---
title: Remote access
description: Let ChatGPT, Claude on the web or Cursor read your illuminate library from any device. Part of Pro.
section: AI apps
order: 3
updated: 2026-11-01
related: [illuminate-mcp, ai-apps-on-your-mac]
---
# Remote access

Ask ChatGPT or Claude about your latest bug report from your phone, or another computer. Remote access gives your library a private address that AI apps can connect to. Each request travels through illuminate to your Mac and is answered there.

Remote access is part of **Pro**. It works while your Mac is awake with illuminate open.

## Turn it on

1. Open illuminate's **Settings → Remote Access** and turn on **Remote access**.
2. Press **Copy** next to your address. It looks like `https://mcp.illu.mov/u/…/mcp`. Keep it private, like a password.

## Connect an AI app

**ChatGPT:** Settings → Connectors → Create, and paste the address.

**Claude:** Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector, and paste the address.

**Cursor and others:** add the address as a remote MCP server.

Then:

1. **Sign in with illuminate** when the app asks, and press **Allow**.
2. **Allow it on your Mac too.** illuminate shows *"ChatGPT wants to read your illuminate library"* in Settings → Remote Access. Press **Allow**.

Both steps are on purpose: signing in proves it's you, and the Mac's Allow means nothing reaches your library without the Mac agreeing.

## See and revoke apps

- **On your Mac:** Settings → Remote Access lists the apps you've allowed and what they asked for recently.
- **On the web:** your account at [account.illu.mov](https://account.illu.mov) shows whether your Mac is online, your address and your apps, even while the Mac is off.

**Revoke** stops one app at once. **Revoke all** stops every app and gives you a new address; add it again to the apps you still want.

## Privacy

- **Read-only.** AI apps can read sessions, reports and evidence. They can't record, delete, share or change anything.
- **Encrypted in transit; illuminate stores nothing.** Requests and answers pass through illuminate's relay without being kept. The relay keeps only a count of requests per app, for limits.
- **Only your Mac answers.** If it's asleep, or illuminate isn't open, apps get *"Your Mac is asleep or illuminate isn't open."*

## If it doesn't work

- **"Your Mac is asleep or illuminate isn't open":** wake the Mac and open illuminate. Remote access reconnects by itself.
- **"Allow this app in illuminate for Mac":** the app is waiting for the Mac's Allow, in Settings → Remote Access.
- **The app can't connect after "Revoke all":** your address changed. Copy the new one into the app.
- **One Mac per account:** turning on remote access on another Mac moves it there.
- **Limits:** each request has 30 seconds and up to 4 MB, and an app can make 60 requests a minute.