Are you looking for Apps to Bridge Gap Between iPhone and MacBook? Here is your answer! If you’re an Apple user, you’re undoubtedly already used to the seamless syncing of your devices. Your Apple Watch unlocks itself when you pick up your iPhone in the morning. After that, you sit at your desk and lift the lid of your Mac, which unlocks via the Apple Watch. But what if the Apple Watch doesn’t exist? Is the iPhone sufficient? You may take as many images as you want on your iPhone and instantly view them on your iPad thanks to iCloud sharing. Wait! Isn’t it true that I just said iCloud? However, space is restricted to 5 GB. As a result, you end up paying for services, and it’s a subscription model.
It’s either an expensive subscription model or another Apple Device itself, to enjoy the Apple ecosystem completely. But most users just use a combination of an iPhone and a MacBook. I have gathered a couple of third-party apps that let you bridge the gap between an iPhone and a MacBook. Let’s see what’s in the pool for you.
Apps to Bridge The Gap Between iOS and macOS
1. Near Lock: Unlock Your MacBook With iPhone
Apple Watch allows the user to unlock macOS automatically if the user is wearing it at the moment. The feature is pretty useful and impressive. But you can’t buy a $400 watch just for this feature alone. Near Lock is a solution to the hassle of typing your password every time.
Near Lock makes it possible to unlock your MacBook without having to enter your password. The software provides a variety of choices for users to do so. On your iPhone, you can use Face ID or Touch ID, Double Knock, or manually lock/unlock via the iPhone app. You may also use proximity to lock and unlock your MacBook whenever you are close to it.
Along with the basic function, Near Lock includes a slew of other functions. By taking a picture with your Mac’s webcam, the program can tell you who is attempting to unlock your computer. It also has a clipboard manager that allows you to copy and paste text between devices. However, because the feature is now available natively in the Apple ecosystem, it does not count.
Read also: The 9 Best Laptops of 2021
2. Duet Display: Use Your iPad as a Second Display
Duet Display is a program that allows you to connect your iPad to your MacBook and use it as a second display. The app has a high rating on the store, and the description made by ex-Apple engineers partially validates it. For your second screen, the software allows you to use both touch and type features. You may also use your Apple Pencil as an input device, which is very useful for photo editing and design.
Both of your smartphones must have the app installed. The macOS program may be downloaded and installed for free from their website. On an iOS device, the app must be purchased. The two devices, on the other hand, are still connected by a lightning or USB Type-C cable. The cable connection enables a smooth operation between the two monitors with virtually no lags.
You can read: 10 Best New iOS 15 Features, Tips, and Tricks
3. PhotoSync: Transfer Photos Without iCloud
If you’ve had an iPhone for more than two years, your device’s capacity is likely to be above 5GB full of images. If you want to sync your images across all Apple devices, that’s approximately the maximum with iCloud. To accomplish this, you can either purchase additional iCloud storage, as I did, or create timely backups using a cable and iTunes. PhotoSync, on the other hand, is here to fill the void at a far lower cost.
PhotoSync lets you transfer your photographs and videos from your Mac to your MacBook or any other device. But there’s a catch: there’s no limit to it. Yes, you can sync as many devices as you like, and it’s completely independent of cloud services, so you always have complete control.
PhotoSync does come for a price but it’s extremely low cost if compared to an iCloud subscription. In fact, you just pay once and use the app on multiple platforms even outside the Apple ecosystem. The app allows auto-transfer for backup and even converts some photo formats to JPEG. There’s even full support for live photos and burst mode pictures so you won’t miss any data in transit.
4. Remote Mouse: Control MacBook From iPhone
Ever been in a situation where your iMac or MacBook is kept at a distance and you had to break that comfy position to pause a movie or change a track? Well, we might just have a solution. Moreover, Remote Mouse is no doubt one of the best Apps to Bridge Gap Between iPhone and MacBook.
Remote Mouse is a wonderful program for using your iPhone as a trackpad for your MacBook, as the name implies. As with a trackpad, you may move the pointer around and pick text. Remote Mouse features a second tab that displays a media control panel on your iPhone’s screen and functions similarly to an IR remote. The software, of course, includes a keyboard.
In addition, the keyboard in the program has a landscape mode, which makes it a lot better. However, the iPhone app’s browser tab is another draw. Like a browser, it allows you one-touch access to your most visited websites. The app launcher mode is the same way. On your iPhone screen, it arranges all of your launchpad apps in the same order. On your MacBook, simply tap to launch apps. If you wish to prevent unwanted access to your Mac app from another iPhone, just establish a passcode for connection in your Mac app settings.
5. Mocha Keyboard Lite: Use Mac’s Keyboard to Type on iPhone
How about those extended phone calls with your girl while you’re at work? You can’t be observed using the MacBook app or the chat app or picking up your phone for that long. So, instead of typing on your phone, how about typing on your Mac keyboard?
