How to Use Your Android Phone as a Mouse on Mac

Whether your mouse is broken or if you just want to test the flexibility of Android, using your phone as a mouse is just cool. It can be really handy in a pinch, and all it takes is choosing a compatible app. Keep reading for how you can easily use your Android phone as a mouse on your Mac.

Download Remote Mouse Android App

There is no shortage of Android apps available that double as a mouse. That’s especially true as a good number of these apps are multi-platform and are available for Windows, Mac, and in many cases, Linux. Remote Mouse is a favorite among Android users, and it’s one of the best-known apps in this category. While installation can differ from app to app, for the most part, these steps are true for most applications.

1. Open the Google Play Store on either your Android smartphone or web browser.

2. Search for “Remote Mouse.”

3. Click on Install from either the phone or web browser.

Download Remote Mouse App for Your Desktop

Note: the following instructions apply to Mac, but you can also download the Windows .exe and Linux package from the Remote Mouse website.

1. Open the Mac App Store from your Dock.

2. Search for “Remote Mouse” and install the app.

Connecting Android and Mac

1. First, open the Remote Mouse app on your Android device.

2. Once open, the app will give you another reminder if you have not already downloaded the Mac application.

3. The third step is to install the Mac app. If you have not already done so, click on the download app in “Finder -> Applications” so it opens in your Menu bar. You will know it’s running when you see the icon.

4. Next, the Android app will attempt to search for your Mac computer over Wi-Fi. When it finds your computer, click on the computer name.

5. The Mac app will stop you if you have not already added Remote Mouse under the settings and provided it Accessibility access. Apple computers do that as a security precaution, so you will need to enable this function to move forward.

5.1. Go to “Apple menu -> System Preferences.”

5.2. Locate and click on “Security and Privacy.”

5.3. On the next screen, the tab on the far right is labeled Privacy. Locate the Remote Mouse icon and make sure it has a checkmark next to it. Once you have completed that, you can go back and attempt to connect your Android device and Mac again.

6. Move past the shortcut functions, and you will see a green screen. Syncing is complete, and you are ready to go. Experiment by moving your fingers around, using two fingers to double-click, scroll up and down with two fingers, etc.

7. As an added bonus, the toolbar at the bottom of the Android app screen showcases the extra functions that are available. As an example, this entire sentence was written through the phone by using the keyboard that pops up on the smartphone.

8. If you are left-handed, click on the “hamburger” icon at the left side of the shortcut bar and you will see a toggle option for “Left Handed.” If active, all of the app’s functions reposition themselves to better serve left-handed users.

To see how easy this can be, you need only to go through the process of installing Remote Mouse just once. After installing, it’s easy to understand the attraction of using an Android device like a mouse. It’s simple, straightforward and it means one less thing to carry or travel with. Yes, it is true that a smartphone will never replicate the ergonomics of a mouse for drawing in Photoshop or editing a video, but in a pinch, it’s more than good enough. That you have plenty of app options to choose from and support for nearly every platform makes going down this road all the better. Have you ever tried using your Android as a mouse?