Guides · Connection
When your iPhone can't find your Mac
Most local-network audio problems come down to a handful of causes: a permission, a network that isolates devices, discovery being blocked, or Wi-Fi that can't keep up. Here's how to work through them, in order.
How local audio streaming finds devices
Most Mac-to-iPhone audio tools, MixOutpost included, work in two steps. First, discovery: the Mac announces itself on the local network (Bonjour, also called mDNS), and the phone listens for those announcements. Second, the connection: once the phone knows the Mac's address, it connects directly and the audio flows.
Problems usually happen in one of those two steps. If the Mac never appears, it's discovery or permissions. If it appears but won't play, or plays with gaps, it's the connection or the network.
1. Local Network permission
iOS requires apps to ask before they look for devices on your local network. If that permission is off, the app can't see your Mac at all.
MixOutpost explains why it needs access before iOS shows its prompt ("Find your Mac on this Wi-Fi"). Choose Allow. If you tapped Don't Allow earlier, the app shows an Open Settings button that takes you straight to the switch. Turn Local Network on for MixOutpost and go back to the app.
2. Same network, and not a guest network
The phone and the Mac must be on the same network. Common ways this goes wrong:
- The Mac is on Ethernet to one router and the phone is on Wi-Fi from another.
- The phone is on a guest network. Guest networks often block connections between devices entirely.
- An office or campus network separates devices into different segments, or blocks device-to-device traffic.
- The phone has quietly switched to mobile data or another known Wi-Fi network.
Check the Wi-Fi name on both devices. If you're on a network you don't control, like a hotel or shared studio, device isolation may make local streaming impossible there.
3. Discovery blocked: connect by address
Some routers and managed networks block Bonjour announcements but still allow direct connections. In that case the Mac never shows up in the list, but it can still be reached.
- 01
Find the Mac's IP address
On the Mac, open System Settings › Network, select the active connection and note the IP address (for example 192.168.1.20).
- 02
Connect by address
In MixOutpost, go to Sources, enter the address under Connect by address and tap Connect.
- 03
Let the app remember it
MixOutpost remembers paired sources by address, so on networks that block discovery they're still there next time.
Each source keeps the same network port every session, so a phone that connected by address can find it again after you reopen the project or restart the Mac.
Logic Pro running plugins out of process
Logic can host Audio Units in a separate, sandboxed plugin process where Bonjour isn't available. MixOutpost still shares from there, and paired phones reconnect by address. If a Logic source doesn't appear in the list, connect by address once.
4. It appears but won't play
- Is sharing on? Sharing never starts on its own when a project opens. Press Start Sharing in the plugin or the Mac app.
- Is the phone paired? A computer you haven't paired with asks you to pair first. Scan the QR code, or use the 6-digit code and approve it on the Mac. One pairing covers every plugin instance and the app on that Mac.
- Did you tap Listen? Selecting a source connects to it; playback starts only when you tap Listen.
- Is the DAW playing, and is the plugin in the signal path? The plugin sends what passes through it. If it's on a muted or unused bus, or before a track that's silent, the phone gets silence.
- Check the output. The phone may be playing to AirPods or a Bluetooth speaker you forgot about. Check the output picker.
5. Gaps, dropouts and delay
Streaming uncompressed audio needs every packet on time. The receiver keeps a buffer to cover short network hiccups. MixOutpost has three buffer modes, in Settings › Buffering:
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Auto | Adapts to your Wi-Fi: keeps the delay low on good Wi-Fi and grows it after a dropout. The default. |
| Standard | A fixed buffer of about 100 ms. |
| Stable | A fixed buffer of about 200 ms. More delay, more protection against gaps. |
If you still hear gaps, look at the network: move closer to the router, get the phone off a crowded 2.4 GHz band if you can, or use a cable on a USB-C iPhone. MixOutpost reconnects automatically after Wi-Fi drops and when a mesh system hands the phone to another access point, and it resumes after you stop and start sharing on the Mac.
6. Read Connection info
Tap ⓘ, or go to Settings › Connection info. It shows what's arriving and how healthy the link is:
| Row | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Stream, Sample rate, Channels | The format: lossless PCM at 48 kHz, and the channel layout. |
| Playback | Bit-exact when nothing on the phone changes the audio; otherwise, what's altering it (Listen as, EQ, volume and so on). |
| Network | Wi-Fi or Ethernet. |
| Buffer | How much audio is held in reserve, and the mode. |
| Round trip | Network delay to the Mac and back. High or jumpy values point to a busy or weak network. |
| Dropouts this session | How often playback ran out of audio. Ideally zero. |
| Security | Encrypted (TLS 1.3) and paired. |
If dropouts keep climbing while round trip jumps around, the network is the problem, not the Mac. Try Stable, or a cable.
Not supported yet
Listening over the internet from another location, Windows and Android. MixOutpost is Mac and iPhone only, on the same local network.
Questions
Why does iOS ask for Local Network access?
To find your Mac, the app has to look for devices on your local network, and iOS requires permission for that. MixOutpost explains this before iOS asks. Audio stays on your network and nothing is sent to the internet.
I tapped Don't Allow. How do I fix it?
The app shows an Open Settings button when access is denied. Turn on Local Network for MixOutpost in iOS Settings, then return to the app.
Why doesn't it work on hotel or guest Wi-Fi?
Guest and public networks often isolate devices from each other, so the phone can't reach the Mac at all, even by address. Use a network you control, or connect both devices to the same private network.
What buffer setting should I use?
Start with Auto, which keeps the delay low on good Wi-Fi and grows it after a dropout. If you still hear gaps, try Stable (about 200 ms). Standard (about 100 ms) is a fixed middle ground.
Does it reconnect after Wi-Fi drops?
Yes. It reconnects automatically after Wi-Fi drops and when a mesh network hands the phone to another access point. It also resumes after you stop and start sharing on the Mac.
Hear your mix on your phone
Free Mac plugin (AU, VST3) and iPhone app. Lossless, bit-exact and encrypted.