Astropad Workbench reimagines remote desktop for AI agents running on Mac Mini and Apple devices

Astropad's Workbench reimagines remote desktop for AI agents, not IT support | TechCrunch

Demand for Apple's Mac Mini has skyrocketed, particularly in China, as the small computer has become an ideal platform for experimenting with autonomous AI agents like OpenClaw and others. Now, a company called Astropad is building out a remote desktop solution specifically for this use case. On Tuesday, Astropad CEO Matt Ronge introduced Astropad Workbench, a remote desktop solution for Apple devices that he pitches as made "for the AI era." While an AI agent running on a Mac Mini may not need a screen, its operator (the human) will want to log in at times to see what's happening in order to check logs, monitor outputs, or restart stuck tasks, he says. The new remote desktop solution offers a variety of features, including high-fidelity streaming; the ability to dictate prompts and commands with your voice; plus support for other input methods like the keyboard, Apple Pencil, or touch; and clients for both the iPad and iPhone -- the latter essentially putting the remote desktop solution into your pocket for on-the-go access. If you're running AI agents across multiple Macs, Workbench offers a device chooser so you can move between them. The idea came about because it was something the team at Astropad had wanted for themselves, as had their friends. "We have heavily adopted AI at Astropad, and we've been using agents. And sometimes, you have an agent running on a long task, and you want to check on it," says Ronge. "There's not a great way to do this...there were existing remote desktop tools, but nothing built specifically for this," he continues. "There have also been ways where you can use a terminal, or there are things like Telegram chats, but they're limited. I mean, there are times you've got to see what's happening on your Mac. You've got to approve a dialog or save something, or just visually see what's happening." Workbench also leverages the company's proprietary, low-latency display protocol, which it calls LIQUID, which supports the workflows creative professionals use. It retains full fidelity, even at Retina resolutions, Astropad claims, and doesn't blur lines or pixelate data. The protocol already powers Astropad's other products, like Luna Display, which turns your iPad into a second display, and Astropad Studio, which lets you use an iPad as a professional drawing tablet. While monitoring an AI agent may not always need a high-fidelity solution, Ronge points out that it's something that's nice to have -- especially if you're approving designs or mock-ups your AI agent made. Of course, remote desktop software has existed for some time, meaning Astropad has well-established rivals like Jump Desktop, RustDesk, AnyDesk, Parsec, VNC-based solutions, and many more. But Ronge suggests that those weren't designed for the specific needs of using remote desktop software to keep tabs on AI agents. With Workbench, it's easy to check on the status of logs to see your AI agents' progress in order to spot issues, restart stalled jobs, and make other changes, but what's more, you can do this from your iPhone or iPad. "We've been doing iPad stuff for years -- it's been, like, our whole company for the past 10 years. So we have a lot of experience in making good iPad apps," Ronge says. "We know how to make good iOS apps...so we did that, and then we also added a voice model." The tech uses Apple's voice model so you can talk to your phone and direct your AI agent to do something with a press of the microphone button. "It's a very natural way to work with agents. That's the kind of feature that existing remote desktop [apps] just don't have -- they're built for more traditional, enterprise-style remote desktop." As a new release, there will still be some bugs and polishing needed, but the team is continuing to work on the product. Next up, they plan to launch Windows and Linux support and refine the iPhone app. The new software runs on macOS 15 and up and iOS 26, and is available as a free download offering 20 minutes of access per day. For unlimited access, the cost is $10 per month, or $50 per year. Astropad, a bootstrapped and profitable small tech business, has over 100,000 customers, including those who have bought its iPad hardware accessories and its software. With Workbench, Ronge believes the company has the potential to reach both AI enthusiasts and businesses as remote support for AI agents becomes more common. "I totally think businesses are gonna buy it. I mean, just the productivity gains I'm seeing from it myself -- this is totally headed to businesses. It's just too powerful," he notes.

Astropad unveils Workbench for Mac: 'Remote desktop made for the AI era' - 9to5Mac

Astropad, makers of the excellent Rock Paper Pencil iPad screen protectors, has unveiled a new Mac utility called Workbench. The macOS app enables "remote desktop made for the AI era." Workbench includes native apps on the Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Astropad touts "fast, high-fidelity streaming" with Retina support and perceptually lossless visuals. The app supports voice input control for dictate prompts and commands from your iPhone and iPad to your Mac. Keyboard input is also supported for typing and triggering shortcuts. Workbench combines multiple Mac displays into a single screen that matches your remote device's resolution. A mini-map view gives you a quick way to navigate large desktops. The app is especially designed with AI workflows in mind. For example, Astropad envisions use cases like checking on AI agents running on your Mac while you're away with your iPhone or iPad. Astropad's Liquid engine should make Workbench stand out from other remote desktop solutions. Liquid is the same proprietary Astropad technology that powers Luna Display and Astropad Studio. Both are known for their speed and clarity. Workbench is available to try with your Mac for free with 20 minutes of access per day. Need more connectivity? Workbench costs $10/month or $50/year for unlimited remote desktop access. iOS 26 and macOS 15 or higher are required. Intel Macs are supported, but Apple silicon Macs are recommended. Workbench uses end-to-end AES-256 encryption for privacy.

Astropad Workbench Lets You Remotely Control Your Mac and AI Agents From iPhone and iPad

Astropad, the company behind the popular Astropad Studio software for turning the iPad into a drawing tablet, today launched a new app called Astropad Workbench. Astropad Workbench is a remote desktop app designed for the Mac, and more specifically, built for use with AI. With Astropad Workbench, you can control your AI agents remotely, which makes it useful for people who have set up a Mac mini as a personal server for use with OpenClaw and other AI agent features. Astropad says that it created Workbench to help users monitor their AI agents from anywhere, without being tied to a desk. There are native apps for Mac, iPad, and iPhone, so the iPhone and iPad are able to interface with the Mac desktop wherever you are. It's simple to check logs and output to verify agent work, restart failed tasks, or reconnect to long-running jobs. There are also tools for switching between multiple Macs connected to a Workbench account. Workbench offers high-fidelity streaming with a unified virtual display, low latency, speech-to-text input, and multiple control options from gestures to keyboard, mouse, and Apple Pencil. Setup is quick and easy without the need for network configurations, and AES-256 encryption is included. No display recordings are captured and saved. New users are able to connect to Workbench for free for 20 minutes of daily access. Unlimited paid plans are priced at $10 per month or $50 per year. More information on Workbench can be found on Astropad's website.