Kite

Download

Get Kite on both devices.

Kite has two parts: a free app for your Mac, and the iPad app on the App Store. Setup takes about two minutes, once.

Kite for Mac

Free

A menu bar app that adds the iPad as a display, sends the picture, and turns touches into clicks.

Download Kite for Mac .dmg
  • macOS 15 Sequoia or later
  • Signed with Developer ID and notarized by Apple
Kite for iPad

$9.99 once

Shows your Mac's screen and sends touch, Apple Pencil, keyboard and the camera back to it.

Kite for iPad App Store · coming soon
  • iPadOS 18 or later
  • Sold and refunded by Apple through the App Store
  • No in-app purchases, no subscription

Setting up

  1. Install Kite for Mac

    Open Kite.dmg and drag Kite to the Applications folder. Open Kite from Applications. A kite appears in the menu bar; there's no Dock icon.

  2. Allow Screen Recording and Accessibility

    The setup window opens on its own and checks each permission every second.

    • Screen Recording sends the picture of the display Kite adds. After you turn it on, click Reopen Kite in the setup window; macOS applies it only after a restart of the app.
    • Accessibility turns your taps, Pencil strokes and typing into clicks and keys on the Mac.

  3. Install Kite for iPad and open it

    A short tour shows the ways to connect. You can open it again later from the bottom of the connect screen.

  4. Connect

    • With a cable: plug the iPad into the Mac with a USB-C cable. Kite connects on its own.
    • Over Wi-Fi or away from home: install Tailscale on both devices and sign in to the same Tailscale account. On the same Wi-Fi, your Mac appears as a card on the iPad. Away from home, Macs you've connected to before stay in the list; for a new one, tap + and enter the address shown in Kite's menu on the Mac.

  5. Click Allow on the Mac

    The first time a new iPad connects, the Mac asks. After that it connects without asking, over the cable, Wi-Fi or Tailscale. You can remove an iPad from the menu bar at any time.

  6. Optional: Kite Camera

    To use the iPad camera as a webcam, turn on Kite Camera in the Kite menu on the Mac. macOS asks you to allow the camera extension in System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions. Then pick “Kite Camera” in Zoom, Meet or FaceTime.

Uninstalling

Mac: quit Kite from the menu bar and drag Kite from Applications to the Trash. macOS removes Kite Camera with it. To also remove Kite's settings and the list of iPads you allowed, run this in Terminal:

defaults delete jp.algorist.taildisplay.host

iPad: delete the app. iPadOS may keep Kite's pairing keys in the iPad's Keychain after the app is deleted; they're useless once you remove the iPad from your Mac's menu bar.

Something not working? See troubleshooting →