Download SideMount
The download starts on its own. If it does not, start it here.
What you need: macOS 26 or later, and a USB cable that carries data. A charging cable has no data lines and the phone will never appear.
Then, three things
- Open the disk image and drag SideMount to Applications.
- Open it. It lives in the menu bar and has no Dock icon, so look up and to the right.
- The guide inside the app walks through the rest, and ticks each step off by itself as you do it.
The whole thing takes about two minutes, once. After that, plugging the phone in is all it takes.
The first launch
SideMount is signed with a Developer ID and notarised by Apple, so it opens normally. If macOS ever objects, right click the app and choose Open.
Stuck?
The setup guide has the same steps with pictures, including where USB debugging hides on the phone. If something still will not work, email us and say what the app shows you.