Your coding agent runs on a server. Xcode, the iOS Simulator, Safari, and code signing don't. MacHands lets it build, test, screenshot, and run commands on the Mac you already own — end-to-end encrypted, and nothing runs without you saying yes.
Everything your agent needs to connect is in one block of text you copy once.
A small menu bar app. It generates this Mac's identity and connects to the relay — nothing to configure.
Click "Copy for agent." Paste the text into Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor. The agent runs the one command inside it.
Each command shows up as a card on your Mac: allow once, allow for an hour, always allow, or deny. You're always in control.
Not a screen-sharing tool. Not a bare SSH tunnel. A purpose-built bridge with a gate on every action.
X25519 + ChaCha20-Poly1305 between your agent and your Mac. The relay only ever sees ciphertext, even the one we host.
Ask-every-time by default. Approve once, for an hour, or always for that exact command. A denylist blocks the dangerous stuff even in automatic mode.
xcodebuild, the iOS Simulator, code signing, Safari — the things a cloud sandbox physically cannot run, run on your actual Mac.
Let your agent see what it built. One call captures the screen so it can check its own UI work instead of guessing.
One line adds it to Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor as an MCP server — run, put, get, screenshot, open, clipboard.
Every command and every decision — yours and the agent's — written to a local JSONL log you can review or ship anywhere.
Mac-in-the-cloud services solve the same problem by billing you monthly for hardware you already own.
| MacHands | Cloud Mac rental | Bare SSH tunnel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $49 once | $20–250 / month | free, DIY |
| Uses hardware you own | Yes | No | Yes |
| Per-command approval | Built in | No | No |
| End-to-end encrypted | Yes | Varies | Transport only |
| Setup | Copy, paste | Account, billing | Enable Remote Login, keys, ports |
No subscription. A license covers one Mac and includes a year of updates.
Payment isn't wired up yet, so it's free to download and use during the trial while that's finished.
Leave your email and we'll send a license the moment payment is live — one email, no spam. The app itself is ready to use now.
Exactly what to click, in order.
Double-click the downloaded file, then drag the MacHands icon onto the Applications shortcut in the window that opens.
Double-click MacHands in Applications. It's notarized, so it opens like any other Mac app — no extra clicks or security workarounds.
A hand appears in your menu bar. Click it, click "Copy for agent," and paste the text to your cloud agent.
No. MacHands runs the commands itself as a normal app — there's no SSH server exposed on your Mac at any point.
No. Every message between your agent and your Mac is encrypted end-to-end (X25519 key exchange, ChaCha20-Poly1305). The relay — ours or your own — only ever forwards ciphertext.
Yes. MacHands ships as a universal binary that runs natively on both Apple Silicon and Intel, macOS 13 and later.
Yes. The relay is a small open Node process you can run on your own server in a few commands; point the app at it in Settings.
Run shell commands, read/write files, take screenshots, open URLs, and read/write the clipboard — each gated by your approval settings. You choose ask-every-time or automatic-with-a-denylist, per agent.
No. MacHands is an independent, third-party tool. It works with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and anything else that can run a command or speak MCP.