Up to four Reference Views
Keep supported browser, document, PDF, video, chat, dashboard, and other app windows visible while you work. Free supports up to two views; Unlimited supports up to four.
macOS menu bar utility
Pocket Screen
Keep the windows you need visible while you work.
Pocket Screen creates separate, resizable, always-on-top Reference Views from supported Mac app windows while the originals stay in place. Free supports up to two views; Unlimited supports up to four with no time limit.
Multiple views from the same source
Create more than one Reference View from the same supported source window when you want to keep different areas of one source in sight.
Instant target switching
The global shortcut (Option-Command-P by default) creates the first PiP, then switches the selected PiP to the current frontmost window. Add Another PiP and Close Selected PiP also have configurable global shortcuts.
Focus View
Select a region inside a PiP and expand just that area to fill the view. Each PiP keeps its own Focus View state.
Four quality modes
Choose Energy Saver, Standard, Smooth, or Ultra without manually tuning resolution or frame rate. Free includes three quality modes; Unlimited adds Ultra.
Per-view controls
Each active Reference View can keep its own opacity, quality, Focus View, Freeze, and Click-Through settings.
Temporary Hide
Temporarily hide all PiPs with Shift plus the primary shortcut, then restore them without losing their source, position, Focus View, freeze, click-through, opacity, or quality state.
Arrange, move, resize, and remember
Show or arrange Reference Views with shortcuts, move or resize them around your workspace, and keep their placement when you return to your setup.
Live content, processed locally
Pocket Screen uses macOS ScreenCaptureKit to mirror selected windows continuously, including video and other changing content. Captured pixels stay on your Mac.
Space- and display-aware
PiPs hide when their source Space is unavailable and return when the source becomes available again. Placement is preserved across target and display changes.
Optional capture exclusion on macOS 26+
On macOS 26 or later, an optional setting can ask macOS to exclude PiP windows from supported screenshots, screen recordings, and screen sharing. The setting is off by default.
How it works
- Bring a supported window you want to keep visible to the front.
- Press the configured primary shortcut (Option-Command-P by default) or use the menu bar to create the first Reference View.
- Add more Reference Views when needed. You can also create multiple views from the same source window. Free supports up to two views; Unlimited supports up to four.
- Select a Reference View, then use the primary shortcut to switch that view to the current frontmost window.
- Use Focus View, opacity, quality, Freeze, or Click-Through as needed, and use the available shortcuts to show, hide, or arrange your views.
Pocket Screen requires macOS Screen Recording permission so it can capture the selected window. Captured content is used only for the local PiP preview.
Free and Unlimited
Start with Free and keep using it with no expiration. Upgrade only when you need longer sessions, more Reference Views, or Ultra quality.
Free — $0
- Unlimited sessions of up to 10 minutes
- Up to two Reference Views
- Three quality modes
- No account required
Unlimited — $9.99 one-time or $2.99/month
- No time limit
- Up to four Reference Views
- Four quality modes including Ultra
Real-world workflows
See the information you need without switching windows
Pocket Screen is designed for the moments when one Mac app needs your attention while another contains the information you are working from. A Reference View is a live view of a selected window, not a static screenshot.
CRM and data entry
Keep a source document or dashboard visible in a Reference View while entering values in a separate CRM window. The source remains available without repeated Command-Tab switching.
Monitoring an AI task
Keep a selected app window containing an ongoing process visible while working elsewhere. The view reflects the supported source window; Pocket Screen does not itself run or control the AI task.
Comparing several sources
Arrange multiple Reference Views side by side. Unlimited supports up to four views, including more than one view from the same source when a task calls for it.
Set up a Reference View
- Open the application window you want to keep in sight.
- Use Pocket Screen to choose the window and create its Reference View; the default shortcut is Option + Command + P.
- Move or resize the view and select the quality mode that fits your device and task.
- Switch to your main working app while the selected live window remains visible.
Screen Recording permission is required for capturing the selected window. Availability and performance depend on the source app, macOS, and device. Read setup and troubleshooting or how capture stays local.
System Requirements
Pocket Screen requires macOS 14 or later. It is designed for both Apple silicon Macs and Intel Macs.