OpenDisplay: Turn Your iPhone or iPad into a Second Display for Mac
OpenDisplay is a free and open-source macOS display extension tool that turns an iPhone or iPad into a second or third monitor for your Mac over USB or Wi-Fi, with support for Retina resolution, touch controls, multiple devices, and portrait mode.
OpenDisplay is a free and open-source display extension tool for macOS that turns a spare iPhone or iPad into a second—or even third—display for your Mac. It supports both USB and Wi-Fi connections, with no subscription, hardware accessory, or account required, making it an open-source alternative to Apple Sidecar, Duet Display, and Luna Display.
Key Features
- True extended display: OpenDisplay creates an independent virtual display instead of simply mirroring your Mac screen. You can drag windows onto it and arrange it in System Settings just like a regular external monitor. A mirroring mode is also available.
- USB and Wi-Fi connectivity: Connect via a Lightning or USB-C cable for lower latency, up to 60 FPS, and no network dependency. In wireless mode, Bonjour automatically discovers devices on the same Wi-Fi network, so there is no need to enter an IP address manually.
- Retina resolution and orientation support: The virtual display matches the device’s native Retina resolution and uses HiDPI rendering for sharp text. Rotating your iPhone or iPad automatically switches the display between landscape and portrait orientations, making it ideal for chat windows, documents, and logs.
- Touch controls: Tap and drag directly on your iPhone or iPad, or use two-finger gestures to scroll on your Mac. This effectively turns your mobile device into a compact touchscreen for macOS.
- Multiple-device support: Connect multiple iPhones and iPads simultaneously, with each device acting as an independent extended display. The project has currently been tested with up to three devices at once.
- Open source and privacy-focused: Screen content is transmitted directly between your devices over a TCP connection. It never passes through a cloud server, and there are no accounts or telemetry services. The project is fully open source under the GPL-3.0 license. Note that Wi-Fi transport is not currently encrypted, so USB is recommended when displaying sensitive content.
System Requirements
- macOS 14.0 or later
- iOS 17.0 or later
- iPadOS 17.0 or later
Installation
You need to install the Mac sender and the iPhone/iPad receiver separately:
When you launch OpenDisplay for the first time, the Mac app requires Screen Recording permission. Accessibility permission is also required to use touch and scrolling controls. For Wi-Fi mode, Local Network permission must be enabled on both your Mac and mobile device.
