is a client. It ships with no backend of its own — you bring the server, and your data stays where it belongs. Features: - Connect to any HTTPS server you control - Trigger iOS Shortcuts and Siri from server responses, with multi-step chains - Six built-in App Intents for Siri and user-built Shortcuts: send a message and wait for reply, silent send without chat history, add a local message, and three helpers to extract fields (msg, data, shortcut name) from server responses - Rich chat: Markdown, HTML, images, interactive buttons - Voice dictation in 39 languages via the iOS Speech framework - Background polling with notifications - Offline queue with automatic retry - Optional compatibility mode for servers using a chat-style JSON format - Zero tracking, zero third-party SDKs - Credentials stored in Apple Keychain only Built for developers, tinkerers, automators, and anyone who wants their iPhone to talk to the things they actually run. If you can deploy an HTTPS endpoint, PocketHook plugs straight into it. More info: https://pockethook.app

Sidekey turns your iPhone into a customizable wireless keyboard and shortcut pad for your own computer. Tap keys on your phone and they type on your Mac or Windows PC over your local Wi‑Fi — no extra hardware, no cables. Design the keyboard you actually want: add keys, build shortcuts (including combos like Cmd/Ctrl, and left/right modifiers), arrange them on a grid, and switch between layers and modes. Keep your most-used shortcuts one tap away. HOW IT WORKS Sidekey works together with a small, free desktop helper you run on the computer you want to control. Put both devices on the same Wi‑Fi, scan a QR code once to pair, and you're connected. Pairing is secured with a token, and your keystrokes travel directly to your own computer — never through us. FEATURES • Custom key designer — make your own keys, shortcuts, and layouts • Shortcuts & combos — Cmd/Ctrl/Alt/Shift, function keys, media keys, and left/right‑specific modifiers • Multiple layers & modes — flip between a full keyboard, a shortcut deck, a trackpad, and more • Trackpad mode — use your phone as a touchpad with left/right buttons • Voice typing — dictate with the system keyboard and send the text to your computer • Quick pairing — scan a QR code; reconnects automatically afterward • Works with Mac and Windows • Private by design — no account, no tracking, nothing sent to the developer REQUIRES THE FREE DESKTOP HELPER Sidekey needs the free Sidekey helper running on your Mac or Windows computer. Download it from the link on our support page. Questions or ideas? We'd love to hear from you.