Download
Uplink Companion runs on the computer with your simulator and hands it a controller to read. It is free, for macOS and Windows.
What you need
An iPhone; a computer running macOS or Windows with your simulator on it; the free Uplink Companion; both on the same Wi-Fi, or a USB cable.
The iPhone app
Uplink: FPV Sim Controller is not on the App Store yet. There is no link to give you, and there is no waiting list beyond one email. Its free version is the whole flying experience: pair, fly, lay out your own sticks, one saved model, three rate profiles.
Email me when the iPhone app is outPick the computer that runs your simulator.
Windows
Version 0.2.6. 64-bit Windows 11. Free. Pair it with the Uplink app on your iPhone over Wi-Fi, or with a USB cable. The iPhone app is not on the App Store yet — see below.
Download for WindowsThe installer is not signed yet, so Windows warns you once the first time you open it — see below. If you like to verify downloads yourself, the checksum is below.
Optional check — compare the file's checksum:
SHA-256 c0e3228d9b211b022f9407cd06c30a83c514b3dd2ec6c95976e8508e8dac1d24
Get-FileHash .\Uplink-Companion-Setup-0.2.6.exe -Algorithm SHA256
If it does not match, do not open the file.
macOS
Version 0.2.6. Apple silicon and Intel. Free. Pair it with the Uplink app on your iPhone over Wi-Fi, or with a USB cable. The iPhone app is not on the App Store yet — see below.
Download for macOSApple has signed and checked this build, so macOS opens it without a warning. If you like to verify downloads yourself, the checksum is below.
Optional check — compare the file's checksum:
SHA-256 dbcdba139cf966756bfaddfc799afba63984c9641ecfeb99f47262617778e7c3
shasum -a 256 Uplink-Companion-0.2.6.dmg
If it does not match, do not open the file.
Linux: not packaged yet — the companion builds from source.
The companion's panel
Once it is installed, the companion opens its own panel at http://127.0.0.1:8766/ on that computer. The QR code and the 9-digit pairing code live there, and the pad shows up in your simulator about a second after you pair.
Windows' first-run warning
The macOS app is signed and checked by Apple, so it opens without a warning. The Windows installer is not signed yet, so Windows warns you once the first time you open it — here is what to click.
Windows will show “Windows protected your PC” the first time you run the installer. Click More info, then Run anyway. You will see this once.
What the Windows installer does
The installer does two things worth knowing about before you run it:
- Installs the controller driver. Windows needs a small open-source driver (ViGEmBus) before any app can create a controller for a game to read. The installer skips it if you already have it. You can decline it, but the controller is the part your simulator reads, so declining means you cannot fly.
- Opens two firewall rules. One for the phone's control connection and one for the browser controller. Both are limited to this app and to private networks only. Uninstalling removes them.
The companion is self-contained. There is nothing else to install.
Next
Setup & pairing walks through connecting the phone to the companion. Support covers where to write if something does not work.