Overview
Btelo Coding is an iOS app, but on Apple Silicon Mac (M1, M2, M3, M4), App Store lets you install the same iOS binary directly. You get the exact same sessions, chat, and controls — running natively in a desktop window with a real keyboard.
There is no separate Mac codebase. The Mac client is the iOS app.
What you get on Mac:
- Near-complete feature parity with iOS. Browsing files, chatting, driving sessions, switching AI providers, managing connectors and crons — almost every iOS feature works the same on Mac.
- Tuned for desktop input. Physical keyboard shortcuts, trackpad scrolling, free window resizing, and copy/paste behave like you'd expect from a desktop app rather than a phone.
- Live sync with iPhone. Chat and session state stream through the relay in real time. Send a message on Mac, watch it land on iPhone instantly — switch devices mid-conversation without losing context.
- Across machines, across networks. The Mac app drives any agent the relay can reach: your home computer, a VPS, a teammate's box, on different networks or in different cities. Move between Wi-Fi, ethernet, and tethered hotspot mid-session — the relay keeps the link alive.
- Beyond the bare terminal. Compared with running Claude or Codex directly in a terminal, every chat message stays in sync between Mac and iPhone, and you can manage multiple working directories and multiple sessions across separate windows side by side.
Requirements
- A Mac with Apple Silicon (Intel Macs cannot install iOS apps from App Store)
- macOS 11 Big Sur or later
- An Apple ID signed into App Store
Install in Four Steps
- Open App Store on your Mac (Dock or Launchpad).
- Search for
Btelo Coding. - In results, switch to the iPhone & iPad Apps tab. That is where iOS apps live on Mac.
- Click Get and install. The app appears in your Applications folder and Launchpad.
Sign In
The simplest way to connect is to paste a connector URL:
- On the computer running
btelo-codingCLI, open the TUI's Dashboard tab. - Press r to refresh the QR code (recommended — the QR expires after a short time).
- Press y to copy the QR URL to your clipboard.
- Open the Mac app, go to the Connect page, and paste the URL. You're in.
Sessions sync through the relay, so you can start a session on Mac and pick it up on your phone — and vice versa.
When to use the Mac app vs. the CLI agent
| Role | What it is | Where it runs |
|---|---|---|
| Client (Mac app or iOS app) | The thing you control from | Your Mac or iPhone |
| Server (CLI agent) | The thing being controlled | Your home computer / VPS |
These are different roles. The Mac app does not replace the CLI agent — you still need the CLI agent running on the computer you want to control.
Intel Macs
App Store does not offer iOS apps on Intel Macs. Use the CLI agent on Intel — it works on macOS 10.15+ amd64 — and connect from your iPhone instead.
Limitations
- The window resizes freely, but the layout follows iPad/iPhone idioms — it is not a redesigned macOS UI.
- Some iOS-only system features (haptics, Live Activities) are not available on Mac.
- Push notifications work via APNs on the official relay only. Self-hosted relays do not deliver notifications.
Why no native Mac binary?
Apple Silicon Macs run iOS apps natively with no compatibility layer, so a separate Mac codebase would be pure overhead. If we ever ship a Mac-only UI it will be in addition to this, not a replacement.