Raycast for iOS: The Mobile Companion App Guide (2026)

Raycast has been a macOS-only tool since its launch, which made sense — it's a launcher, and launchers are a desktop concept. But developers don't stop working when they step away from their Mac. Sometimes you need a snippet while typing on your phone, or you want to quickly ask Raycast AI a question from the couch. That's where Raycast Companion for iOS comes in.

The Raycast iOS app has seen massive growth — over 450% in recent months — and it's becoming a key part of the Raycast ecosystem. In this guide, I'll cover everything the app does, how to set it up, what requires Raycast Pro, and where it fits into a developer's daily workflow. If you're considering upgrading to unlock the full mobile experience, check out the current Raycast Pro discount before reading on.

What Raycast for iOS Actually Is

Let me set expectations upfront: the Raycast iOS app is a companion app, not a full launcher. iOS doesn't allow the kind of system-wide launcher overlay that makes Raycast powerful on macOS. You can't replace Spotlight on your iPhone or trigger extensions with a hotkey.

What it does do is give you mobile access to the data and tools you've built up in Raycast on your Mac. Think of it as a pocket reference and quick-access tool for your Raycast setup. Specifically, it provides:

• Snippets — browse and copy your text snippets on the go
• Floating Notes — view and edit your notes from anywhere
• AI Chat — full Raycast AI conversation interface on your phone
• Quicklinks — access your saved links and bookmarks
• Clipboard History — view items copied on your Mac (with Cloud Sync)

It's a focused app that does a few things well rather than trying to replicate the entire macOS experience on a phone.

Setting Up Raycast on iPhone

Step 1: Download the App

Search for "Raycast Companion" in the App Store and download it. The app is free. It's a lightweight install — under 50 MB.

Step 2: Sign In

Open the app and sign in with your Raycast account. This is the same account you use on the macOS app. If you don't have an account yet, you can create one for free, but the iOS app won't have much to show until you've set up Raycast on your Mac first.

Step 3: Enable Cloud Sync (Pro Required)

For your data to sync between Mac and iPhone, you need Cloud Sync enabled in your Raycast preferences on macOS. Cloud Sync is a Pro feature. Once enabled, your snippets, notes, quicklinks, and AI history will automatically appear on your phone.

If you're on the free plan, you can still use the iOS app for AI chat (with limited usage) and browse any data that's been cached locally. But the real value comes with Pro and Cloud Sync. For a breakdown of what's included in each plan, see our Raycast Pro pricing guide.

Feature Deep Dive

Snippets on the Go

This is the feature that sold me on the iOS app. I have dozens of text snippets in Raycast: email templates, code boilerplate, common responses, address information, and more. Before the iOS app, these were locked to my Mac. Now I can pull them up on my phone whenever I need them.

The snippets view shows all your snippets organized by the same folders and tags you use on macOS. Tap a snippet to view it, then tap "Copy" to put it on your iPhone clipboard. It's particularly useful for:

• Pasting email response templates when replying to messages on your phone
• Grabbing a code snippet to share in Slack or a text message
• Accessing reference information (account numbers, API endpoints, etc.) when you're away from your desk

If you haven't set up snippets in Raycast yet, you're missing out on one of its best features. They work on both the free and Pro plans on macOS, but syncing to iOS requires Pro.

Floating Notes

Raycast's Floating Notes feature (Pro only on macOS) lets you create quick notes that persist across sessions. The iOS app syncs these notes to your phone, where you can both read and edit them.

I use Floating Notes as a scratchpad throughout my workday — jotting down quick thoughts, temporary to-do items, meeting notes, and ideas. Having them accessible on my phone means I can review and update them during commutes, in meetings, or anywhere I don't have my Mac.

Notes support Markdown formatting, so your formatted content renders properly on iOS. Edits made on your phone sync back to your Mac within seconds via Cloud Sync. For more on how to get the most out of this feature, check our guide to Raycast Notes.

AI Chat

This is the feature driving the massive growth in iOS adoption. Raycast AI on your phone gives you a full conversation interface powered by the same models available on macOS (Claude, GPT-4, and others depending on your plan).

The mobile AI chat is useful for:

• Quick questions — ask a coding question while away from your desk
• Brainstorming — work through ideas on the go
• Drafting — write a first draft of an email, message, or document
• Learning — explore technical concepts with an AI tutor
• Code review — paste a code block and get feedback

Your AI chat history syncs between Mac and iPhone, so a conversation you start on your Mac can be continued on your phone and vice versa. This continuity is surprisingly valuable — I often start an AI research thread at my desk and keep exploring on the commute home.

AI chat requires Raycast Pro. If you're not a subscriber yet, the current deal gives you 80% off plus a free 14-day trial to test everything.

Quicklinks

Quicklinks in Raycast are saved URLs with optional parameter placeholders. On iOS, you can browse and launch your quicklinks directly. Tap a quicklink and it opens in Safari or the relevant app on your phone.

