FreeMouse
Support

Need a hand?

How to set up FreeMouse, how the Accessibility step works, and what to do when it doesn't work straight away. Question not here? Just email us.

How to set it up

On your MacOnce, 2 minutes.

  1. Download FreeMouse on this page and open FreeMouse.dmg.
  2. Drag FreeMouse to the Applications folder.
  3. Open FreeMouse from Applications and click Open when your Mac asks.
  4. Choose Allow when your Mac asks whether FreeMouse may look for devices on your network (macOS 15 and later).

AccessibilityOnce, 30 seconds.

  1. Click Open System Settings in the FreeMouse window.
  2. Switch FreeMouse on in the list under Accessibility. Your Mac may ask for your password or Touch ID.
  3. Go back to FreeMouse. The check is already green and the window moves on to pairing.

On your iPhoneOnce, 20 seconds.

  1. Install FreeMouse from the App Store and open it.
  2. Allow it when your iPhone asks about the local network. That's how it finds your Mac.
  3. Scan the QR code on your Mac, or type the code. Done.

The Accessibility step, screen by screen

This is what you'll see, in words. It takes half a minute and you do it once.

  1. The FreeMouse window.At the top it says Step 1 of 2. Below that: Allow FreeMouse in Accessibility, with a purple Open System Settings button. Click it.
  2. System Settings opens.On the left there's a list of topics, with Privacy & Security already selected. On the right you see the title Accessibility and a list of apps, each with a switch.
  3. Find FreeMouse in the list.Next to the name and the purple icon with the little mouse there's a switch that's off, grey. Switch it on. It turns blue, or whatever colour your Mac uses.
  4. Your Mac may ask for your password or Touch ID.That's your Mac checking it's really you. Enter it.
  5. Back to FreeMouse.The check next to FreeMouse is green and it says Allowed. You don't need to restart anything. The window moves on to pairing by itself, with the QR code.
  6. FreeMouse isn't in the list?Click the plus below the list, choose Applications, choose FreeMouse and click Open. Then switch it on.

When it doesn't work

My iPhone can't find my Mac.
  • Are your iPhone and Mac on the same wifi network? Not one on wifi and the other on a cable from another network, and not one on the guest network.
  • Is FreeMouse running on your Mac? You'll see a small mouse in your menu bar. Don't see it? Open FreeMouse from Applications.
  • May FreeMouse use the local network? On your iPhone: Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network > FreeMouse on. On your Mac (macOS 15 and later): System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network > FreeMouse on.
  • Still nothing? Switch wifi on your iPhone off and on again.
My Mac's firewall is on.

Usually you won't notice: your Mac lets signed apps like FreeMouse through by default. If your Mac asks whether FreeMouse may accept incoming connections, choose Allow.

Is Block all incoming connections on? Go to System Settings > Network > Firewall > Options. Switch Block all incoming connections off, and set FreeMouse in the list to Allow incoming connections. Using a different firewall app? Give FreeMouse access to your local network there.

I have mesh wifi with several routers or points.

That usually just works. If it doesn't, your mesh system may be keeping devices apart, or your iPhone and Mac are on different networks (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz with different names). Try this:

  • Put your iPhone and Mac on the same network name.
  • In your mesh system's app, look for settings like device isolation, AP isolation or client isolation, and switch them off.
  • Look for multicast, mDNS or Bonjour, and switch it on.
  • Restart the mesh system once.
I'm on a guest network, at the office or in a hotel.

Guest networks and many office or hotel networks keep devices apart on purpose. Then your iPhone can't reach your Mac, not with FreeMouse either. At home, use your regular network instead of the guest network.

On the go? Turn on your iPhone's Personal Hotspot and connect your Mac to it.

I use a VPN.

A VPN on your iPhone or Mac can send all traffic, even traffic inside your home, through a tunnel. Then your devices can't find each other. Switch the VPN off for a moment, or look in the VPN app for a setting like Allow local network or LAN access, and switch it on.

The pointer doesn't move, but the app says Connected.

Then FreeMouse doesn't have Accessibility permission. Your iPhone says so too, and the little mouse in your menu bar is red. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility and switch FreeMouse on. Already on? Switch it off and on again.

The connection keeps dropping.
  • Does your Mac go to sleep? As soon as your Mac wakes up, your iPhone reconnects by itself. Want your Mac to stay awake? Set sleep later in System Settings > Energy.
  • Is your iPhone far from the router or behind thick walls? Try a spot with better wifi.
  • Did you use Pause in the menu bar? Then choose Resume.

Remove a device

On your Mac: click the little mouse in your menu bar, choose Devices, and click Remove next to the iPhone. That iPhone can't get in anymore, even when it's nearby. Want to use it again later? Pair again.

On your iPhone: in FreeMouse, tap your Mac's name at the top, choose the Mac and tap Forget this Mac.

Remove the helper from your Mac

  1. Click the little mouse in your menu bar and choose Quit FreeMouse.
  2. Drag FreeMouse from Applications to the Trash.
  3. Want to keep the list tidy too? Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility, select FreeMouse and click the minus. If Open at login was on, FreeMouse disappears from General > Login Items by itself.

On your iPhone, delete FreeMouse like any app: press and hold the icon and choose Remove App.

Contact

Email info@abn.company. Tell us which Mac and macOS version you have, which iPhone and iOS version, and what you see. We answer within a few working days.