psdreamote.com

What It Is

PSDreamote is an auxiliary control tool for Photoshop on Mac. By installing a companion app on the Mac and using an iPhone or iPad running iOS 15+ as a remote control panel, it lets users paint, retouch, or design without constantly digging through Photoshop menus. It especially emphasizes a workflow where your main hand stays on the stylus/canvas while your other hand adjusts tools on a mobile device. It is also well suited for repurposing an old idle iPad or iPhone.

Core Features and Compatibility

At its core is an interactive tool grid covering brushes, erasers, selection tools, transform commands, layer operations, and more. On iPad, all tools can remain visible at all times; on iPhone, users can long-press to expand the full tool grid. For color work, it offers a live color picker, gradient sampling, quick swatches, and support for long-pressing to assign favorite colors to swatches. It also supports two-way communication between Photoshop and the iOS panel: when tools or settings are changed on the Mac, the iOS panel updates accordingly. Connection is handled via QR-code scanning, avoiding manual IP entry. In terms of compatibility, the main text explicitly requires iOS 15+ and macOS 13+, but does not disclose support for Windows, Android, or specific Photoshop versions.

Pricing, Licensing, and Collaboration

The product is currently in a Free Beta stage, with no official subscription, one-time purchase, or in-app purchase pricing announced. The Mac companion app is described as notarized and secure, but there is no visible open-source license, privacy policy, statement on ownership of created works, or data-processing explanation. As for collaboration, the main text does not mention team sharing, multi-user collaboration, or cloud sync, so it should be viewed as a personal productivity tool rather than a collaborative design platform.

Pros, Cons, and Who It’s For

Its strengths are a clear positioning and a lightweight onboarding path. QR-code connection and two-way sync are genuinely useful for creative workflows. Bringing brush size, hardness, zoom, color, and transform controls onto a secondary device can reduce menu hunting and prevent the main screen from being obscured. The limitations are also clear: it is only for the Mac+iOS combination and requires an additional companion app. Being in beta also means stability, compatibility boundaries, future pricing, and support commitments remain uncertain. It is best suited to digital illustrators, photo retouchers, concept designers, and heavy Photoshop users who already have an unused iPad or iPhone.

Access from China and Alternatives

Access from mainland China cannot be determined from the main text, and payment methods are not disclosed. If it later launches through the App Store or adopts independent paid plans, users will need to watch for regional availability and payment support. Alternatives include Photoshop’s native shortcuts/action panels, Stream Deck, Touch Portal, Astropad, or Apple Sidecar, but PSDreamote’s advantage is that it is designed more directly around a Photoshop tool control panel.