Use iPhone, iPad, or Android as a Stream Deck Alternative

Any Display product team

If dedicated button hardware feels like an expensive extra for your desk, put the mobile device you already own to work. Any Display Control Pad is an independently built quick-action workflow with a similar purpose to Stream Deck: arrange buttons, pages, and profiles in the desktop app, then run them from a full-screen pad on your mobile device.

Key points

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  1. 1

    1. Install Any Display on the computer and mobile device

    Install the desktop app on a Mac or Windows computer, then install the mobile app on the iPhone, iPad, Android phone, or Android tablet you want to use.

  2. 2

    2. Connect over Wi-Fi or USB

    For wireless use, put both devices on the same Wi-Fi network and select the computer in the mobile app. Use a direct USB connection when the network is unreliable or you want the most consistent link.

  3. 3

    3. Select Control Pad mode

    After connecting, select Control Pad in the mobile app. It sends the button layout and state instead of streaming a desktop screen, so the experience stays focused on quick actions.

  4. 4

    4. Arrange buttons and profiles in the desktop app

    The default layout includes previous track, play or pause, next track, microphone, audio, volume, and a web shortcut. Add shortcuts, app launches, URLs, or multi-actions, then create pages and work-specific profiles.

  5. 5

    5. Add ready-made Plugin Marketplace actions

    Install ready-made actions for Chrome, Discord, Microsoft Teams, PowerPoint, Spotify, VLC, Visual Studio Code, Zoom, OBS Studio, and window layouts. Check each plugin’s supported actions and operating-system notes before using it.

Control Pad on a tablet

A tablet being used as a Control Pad beside a desktop workstation
Use the mobile device you already own as a quick-action pad within reach of your desk.

Useful Control Pad setups

Before buying a dedicated device, test whether the phone or tablet you already carry covers the actions you actually repeat.

Meetings and presentations

Put microphone, audio, web links, and presentation shortcuts into one profile. Use the Teams, Zoom, and PowerPoint plugins to start from familiar actions.

Music and video

Keep Spotify or VLC playback, previous and next, and volume on large keys so you can control playback without switching windows.

Development and focused work

Group Visual Studio Code, Discord, Chrome, and frequent shortcuts in a work profile. The window-layout plugin can place the current window left, right, or into a quadrant.

Automatic app profiles

A profile linked to an app can switch when that app comes to the foreground. Keep a general profile for everyday actions and show app-specific keys only when they matter.

Can I use an iPhone as a Control Pad?
Yes. Connect Any Display on an iPhone or iPad, then open Control Pad mode. Android phones and tablets are supported the same way.
Does it work wirelessly?
Yes. The computer and mobile device can connect on the same Wi-Fi network. USB is an alternative for congested networks or a more consistent direct connection.
Is it exactly the same as a Stream Deck device?
It supports the core quick-button workflows people expect for shortcuts, app launching, media control, profiles, and plugins. It is independently implemented and does not claim every proprietary Elgato feature or integration.
What can I install from Plugin Marketplace?
The current practical selection includes Chrome, Discord, Teams, PowerPoint, Spotify, VLC, Visual Studio Code, Zoom, OBS Studio, and window layouts.

Review basis

Reviewed September 18, 2026 against Any Display 1.6.0 Control Pad defaults, Wi-Fi and USB connection paths, and the published Plugin Marketplace catalog.

Limitations to know

Build your Control Pad buttons on MacAny Display Control Pad vs Stream Deck: Is the Mobile Device You Own Enough?
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