Surround Display by Peaceful Journey

Turn an unused iPad into a display and speaker

Give a spare iPad a useful place beside your Mac. Use it as an extended display and its built-in speakers for stereo, or assign distinct synchronized channels across multiple receivers. Choose display only, speaker only, or display + speaker. First-time pairing requires a six-digit code and receiver approval.

Surround Display for Mac — download in preparation App Store receiver in preparation Release status

We do not publish an unnotarized Mac development build or an unreviewed mobile build. Downloads will open only after Developer ID signing, Apple notarization, Gatekeeper, App Store distribution, and real-device validation pass.

Two spare iPads reused as Mac extended displays and left-right speakers with Surround Display
A usage composition built from the app's actual extended-display and speaker-only surfaces.

Reuse what you already own

Give a sleeping iPad
a new place to work

Before buying another monitor or wireless speaker, place an iPad you already own beside your Mac. One receiver can add workspace and stereo playback; two can become left and right displays with distinct synchronized channels.

  • Display onlyExtra room for documents, web pages, and tools
  • Speaker onlyA full-screen speaker skin with built-in speaker playback
  • Display + speakerBoth roles together on the same iPad

Speaker playback is an optional one-time purchase. Stereo input is labeled Stereo Upmix—not Dolby, Atmos, or restoration of an original 5.1 mix.

A Mac and two spare iPads connected as extended displays and left-right speakers

Release status

Only verified apps and installers will be published

The Mac controller is named Surround Display. The separate app that turns another Mac into a receiver is named Surround Display Receiver. Downloads using the new names will open only after final signing and notarization checks.

Preparing
Core displayPlanned free
Current review build0.1.0 · Build 7
Mac controllerSurround Display
Receiver appWaiting for App Review
  1. Freeze the buildRecord the exact source, version, build number, and release changes.
  2. Apple verificationPass Mac signing, notarization, Gatekeeper, and App Store distribution signing.
  3. Real-device validationVerify display, input, speaker, disconnect, and recovery paths on physical devices.
  4. Verify the published copyRe-download the package and check its signature, notarization, and SHA-256.

Development status · August 12, 2026: iPhone and iPad receiver build 7 is waiting for App Review. The Finder names of the Mac controller and Mac receiver are now Surround Display and Surround Display Receiver, and both newly named targets pass local builds. Public Mac ZIPs will use those names only after signing, notarization, Gatekeeper, and final hardware checks are repeated.

Three connection modes

Connect only the roles you need

Display and audio roles are separate. Speaker-only mode is designed not to start video capture or transmission resources.

Display only

Extend the Mac desktop onto a receiver and choose resolution, scaling, and placement per device.

Free core feature

Speaker only

Use a selected device for stereo or one synchronized channel without video resources, with the chosen speaker skin and volume controls filling the display.

Requires Surround Speaker

Display + speaker

Use one receiver for an extended display and a speaker channel on a shared media timeline.

Display and audio together

Synchronized speakers

Assign a distinct channel to each device

Mirroring the same audio and distributing separate surround channels are different modes. The system is being built around scheduled future playback times and measured output skew, not simultaneous packet delivery alone.

1

One device · stereo

Play both left and right channels through one device's built-in speakers.

2.0

Two outputs · left/right

Assign Front Left and Front Right to two output nodes.

3.0

Three outputs · Beta

Suggest Front Left, Center, and Front Right while physical-device validation remains beta.

4.0

Four outputs · Beta

Suggest Front Left, Front Right, Surround Left, and Surround Right.

L/R

Stereo expansion

A stereo source uses matrix-based Stereo Upmix. It is never labeled Dolby, Atmos, or restored original 5.1.

Sync

Scheduled playback

Account for network, buffering, and output latency and track long-running clock drift.

Current product boundary

Using the Mac speaker as an independent fifth channel, preserving Native Multichannel input, and automatic room correction remain experimental. We will not advertise completed 5.0 until those paths pass physical acoustic validation.

Speaker-only surface

Keep acoustic material and control style independent

Changing a skin does not force a new volume interface, and changing the control style does not replace the selected material EQ or room correction.

Ebony

Black Ebony

A dense, controlled material-inspired character with short, weighty motion.

Silver

Silver Aluminum

A fast, precise character with machined reflections and transient response.

Wood

Brown Paulownia

A warm, natural character with softer driver movement.

X-Ray

Transparent Internal

A reference-oriented skin that reacts only at model-specific internal speaker positions—without a virtual woofer.

3 UI

Choose your volume control

A rotary dial, 5% step buttons, and continuous slider all control the same authenticated group gain.

Mute

Quick group mute

Tap once for 0%; tap again to restore the previous group volume. This remains separate from muting only this iPad.

