Glide Desktop: setup guide for Mac and Windows

Do you even need this?

Glide has two modes. Only one needs Glide Desktop.

If you are on Android and happy with Bluetooth, you can stop reading. Glide Desktop is for Wi-Fi mode, which is the only way to use Glide from an iPhone.

Bluetooth mode

Nothing to install on your computer

Your phone pairs as a Bluetooth trackpad, the same way a keyboard does. No helper app, no network, no permissions on the computer. Android only, because iOS does not let apps act as a Bluetooth input device.

Android only No computer app Works with no network

Wi-Fi mode

Needs Glide Desktop, which is free

Phone and computer talk over your local network. You run Glide Desktop on the Mac or PC, then pick that computer from the device list in the app. Both devices have to be on the same Wi-Fi network.

Android and iPhone Free helper app Same Wi-Fi network

Download

Get Glide Desktop

Pick your computer. The Mac download is a ready to run app. The Windows download is a small package that uses Python 3.

Glide Desktop for Mac

macOS

↓ Download for Mac

ZIP, about 22 MB. Contains the Glide Desktop app. Nothing else to install. It is not notarized yet, so the first launch needs a right-click and Open.

Glide Desktop for Windows

Windows

↓ Download for Windows

Small ZIP. Requires Python 3 from python.org, with "Add python.exe to PATH" ticked. It is not code-signed yet, so SmartScreen may ask you to confirm.

Glide Desktop is free. Neither build is signed or notarized yet, so both operating systems will warn you the first time. The steps below cover exactly what you will see.

Setup

Install it, step by step

Five steps on either platform. Plan for about two minutes, most of it spent on the permission prompt.

On macOS

1

Download and unzip

Grab Glide-Desktop-Mac.zip above. Safari unzips it for you. In other browsers, double-click the file in your Downloads folder. You end up with a Glide Desktop app.
2

Move it to Applications

Drag Glide Desktop into your Applications folder. Running it from Downloads works too, but macOS re-checks it every time and it is easy to delete by accident.
3

First launch: right-click, then Open

Do not double-click the first time. Right-click (or Control-click) the app, choose Open, then click Open again in the dialog. A plain double-click shows a warning with no way past it.
Only needed once
4

Grant Accessibility permission

Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility, find Glide Desktop in the list, and switch it on. macOS may ask for your password. This is the permission that lets the app move your cursor. Without it the app runs but nothing happens on screen.
Required
5

Connect from your phone

Glide Desktop shows a small icon in your menu bar once it is running. Open Glide on your phone, switch to Wi-Fi mode, and your Mac's name appears in the device list. Tap it, and the cursor is yours.

On Windows

1

Download and unzip

Grab Glide-Desktop-Windows.zip above. Right-click it in File Explorer and choose Extract All. Running the app straight from inside the ZIP will not work properly.
2

Put the folder somewhere permanent

Move the extracted folder somewhere you will not clear out, such as your Documents folder. Then open it and double-click Start Glide.bat. The first run installs what it needs and takes about a minute.
3

Get past SmartScreen

You may see a blue box reading "Windows protected your PC". Click More info, then Run anyway. This appears because the app is not code-signed yet, not because anything is wrong with the download.
Only needed once
4

Allow it through the firewall

Windows Firewall asks which networks the app may use. Tick Private networks and click Allow access. Your phone cannot find your PC without this. You can leave Public networks unticked.
Required
5

Connect from your phone

Leave the Glide Desktop window open while you use it. Open Glide on your phone, switch to Wi-Fi mode, and your PC's name appears in the device list. Tap it to connect.

Troubleshooting

When something does not work

Four things account for nearly every failed Wi-Fi connection.

My phone can't find my computer

Check both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network. A 2.4 GHz and a 5 GHz band with different names count as different networks on some routers.
Make sure Glide Desktop is actually running. Look for its icon in the macOS menu bar or the Windows system tray.
On Windows, confirm the firewall allows it on Private networks. If you clicked Cancel on the prompt, quit the app and start it again.
Guest networks, hotel Wi-Fi, and office networks often block devices from seeing each other. Use Bluetooth mode there instead.
Still nothing? Quit Glide Desktop, start it again, and pull down to refresh the device list in the phone app.

macOS says the app is damaged or unverified

The app is not notarized yet, so Gatekeeper does not recognise it. The warning is about the missing signature, not about the file being broken.
Right-click (or Control-click) the app and choose Open, then click Open in the dialog. That button only appears on the right-click path.
If you already double-clicked and got stuck, quit the warning and try the right-click route.
You only need to do this the first time. After that it opens normally.

The cursor doesn't move

On macOS this is almost always the Accessibility permission. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility and switch on Glide Desktop.
If it is already switched on but still not working, switch it off and on again, then quit and reopen Glide Desktop. macOS sometimes holds on to a stale permission after an update.
If the phone shows connected but nothing moves, the connection is fine and the permission is the problem.

Windows Firewall prompt

When the prompt appears, tick Private networks and click Allow access. This is what lets your phone reach the app.
Public networks can stay unticked. It is a safer default, and home and office Wi-Fi are usually classed as Private.
Missed the prompt or clicked Cancel? Open Windows Security → Firewall & network protection → Allow an app through firewall and tick the Private box next to Glide Desktop.
Some third-party antivirus tools have their own firewall. Check there too if the Windows one already looks correct.

Advanced

Install from source

If you would rather run the Python source than a prebuilt app, you can. This route needs Python 3 already installed on your computer.

One-line install on Mac

Paste this into Terminal. It fetches the install script and runs it. Read the script first if you would rather see what it does before running it.

curl -fsSL glide.imazyn.com/install.sh | bash

You will still need to grant Accessibility permission in System Settings, exactly as with the app bundle.

View install.sh Download server.zip, raw Python source