Mocha Keyboard Lite is a simple tool that might help you with this task. It works in the same way as a Bluetooth keyboard to connect your MacBook keyboard to your iPhone. Simply launch the software on your MacBook and it will attempt to connect to your iPhone. That’s all there is to pair the two Bluetooth connections. The strokes appear on your phone window when you type on your Mac’s keyboard. Remember to tap and pick the area you wish to type in before you start typing.
The app has two different versions on the Mac app store, Mocha Keyboard Lite which is a free version, and Mocha Keyboard which is a full version. The only difference between the two is, the free version does not support the delete key. This is anyway better than other apps like Type2Phone which is no doubt popular but has only a paid version that costs $10. Make sure you click on the correct link below.
6. Native Feature: Copy & Paste Between iPhone and MacBook
For those of you who are ignorant of this feature, you will resent me for not informing you of it sooner and forcing you to read the app description above. You can copy and paste text from your Mac to your iPhone and vice versa. And by texts, I don’t just mean a few sentences.
If you update your system software on all of your devices on a regular basis, you’re undoubtedly running the most recent iOS and macOS versions. And if that’s the case, you’re already using this fantastic function. On one device, you could simply choose and copy the text, then paste it on the other. Unlike the premium apps that previously supplied the common clipboard feature, the feature leverages iCloud to record a copy command.
So, why did I say you’d despise me? I’m sure it never occurred to you that you could rapidly type a long e-mail or text on your MacBook and then copy and paste it onto your iPhone. When you come across a link on your phone and want to see the page on your MacBook, it’s much more convenient. However, you can always see the open tabs in Safari on your iPhone on your MacBook. Okay, just use it where you can, and thank me in the comments section later.
7. AirBuddy: Connect AirPods to MacBook in One Tap
With a single tap, AirPods connect to your iPhone or iPad. On your MacBook, though, you must go through the same time-consuming process of opening Bluetooth options and pairing the two devices. This is a life-saving app.
When you connect your AirPods to your MacBook using AirBuddy, you receive the same experience as when you connect them to other iOS devices. You’ll hear a pop if you open the AirPods case near your MacBook. You’re now connected to your AirPods after tapping the connect button. You can check the status of your AirPods and case at any moment by flipping open the case near your MacBook.
8. EpocCam – Turns your iPhone into a Security Camera
EpocCam is a free app that converts your iPhone into a security camera or baby monitor. It works over WiFi. That is, you can stream the camera feed from your iPhone to your Mac in real-time. For example, if I’m shooting a video and want to see how the setup looks, I can place my iPhone near the DSLR and see the film on my larger Mac screen in real-time.
On both devices, you must download the client and server, like with other programs. EpocCam will also recognize the iPhone automatically. The only catch is that the free edition contains advertisements. By upgrading to the paid version, you may eliminate them and gain access to features such as a microphone, manual focus, and a flashlight, among others.
9. Microphone Live – use the iPhone as a Mic for Mac
Your Mac has a mic, but let’s be honest, it’s not that great. Of course, you can buy the expensive USB mic of Amazon but turns out, if you have an iPhone you can use that as a Mic as well. Microphone live is considered one of the best Apps to Bridge Gap Between iPhone and MacBook.
Microphone live is a free app that lets you do exactly that. For instance, if you use Audacity to record audio, you can set the source audio to iPhone.
However, the setup takes some time; you may learn more about it here. On your iPhone, you should download the Microphone Live app in general. Unlike the other apps on this list, Mac does not require a companion app. Connect your iPhone to your Mac using the lightning connector once you’ve downloaded the program. Open Audio Midi Setup on your Mac, locate your iPhone in the list of devices and enable it. That’s all there is to it. Now go to your Mac’s sound settings and select iPhone as the input device. Your iPhone will send everything you say to your Mac.
10. Airfoil Satellite – use iPhone as a speaker for Mac
Why not use your iPhone as a speaker now that you know how to utilize it as a mic for Mac? This is great if you’re viewing a movie on your Mac and want to listen to the audio from the comfort of your bed, or if your Mac’s speaker is broken.
We’ve written a full guide on how to utilize Airfoil to turn your iPhone into a Mac speaker. In general, you’ll need to install ‘Airfoil for Mac’ on your Mac and the ‘Airfoil Satellite’ companion app on your iOS device. Then, on your Mac, open the program and choose the audio source you want to send. If your iPhone and Mac are both connected to the same WiFi network, your Mac will automatically recognize your iPhone. Simply click on the iPhone icon, and you’re done.
The app is free and works fine, although, in the trial mode, the quality degrades after 10 mins. You can remove this restriction by paying $35.
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Using the aforementioned apps will undoubtedly bring your gadgets closer together, allowing you to make even greater use of them. Some of these apps even help to lessen privacy threats, such as PhotoSync, which has no cloud storage and no data breaches. Although I enjoy the native copy-paste feature, I find that apps like Remote Mouse and Duet Display make my life easier on a daily basis. Now it is your time to try some best Apps to Bridge Gap Between iPhone and MacBook to boost your performance and productivity. Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
You may also be interested to read about Best Password Manager for Mac.
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