Power users · Companion 1.4
Choose the display pipeline that fits your setup.
Streemi.ng starts with Mac Screen Mirroring over Wi-Fi. The Mac companion adds USB AirPlay and three native-display routes, including a codec-free RAW mode. Choose one connection level, then check the actual route and performance in the companion before tuning image quality.
Apple silicon Mac · macOS 14 or newer · current Streemi.ng tablet app
01 · Pick a route
Five levels, one tablet display
The top slider in the companion selects the route. Moving it reconnects the session; it does not create extra Mac displays.
| Level | Where video goes | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| AirPlay | Local Wi-Fi; connect in macOS Screen Mirroring. | Tablet and Mac on the same local network. No companion required. |
| USB AirPlay | AirPlay media over the cable; select the tablet’s wired name in Screen Mirroring. | Companion, data-capable cable, and a shared local network for discovery and control. |
| Streemi USB | Native extended Mac display; hardware H.264 video over Android accessory USB. | Companion and data-capable cable. No Screen Mirroring selection. |
| Streemi ADB USB | Native display; compressed video on the ADB USB path. | USB debugging enabled and this Mac authorized on the tablet. |
| Streemi RAW | Native display; uncompressed 8-bit YUV frames on the ADB USB path. | The same ADB setup, plus enough measured throughput for your chosen format. |
The last two levels require Android’s one-time USB debugging authorization. ADB is bundled with the Mac companion; you do not need to install it separately. Check Video route in Connection statistics to confirm the route actually in use.
02 · Connect
Set up USB in four steps
- 1
Update both apps
Install the current tablet app from Google Play. Download the current Mac companion, open its ZIP, and move the app to Applications. The download page includes the release metadata and SHA-256 checksum.
- 2
Open the apps before connecting
Launch Streemi.ng on the tablet and the companion on the Mac. Grant the Mac’s screen-recording permission when the companion requests it; native video cannot capture the new display without that permission. Complete any other requested permissions before starting a session.
- 3
Connect a data-capable USB cable
The companion watches for attached tablets in the background and should discover one already connected. For Streemi ADB USB or RAW, turn on USB debugging in Android Developer options and accept the tablet’s authorization prompt for this Mac.
- 4
Choose one connection level
Use the top slider. In native Streemi modes, macOS gets one extended display sized from the tablet’s reported panel; arrange it in macOS Displays. Use the companion’s Connect or Disconnect button for manual control.
AirPlay modes still connect through macOS Screen Mirroring. Native Streemi modes create their own macOS display and start video from the companion.
03 · Tune the picture
Choose compressed or RAW
Compressed video
The companion uses the tablet’s detected resolution and refresh rate and sends hardware H.264 video. Display settings include a HiDPI switch for sharp macOS scaling and an experimental Metal conversion switch. Metal processes captured pixels on the GPU before hardware encoding.
This is the sensible starting point when motion matters more than avoiding a video codec.
Uncompressed bitstream
RAW bypasses H.264 encoding and decoding. HiDPI is always enabled. Set YUV color sampling, a resolution that follows the tablet’s aspect ratio, and a frame-rate target. Lower settings reduce USB demand; they do not increase the physical USB link speed.
Changes stay staged until you press Apply changes. The current display remains one display while the video route restarts.
RAW color sampling
All choices use 8-bit luma. The chroma choices trade color detail for bytes per frame; 4:1:1 and 4:2:0 use similar byte counts but distribute color detail differently.
The RAW bandwidth bar compares packed frame bytes × selected frame rate with the measured ADB receive rate. Green means it fits with headroom, orange means little headroom, and red means it exceeds the measured link. This predicts transfer demand, not a guaranteed delivered frame rate.
04 · Find the limit
Measure the route you are actually using
Connection statistics
Open the accordion to see the USB link, speed test, video route, tablet display and density, Mac render mode, and live video counters. A USB 3-capable cable alone does not make a USB 2 tablet port negotiate faster.
ADB speed test
In an ADB mode, use Rerun ADB speed test after changing a cable or port. The 256 MiB test confirms receipt on the tablet and briefly pauses video. Its MiB/s result is measured transfer throughput, separate from the USB link’s advertised speed.
Motion test
Expand Motion test and drag the companion window onto the tablet. Its small animation targets the tablet’s detected refresh rate, giving capture and transport a repeatable moving scene to measure.
Diagnostics
Open Advanced diagnostics for connection, test, and video events. If delivered frames lag the panel rate, compare capture, processing, sending, and tablet rendering before changing cables or raising RAW settings.
05 · Fix the common snags
If the display does not look right
The tablet is plugged in but does not appear
Keep the tablet app open and unlock the tablet. Check that the cable supports data, then use Connect in the companion. If Android asks to allow USB access or debugging, approve the prompt on the tablet. Reopen Connection statistics and Advanced diagnostics to see which step failed.
ADB mode selected, but the video route says USB accessory
Enable USB debugging in Android Developer options and authorize this Mac on the tablet. The companion can fall back to standard accessory video if ADB is unavailable; the top slider shows your selection, while Video route shows what was actually established.
RAW says it fits, but motion still stutters
The bar checks transfer bytes against measured ADB throughput. Capture cadence, USB scheduling, tablet rendering, and other work can still limit delivered frames. Try a lower frame target or resolution, and compare the Motion test with live video statistics.
Mac display is present but the picture is blank
Check the Mac’s screen-recording permission for Streemi.ng Companion and restart the video route after granting it. The companion requests permissions at startup so the prompt does not interrupt a newly attached display.
USB AirPlay is missing from Screen Mirroring
Keep Mac and tablet on the same local network. USB AirPlay carries media over the cable, but still uses local-network discovery and control. Check the companion’s AirPlay help and diagnostics for the published wired endpoint.