Skip to content
Kisuke Kisuke

Connect in 5 Minutes

Connect to your Mac, PC, or Linux computer from your iPhone in just 5 minutes using Tailscale. No technical knowledge required!

What You’ll Get

Section titled “What You’ll Get”

After this quick setup, you’ll be able to:

  • Access your computer from anywhere in the world
  • Transfer files between devices
  • Run commands on your computer
  • Code remotely with full security

Step 1: Computer Setup

Section titled “Step 1: Computer Setup”

2 minutes

Mac

Section titled “Mac”
  1. Download Tailscale for Mac
  2. Open the downloaded file
  3. Sign in with Google, Microsoft, or Apple account
  4. Done! Your Mac is ready

Windows

Section titled “Windows”
  1. Download Tailscale for Windows
  2. Run the installer
  3. Sign in with Google, Microsoft, or Apple account
  4. Done! Your PC is ready

Linux

Section titled “Linux”
  1. Visit Tailscale Linux install
  2. Copy and run the command for your distribution
  3. Sign in when prompted
  4. Done! Your Linux machine is ready

Step 2: iPhone Setup

Section titled “Step 2: iPhone Setup”

1 minute

  1. Get Tailscale from App Store
  2. Open Tailscale
  3. Tap “Get Started”
  4. Sign in with the same account you used on your computer
  5. Allow VPN configuration when prompted

Step 3: Find Your Computer

Section titled “Step 3: Find Your Computer”

30 seconds

  1. Open Tailscale on your iPhone
  2. You’ll see your computer listed (like “johns-macbook” or “desktop-pc”)
  3. Remember this name - you’ll need it in Kisuke

Step 4: Connect with Kisuke

Section titled “Step 4: Connect with Kisuke”

1 minute

  1. Open Kisuke
  2. Tap Add Space
  3. Fill in:
    • Name: “My Computer” (or whatever you like)
    • Host: Your computer’s Tailscale name (like “johns-macbook”)
    • Port: Keep as 22
    • Username: Your computer’s username
  4. Choose Password and enter your computer password
  5. Tap Connect

Step 5: You’re Connected! 🎉

Section titled “Step 5: You’re Connected! 🎉”

You should now see your computer’s terminal in Kisuke. Try typing:

Terminal window
ls

to see your files!

Enable SSH on Your Computer

Section titled “Enable SSH on Your Computer”

If connection fails, you might need to enable SSH:

Mac

Section titled “Mac”
  1. Open System Settings
  2. Go to General → Sharing
  3. Turn on Remote Login
  4. Try connecting again

Windows

Section titled “Windows”
  1. Open Settings
  2. Go to Apps → Optional Features
  3. Add OpenSSH Server
  4. Start the service in Services app
  5. Try connecting again

Linux

Section titled “Linux”

SSH is usually enabled. If not:

Terminal window
sudo apt install openssh-server  # Ubuntu/Debian
sudo systemctl enable --now ssh

Common Questions

Section titled “Common Questions”

”What’s my computer username?”

Section titled “”What’s my computer username?””

Mac/Linux: Open Terminal and type whoami

Windows: Open Command Prompt and type echo %USERNAME%

”Connection refused?”

Section titled “”Connection refused?””

Make sure:

  1. Tailscale is running (check menu bar/system tray)
  2. SSH is enabled (see above)
  3. Username is spelled correctly (usually lowercase)

“Wrong password?”

Section titled ““Wrong password?””
  • Mac/Windows: Use your login password
  • Try typing it in Notes first to make sure it’s correct
  • Passwords are case-sensitive

What’s Next?

Section titled “What’s Next?”

Now you can:

Troubleshooting

Section titled “Troubleshooting”

Still having issues? Here’s what to check:

  1. Both devices online? Make sure both have internet
  2. Tailscale connected? Check the Tailscale app shows “Connected”
  3. Firewall blocking? Temporarily disable to test
  4. Need help? Visit Troubleshooting