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How Mermaid works

You ask from your phone. An AI agent does the work on your Mac, in your own apps, and tells you when it's done.

Three parts

Mermaid for iPhone is where you ask. Mermaid for Mac does the work on your Mac. Mermaid's AI decides each step.

What happens when you ask

  1. You type or say a request on your phone. It reaches your Mac encrypted end to end.
  2. Your Mac sends the request, and what the task needs (which can include screenshots of the screen and text on it), to Mermaid's AI service, which passes it to the AI provider named in our Privacy Policy.
  3. Mermaid for Mac carries out the steps in your own apps: it clicks, types and reads the screen, as you would.
  4. It checks the result on your Mac and tells you when it's done, or what it couldn't do.

What it needs on your Mac

Screen Recording and Accessibility, so it can see the screen and click and type. The first time a task uses an app, macOS may ask you on the Mac whether Mermaid may control it.

When it asks you first

Before anything consequential, such as sending a message, deleting files or buying something, Mermaid shows what it's about to do on your phone and waits for your approval. You can tap Stop at any time, add instructions while a task runs, or take over.

Live Screen and Take Over

Watch your Mac live, or use its trackpad and keyboard from your phone. Mermaid waits until you hand back control. Neither uses your AI allowance.

From anywhere

Pair once on the same Wi‑Fi. After that your phone reaches your Mac over Wi‑Fi or mobile data. Away from home, the connection passes through Mermaid's relay, which forwards encrypted data it can't read and doesn't record. Your Mac needs to be on, awake and online.

What Mermaid doesn't do

It doesn't take consequential steps without your approval, and steps only you can do, such as a code sent to you or a payment, are left to you. Mermaid's servers don't store your requests, screenshots, screen text or files, and Mermaid doesn't use them to train AI models.

Get started: Mermaid for Mac · Mermaid for iPhone · Details: Privacy Policy · Remote desktop or an AI agent?