thumble.

WOW + CONSOLEPORT SETUP

Set up Thumble
for WoW on Mac.

Prepare WoW on your Mac, pair your phone, then check your ConsolePort controls in-game.

Download Mac receiver ↙

Phone app coming soon. Get launch updates →

WoW on your Mac. Controls on your phone.

WoW stays on your Mac. Thumble sends the sticks, buttons and triggers you use on your phone to the Mac receiver over the same Wi-Fi. ConsolePort manages the in-game actions and modifier layers.

The built-in ConsolePort controller works without an AI agent or cloud account. Thumble is a controller, not a game-streaming app.

Before you begin

  • A Mac running macOS 15 or later, with WoW installed.
  • A ConsolePort release that supports the exact WoW installation you play.
  • The Thumble phone app on your iPhone or Android phone. Public phone downloads are coming soon.
  • Your phone and Mac connected to the same Wi-Fi. Guest networks may prevent devices from connecting.

Add the recommended Thumble companion addon for Mac gamepad recovery and synced ConsolePort spell labels. Keep your keyboard and mouse available while setting up WoW.

Requirements and release scope

Documentation updated October 26, 2026. These requirements describe the current offer; they are not a test certificate for every WoW client.

  • Mac: macOS 15 or later, Apple silicon or Intel. The Mac receiver download is available.
  • Phone: iPhone and Android apps are being prepared for public release. You need the phone app as well as the receiver to use phone controls.
  • ConsolePort: install a release for the exact WoW client you launch. Read the ConsolePort installation guide for Mac.
  • Thumble companion addon: the documented 0.1.2 release supports Classic Era 1.15.9. This does not establish support for every Retail, Forever or Classic client. See the release selection and installation guide.
  • Connection: both devices use the same Wi-Fi. Thumble sends controls; it does not stream the game.

Choosing between phone controls and a physical gamepad? Start with WoW controller options on Mac.

One setup path, on your phone

  1. Open Thumble and choose Set up WoW. Select the WoW client you actually launch.
  2. Open Thumble Receiver on your Mac, choose Pair phone…, and scan its QR code from the phone app.
  3. Install or check ConsolePort for that WoW client, then add the recommended Thumble companion addon when available. Follow ConsolePort’s in-game controller setup.
  4. Try movement, camera, an action, a modifier and menus in WoW. Return to Thumble’s checklist and confirm each check once it works.

Your progress is saved. Return through the controller’s Thumble menu → WoW setup anytime.

1. Install the Mac receiver

Download Thumble Receiver, open the DMG, drag the app into Applications, then open it. The published download supports Apple silicon and Intel Macs and is signed and notarized.

Quit older receiver apps so only one is running. Choose Pair phone… from the receiver’s menu-bar icon, then scan the code in Thumble. Allow local-network access when asked. Codes expire after two minutes; use a fresh code if pairing fails.

Keep the receiver open while playing. Restarting it requires pairing again.

2. Prepare ConsolePort in WoW

On your Mac, select the exact WoW installation you play in CurseForge and install the matching ConsolePort addon. Check that the addon supports your client version. Restart WoW after the first install and enable ConsolePort at character selection.

With your phone paired and the receiver open, follow ConsolePort’s controller setup. The Thumble layout uses standard gamepad button names: A/B/X/Y, D-pad, shoulders and triggers. Set spells, targeting, menus and modifier combinations in ConsolePort.

Changing a phone label does not bind a WoW action. Check the in-game bindings whenever an action differs from what you expect. For the full addon workflow, read how to set up ConsolePort on Mac.

Install the Thumble addon with CurseForge

ConsolePort handles your WoW bindings. The Thumble addon helps WoW rediscover the Mac gamepad after a receiver restart. It is a recommended companion, separate from the Thumble phone app and Mac receiver.

Available on CurseForge: Install Thumble by codybontecou. The approved 0.1.2 release supports Classic Era 1.15.9 and adds ConsolePort spell-label and modifier-layer sync. Choose a release matching your exact WoW client; other clients are not yet offered through this release.

