Demand for Apple’s Mac Mini has seen a notable surge, particularly within the Chinese market, as the compact computer has emerged as an optimal platform for experimenting with autonomous AI agents such as OpenClaw and similar technologies. Responding to this trend, Astropad has developed a specialized remote desktop solution tailored precisely for this application.
On Tuesday, Astropad CEO Matt Ronge officially unveiled Astropad Workbench, a remote desktop solution designed for Apple devices, which he positions as a product explicitly crafted “for the AI era.”
Ronge explained that while an AI agent operating on a Mac Mini may not require a dedicated display, its human operator will periodically need to access the system. This access is crucial for tasks such as reviewing logs, monitoring outputs, or restarting processes that have become stalled.
This innovative remote desktop solution boasts an array of features, including high-fidelity streaming capabilities and the unique ability to dictate prompts and commands using voice. It also supports various input methods like a keyboard, Apple Pencil, or touch, and offers client applications for both iPad and iPhone, effectively placing the remote desktop functionality directly into one's pocket for convenient, on-the-go access.
For users managing AI agents across multiple Mac devices, Workbench includes a device chooser, enabling seamless switching between systems.
The genesis of this idea stemmed from a personal need experienced by the Astropad team itself, a sentiment echoed by their associates.
“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,” Ronge stated. He elaborated, “There’s not a great way to do this…there were existing remote desktop tools, but nothing built specifically for this.” Ronge further noted the limitations of other methods: “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 incorporates Astropad’s proprietary, low-latency display protocol known as LIQUID, which is already integral to the workflows of creative professionals. Astropad asserts that LIQUID maintains full fidelity, even at Retina resolutions, ensuring that lines remain sharp and data is not pixelated. This protocol currently powers Astropad’s other acclaimed products, such as Luna Display, which transforms an iPad into a secondary display, and Astropad Studio, which enables an iPad to function as a professional drawing tablet.
While continuous high-fidelity monitoring may not always be essential for an AI agent, Ronge emphasized that it offers significant benefits, particularly when tasks involve approving designs or mock-ups generated by the AI agent.
It is acknowledged that remote desktop software has been available for some time, positioning Astropad against established competitors like Jump Desktop, RustDesk, AnyDesk, Parsec, VNC-based solutions, and numerous others.
However, Ronge argues that these existing solutions were not specifically engineered to address the unique requirements of monitoring AI agents remotely. Workbench, in contrast, simplifies the process of checking logs, tracking AI agent progress, identifying issues, restarting stalled jobs, and implementing other modifications, all conveniently accessible from an 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 highlighted. He added, “We know how to make good iOS apps…so we did that, and then we also added a voice model.”
The technology utilizes Apple’s voice model, allowing users to speak into their phone and direct their AI agent with a simple 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,” Ronge concluded.
As a newly launched product, Workbench is still undergoing refinement and bug resolution, with the development team actively working on improvements. Future plans include the introduction of Windows and Linux support, alongside further enhancements to the iPhone application.
The new software is compatible with macOS 15 and above, and iOS 26. It is available as a free download, providing 20 minutes of access per day. For unrestricted access, users can subscribe for $10 per month or $50 per year.
Astropad, a bootstrapped and profitable small technology business, boasts a customer base exceeding 100,000, encompassing purchasers of its iPad hardware accessories and software. With Workbench, Ronge believes the company is poised to attract both AI enthusiasts and businesses as the demand for remote support for AI agents continues to grow.
“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,” Ronge affirmed, expressing strong confidence in its commercial appeal.
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