If you've set up quicklinks on your Mac for things like your project management dashboard, CI/CD status page, or team wiki, you can now access them with a couple of taps on your iPhone. It's a small feature, but it eliminates the "let me dig through my bookmarks" dance on mobile.

What the iOS App Does Not Do

It's important to be clear about the limitations. The Raycast iOS app is not:

• A launcher — you can't replace Spotlight or use it as a system-wide search on iOS
• An extension runner — Raycast extensions (GitHub, Jira, etc.) don't run on iOS
• A window manager — macOS-only feature
• A clipboard manager — while you can view your Mac's clipboard history, the iOS app doesn't capture items copied on your phone
• A calculator — the inline calculation feature is macOS-only

These limitations are mostly due to iOS platform restrictions, not Raycast being lazy. Apple simply doesn't allow the kind of deep system integration that makes Raycast a launcher on macOS. The companion app works within those constraints smartly.

Real-World Use Cases

The Commute Productivity Boost

My most common use case: on the train to work, I open Raycast on my phone and review my Floating Notes from the previous day. I clean up my to-do items, continue any AI conversations I started, and copy any snippets I'll need for morning meetings. By the time I sit down at my Mac, I'm ready to go.

The "Away from My Mac" Moment

We've all been there: you're out, someone sends a message that needs a detailed response, and all your templates are on your Mac. With Raycast iOS, I pull up my snippets, find the right one, copy it, and paste it into the reply. Done in 10 seconds instead of trying to rewrite from memory.

Quick AI Chat During Meetings

During in-person meetings, I sometimes need to quickly check a technical concept or calculate something. Instead of pulling out a laptop, I open Raycast AI on my phone, ask the question, and get an answer in seconds. It's faster than Googling and more accurate than guessing.

Sharing Information Between Devices

Copy something on your Mac, and it appears in your synced clipboard history on your phone. While Apple's Universal Clipboard also does this, Raycast's version keeps a persistent history rather than just the most recent item. Handy when you need to share multiple pieces of information between devices.

Raycast iOS vs. No Mobile Access

Before the iOS app, your options for accessing Raycast data on mobile were essentially:

The common thread: without the iOS app, you either wait until you're back at your Mac or maintain duplicate systems (separate note apps, separate AI tools, separate bookmark managers). Raycast iOS eliminates that duplication.

Current Limitations and Future Roadmap

The Raycast iOS app is still relatively new and actively being developed. Current limitations include:

• No extension support — you can't run Store extensions on iOS yet
• No Siri integration — you can't trigger Raycast actions via voice
• No widgets — home screen or lock screen widgets aren't available yet
• No offline mode — the app requires an internet connection for most features
• iPhone-optimized only — runs on iPad but without a native iPad layout

Given the explosive growth in iOS adoption (+450%), Raycast is clearly investing in mobile. Features like widgets, Shortcuts integration, and even limited extension support seem likely in future updates. The team has hinted at deeper iOS integration in their roadmap discussions.

Getting Started: Is Raycast Pro Worth It for iOS?

If you're already a Raycast user on macOS and you want the mobile companion experience, the answer depends on your plan:

• Free plan users — the iOS app has limited value without Cloud Sync. You can use basic AI chat, but snippets and notes won't sync.
• Pro plan users — the iOS app is a natural extension of your workflow. Cloud Sync keeps everything in sync, and AI chat on mobile is a genuine productivity boost.

If the iOS companion app is the thing that pushes you toward Pro, now is a good time. The current deal is 80% off with a free 14-day trial — enough time to test the full Mac + iPhone experience.

To understand everything Raycast offers across platforms, read our complete guide to what Raycast is.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Raycast iOS app free or do I need Raycast Pro?

The Raycast iOS Companion app is free to download from the App Store. Basic features like browsing snippets and quicklinks work with a free Raycast account. However, the most valuable features — AI chat, Cloud Sync for notes and snippets, and clipboard history access — require a Raycast Pro subscription. Without Pro, the iOS app has limited functionality.

What data syncs between Raycast on Mac and the iOS app?

With Cloud Sync enabled (requires Pro), your snippets, quicklinks, floating notes, and AI chat history sync between your Mac and iPhone. Extensions, window management settings, clipboard history (viewing only), and macOS-specific features do not sync to iOS since those are platform-specific features.

Does Raycast have an iPad app?

The Raycast iOS Companion app is compatible with iPad. It currently runs as an iPhone app on iPad, so you get full functionality but not a layout optimized for the larger screen. A native iPad-optimized version with Split View support may come in a future update, but the current app works well on iPad as-is.

Is there an Android version of Raycast?

As of March 2026, there is no official Raycast app for Android. Raycast has historically focused on the Apple ecosystem (macOS first, then iOS). There have been no public announcements about Android plans. The mobile companion experience is currently exclusive to iPhone and iPad users.