  1. Open the CurseForge app on your Mac and choose World of Warcraft.
  2. Select the exact WoW installation you launch. If it is missing, use CurseForge’s game detection or add that installation manually.
  3. Open Get More Addons, search for Thumble, and select the Thumble companion addon, project 1763832. Install a release matching your client. Open Thumble on CurseForge.
  4. In the same installation, search for and install ConsolePort if you have not already. Keep both addons up to date from My Addons.
  5. Restart WoW for a first install. At character selection, open AddOns and enable Thumble and ConsolePort. For an update to an already loaded addon, use /reload.
  6. In WoW chat, type /thumble discovery to see the recovery status. On Mac, keep ConsolePort enabled, release your controls and leave combat before testing recovery.

Recovery waits for neutral controls and defers during combat. The addon does not cast spells, press gameplay buttons or change your bindings automatically. Advanced character export and binding review tools open with /thumble; they are optional for the default controller.

If Thumble does not appear in CurseForge, open the direct listing above and check the selected client. Do not install an addon for a different WoW version. Without Thumble, use the manual gamepad recovery steps below if needed.

Upgrading from Thumble Bridge? CurseForge displays the addon as Thumble. Its internal folder and saved settings retain the old name for compatibility. You do not need a second copy. Read the complete Thumble addon guide for release selection and discovery checks.

3. Five checks before you play

Open the controller from WoW setup, test in a quiet place, then return to the checklist:

  1. Move and stop. Use the movement stick, release it, and confirm your character stops.
  2. Look around. Test the camera in every direction. Adjust Stick calibration in the Thumble menu if a direction feels reversed.
  3. Use an action. Try jump or a learned ability using your ConsolePort binding.
  4. Hold a modifier and act. Hold a shoulder or trigger modifier and press an action. Release both and check that you return to the base layer.
  5. Navigate and return. Open a game menu, move through it, then close it.

These checks are your confirmation of your setup. Thumble does not inspect the game. Every gameplay press comes from you.

Switching the controller or WoW installation requires another check. Offline practice lets you try the phone controls, but does not verify WoW input.

WoW chat from your phone

Use the phone’s Chat controls to type or dictate a message. Review and edit the text before sending it. Dictation depends on your device, language and microphone/speech permissions.

Keep WoW focused and your phone connected. Chat delivery uses your configured game chat route and requires remaining connected-use time or Pro. Try a short message during setup before relying on chat in a session.

30 minutes to try it in WoW

The demo includes 30 minutes total of connected controller use across sessions. It does not refill daily. ConsolePort controls, stick calibration and dictation are included.

Setup screens, menus, offline practice, and time paused or disconnected do not consume the allowance. An active connected controller counts down even while idle or composing chat.

Thumble Pro is a one-time $19.99 USD in-app purchase for unlimited controller time. No subscription. Local store prices may vary. The phone app and Pro purchase are coming soon.

If you already own Pro, use Restore Purchases with the same store account. Internet access is needed for purchase verification. Check your remaining time before a session; demo expiry stops live input and chat delivery.

If something doesn’t work

  • Cannot pair: check the same Wi-Fi, local-network permission and a fresh QR code. Guest networks may isolate devices.
  • Paired, but no input: start or resume the controller, check demo time or Pro access, and confirm ConsolePort is enabled for the WoW client you launched.
  • After a receiver restart: pair again. The Thumble addon can refresh Mac gamepad discovery with ConsolePort enabled, outside combat after neutral controls. If the addon is unavailable or WoW still does not see the gamepad, pause input and refresh gamepad detection in WoW using /console GamePadEnable 0 followed by /console GamePadEnable 1, then resume and retest in a quiet place.
  • Wrong action: check ConsolePort’s binding and active modifier layer for that character.
  • Reversed camera: open Stick calibration in the Thumble menu.

Still stuck? Contact support with your WoW client, ConsolePort version, phone and macOS versions, and what you observed.

Windows and Linux receiver previews

Version 0.1.1 is an unsigned preview. Native controller input, disconnect release, installation and pairing callbacks pass automated Windows and Linux checks. Real WoW, Steam and Proton acceptance is still pending. Keep your keyboard and mouse available and verify your controls in a quiet place.