Free core and optional purchases

Buy the functions you need once—no subscription

These are planned U.S. launch prices. The App Store purchase sheet determines actual availability and the final local price.

Core

Surround Display

Planned free

  • Mac extended display
  • Secure first-time pairing
  • Placement and resolution controls

One-time IAP

Surround Speaker

Planned US$1.99

  • Speaker-only and display + speaker
  • Single-device stereo
  • Multi-device channel assignments

Separate one-time IAP

EQ & Speaker Skin Pack

Planned US$0.99

  • Requires Surround Speaker access
  • Material skins and sound presets
  • Custom EQ controls

Purchase and control boundary: Purchase and restore occur only in the iPad or iPhone App Store receiver. The Mac provides the controls, but enables speaker, skin, and EQ commands only after the connected receiver passes StoreKit verification and reports access for the current authenticated session. A local preference or Mac command alone can never unlock a paid feature.

Audio remains fixed to Flat EQ while the EQ & Speaker Skin Pack is locked. Branded skins and confidential EQ profiles will be added only after separate agreements and validation.

Connection security

Sharing a network never grants access

Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB, and Thunderbolt paths use the same user-authentication boundary.

1

Discover

Find nearby receivers only through the connection policies the user selected.

2

Verify six digits once

Confirm the code shown only on the receiver and approve the connection there.

3

Choose a trust period

The user controls trusted-device reconnection and can revoke trust at any time.

Local-first data boundary

  • Display, audio, and input traffic travels over an encrypted local connection between authenticated devices and is not uploaded to Peaceful Journey servers.
  • Session, device, packet, and sequence identifiers are validated; stale or malformed packets are dropped.
  • A receiver-initiated disconnect suppresses automatic reconnection until the user requests it again.
  • Camera or microphone calibration starts only after user action; raw video and voice are not stored on our servers.

Compatibility and permissions

Surround Display and receiver roles stay explicit

Current development targets are macOS 15 or later and iOS/iPadOS 18 or later. Final chip, device, and transport support will be published after hardware validation.

Surround Display

The free controller app on the host Mac captures display and system audio and coordinates the session.

  • Finder name: Surround Display
  • Screen & System Audio Recording
  • Local Network
  • Accessibility when touch input is enabled

iPad and iPhone receiver

Receives a display, direct touch, and an assigned speaker channel.

  • Local Network
  • Audio playback and optional background playback
  • Camera and microphone only for calibration

Surround Display Receiver

The separate receiver app uses an iMac, Mac mini, or another Mac as a secondary display.

  • Finder name: Surround Display Receiver
  • Ethernet, Thunderbolt Bridge, or Wi-Fi
  • On-device approval
Launch support boundary
AreaCurrent policy
Mac keyboard and mouseUses the normal macOS extended-desktop path and must pass click and keyboard regression tests before release.
Direct iPhone or iPad touchPointer movement, left-click, and drag remain under release validation.
Receiver countOne or two receivers are the primary validation range; three or four require explicit Beta opt-in.
Audio routeBuilt-in and wired output are preferred. Bluetooth and AirPlay re-output are warning or initially unsupported routes.

Camera-assisted layout, microphone-based acoustic measurement, and three- or four-device sessions are experimental or beta. A successful packet transfer alone does not count as a working display, input, or synchronized speaker.

Frequently asked questions

Know the release boundary

Can I download it now?

Not yet. The newly named Surround Display and Surround Display Receiver packages must pass Developer ID signing, Apple notarization, Gatekeeper, and final hardware checks. iPhone and iPad build 7 is waiting for App Review.

Which parts are free?

The core extended-display function is planned to be free. Surround Speaker has a planned U.S. launch price of US$1.99. The separate EQ & Speaker Skin Pack requires Surround Speaker and has a planned U.S. launch price of US$0.99. The App Store purchase sheet determines the actual local price.

Is this Dolby 5.1?

No. Stereo input is expanded through Stereo Upmix and is not described as Dolby, Atmos, or restoration of the original 5.1 mix.

Are four receivers fully supported?

One or two receivers are the primary pre-release validation range. Three or four receivers require Beta opt-in while stability, latency, and battery results are measured.

Can I use Cat 8 Ethernet and a USB hub?

Yes, with an Ethernet adapter recognized by the operating system and a properly powered hub. Throughput is limited by the slowest adapter, hub, or network port.

Is display or audio content stored on an external server?

Active display, audio, and input traffic travels over an authenticated encrypted local path and is not uploaded to Peaceful Journey servers. See the privacy policy for details.

Support and security reports

Put Surround Display in the subject line

Include the device combination, OS versions, and reproduction steps. Do not send display content, pairing codes, raw audio, or encryption keys.

[email protected]