Walking away from the Mac changes what a presenter can recover quickly. Pairing an iPhone remote is only the beginning: you also need to know which presentation it controls and how to continue if remote input stops reaching the deck.

Create a short rehearsal presentation with clearly numbered slides and one slide containing a build. Keep the real presentation closed during initial pairing if that makes the intended target easier to recognise. Have physical access to the Mac while testing.

Install Keynote on both devices and turn on Wi-Fi. In iPhone Keynote’s document manager, tap Remote and Continue, allowing local-network access if requested. On the Mac, open Keynote, Settings, Remote and enable it. Click Link beside the intended device, compare the four-digit codes on both screens, then confirm only when they match.

Start the presentation on the Mac. On the iPhone remote, tap Play. Tapping or swiping left advances a slide or build; swiping right returns to the previous slide. Use the numbered rehearsal slides to verify the controlled deck and distinguish a build advance from a slide advance.

Test the distance and the working position

Stand where you expect to present and perform the same sequence. Confirm that you can read the remote display and operate it without accidentally advancing twice. Repeat the test with the presentation equipment arranged as it will be during the session.

Agree on a simple recovery method: return to the Mac or have the designated operator advance on a spoken cue. That person should know the intended slide number, so a missed input does not become a series of guesses.

Mac Keynote’s Remote settings can temporarily disable all linked remotes by clearing Enable while preserving the links. In rehearsal, use this to practise the fallback, then re-enable remote control and verify that a deliberate input reaches the expected slide.

Leave the setup in a known state

Return to the starting slide and check the first build again after recovery. Remove the rehearsal content from the delivery deck and keep a short note of the pairing and fallback procedure. If the iPhone or Mac is replaced or the presenting arrangement changes, repeat the test instead of assuming that a previous link guarantees control in the new setup.

Reference: Apple: Keynote remote control.