Headroom vs XConnect

Headroom is a remote desktop for controlling a Mac from your iPad, iPhone, or another Mac. The big idea: nothing to install on the Mac. Turn on macOS's built-in Screen Sharing — that's the whole setup. WHEN YOU WANT IT • Drive the Mac in the next room from the couch • Manage a headless Mac mini — no monitor, no keyboard • Peek at your dev machine or build server from wherever you are • Reach your home Mac from anywhere over a VPN such as Tailscale WHY HEADROOM • Zero install on the Mac Connects straight to macOS's built-in Screen Sharing (VNC). No server app, no agent, no menu-bar daemon. • Finds your Macs automatically Macs on the same Wi-Fi appear instantly via Bonjour. Manual IP connections work too. • Fast, smooth screen Metal rendering plus ZRLE compression — feels real-time on a LAN and stays usable on thin connections. • Touch that makes sense on iPad and iPhone Tap to click, one-finger scroll, long-press to drag and select text, two-finger wheel scrolling, pinch to zoom. • Real mouse behavior on the Mac On a Mac (same app), clicks, drags, and right-clicks pass through 1:1. Option-scroll pans; Command-scroll zooms. • Full keyboard, and your voice Software and hardware keyboards both work. Modifier keys (⌘⌥⌃⇧) tap once for the next keystroke or double-tap to lock — every shortcut is reachable. Tap the mic on the keyboard and what you say is typed straight into the Mac. • Private by design Credentials live only in your device's Keychain, and passwords are encrypted in transit using Apple's standard Screen Sharing authentication. • Made for iPhone Duo Half open like a laptop, your Mac sits on the upper screen and the keyboard on the lower one. Fully open or held like a book, the Mac spans the inner screen; closed, the outer screen works on its own. Nothing is drawn across the fold. CONNECTED IN THREE STEPS 1. On the Mac: System Settings > General > Sharing > turn on Screen Sharing 2. Open Headroom — your Macs appear automatically 3. Sign in with the Mac's username and password. Done. HEADROOM PRO • Unlimited connection time • Every future Pro feature included REQUIREMENTS • Client: iPad / iPhone (iOS 17+, verified on iOS 27 and iPadOS 27), Apple Silicon Mac • Host: any Mac with Screen Sharing enabled (no extra software) • Same network; for internet access we recommend a VPN such as Tailscale — Headroom is built by MusicFlow ("music × engineering") — the tool we made to run our own headless Mac minis, polished into something we use every day.

XConnect brings SSH, Telnet, SFTP and Windows Remote Desktop together in one app built for iPhone. Manage Linux servers, reach Windows machines and move files, all from your pocket. REMOTE DESKTOP THAT WORKS ON A PHONE XConnect includes a full RDP client, not screen mirroring. Switch between trackpad and direct touch, scroll with two fingers, pinch to zoom, right-click, and use a hardware keyboard with sticky modifier keys. A TERMINAL MADE FOR TOUCH • A dedicated key row puts arrows, Ctrl and other essentials above the keyboard • Full-screen mode for long sessions • SSH with password or key authentication, plus Telnet for legacy devices • Jump hosts work like OpenSSH ProxyJump, so you can reach servers on private networks AN AI ASSISTANT THAT GETS THINGS DONE Describe the task, such as "check how much disk space is left", and the assistant plans it, runs the commands on your server, reads the real output and reports back. Before anything destructive, it stops and asks for your confirmation. Connect the AI provider of your choice. SCRIPTS, READY TO RUN Start with ready-made scripts for backups, disk usage, Docker, listening ports, failed services and more. View and edit them on your phone, or write your own, then run them on any connected server. SFTP FILE MANAGEMENT Browse remote directories, filter by files or folders, and upload or download with a tap. LOCAL FIRST, PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your connections, groups, scripts and keys are stored encrypted on your device. No account is needed to use SSH, Telnet and SFTP. When you want your setup on more devices, turn on sync: it is end-to-end encrypted, so the server never sees your data in plain text. XCONNECT PRO Free: SSH, Telnet, SFTP, the script library and one jump host. Pro unlocks: • Remote Desktop (RDP) • The AI assistant • Running scripts from the terminal • Unlimited jump hosts • End-to-end encrypted cloud sync across your devices XConnect Pro is available as an auto-renewable subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel it in your App Store account settings. Pro is tied to your XConnect account, so sign in first to subscribe. Terms of Use: https://xconnectapp.com/ios/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://xconnectapp.com/ios/privacy.html