You need the Thumble phone app, WoW, a compatible ConsolePort release and both devices on the same Wi-Fi. Public iPhone and Android apps are coming soon. The preview receiver uses the same pairing protocol as the Mac receiver; older phone builds call the scanner Connect Mac.

Windows 10 or 11, x64

  1. Download the Windows installer. This preview is not code signed, so Windows may show an unknown-publisher warning.
  2. Install the official ViGEmBus driver separately and reboot if requested. ViGEmBus is archived and is the preview’s compatibility backend. Thumble setup does not install it.
  3. Run the receiver installer for your user, then open Thumble Receiver from Start. Allow inbound traffic for the receiver on your private network if Windows Firewall asks. Windows Server and ARM PCs are not supported targets.

Linux, x64

Extract the archive, then install for your user:

tar -xzf Thumble-Receiver-0.1.1-linux-x64.tar.gz
./thumble-receiver/thumble-receiver --install-user

The installer requires xdg-utils. Open Thumble Receiver from your applications menu. Keep the bundle’s _internal folder alongside its executable.

Your user needs access to /dev/uinput. On a desktop using systemd-logind, an administrator can configure:

sudo modprobe uinput
echo 'KERNEL=="uinput", SUBSYSTEM=="misc", TAG+="uaccess", OPTIONS+="static_node=uinput"' | sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/70-thumble-uinput.rules
sudo udevadm control --reload-rules
sudo udevadm trigger --subsystem-match=misc --sysname-match=uinput

Log out and back in if permissions do not update. Run Thumble as your normal user. Distribution and session policies may need administrator configuration. Do not make uinput world writable. Linux chat additionally requires xdotool and X11 or XWayland; pure Wayland chat is unavailable.

Pair and verify your controls

  1. Open the receiver and scan its QR from Thumble on the same Wi-Fi. If the selected address belongs to a VPN, choose your Wi-Fi address and select Restart here.
  2. Use Start demo / Resume on the phone. Follow ConsolePort’s setup, then test movement and stopping, camera, an action, a modifier and menus.
  3. For label sync, choose the WoW installation folder in the receiver. On Linux, select the game folder inside the Wine or Proton prefix. Enable ThumbleBridge sync and use /reload in WoW.
  4. Pause or disconnect before leaving. Pair again after receiver restart or system sleep. Verify a stop after disconnect before playing.

The free receiver uses the phone’s 30-minute total demo or Pro entitlement. Closing the receiver window keeps it in the tray when available; choose Quit to exit. Windows uninstalls through Apps settings. Linux uninstalls with ~/.local/bin/thumble-receiver --uninstall-user. Both retain profiles and purchase/demo records.

Compare the SHA-256 checksum before installing: Get-FileHash .\Thumble-Receiver-0.1.1-windows-x64-setup.exe -Algorithm SHA256 on Windows, or sha256sum Thumble-Receiver-0.1.1-linux-x64.tar.gz on Linux. Full receiver instructions · Release hashes and validation · All receiver downloads.

Our initial focus

We’re building first for WoW on Mac with ConsolePort. Compatibility depends on your WoW client and addon version; complete the in-game checks for your setup. Windows and Linux receiver previews are now available. Read the preview setup instructions and complete the in-game checks for your setup.

About earlier AI layout guides

For authenticated read-only agent integrations, see the Thumble developer documentation, API and CLI.

AI/MCP controller generation is currently disabled while we focus on the built-in ConsolePort experience. No AI agent or cloud account is needed to pair and play. Existing saved controllers are retained. Older blog posts describe earlier development versions.

Taking a break

Pause or disconnect when you stop playing. The receiver releases held controls on disconnect, Mac sleep or demo expiry. Return through the Thumble menu when you’re ready.

Get ready for launch

Join the launch list for phone app news. The Mac receiver is available now; you’ll need the phone app to use it.

Connection troubleshooting guides

Fix a specific control mismatch

Phone labels not updating?

For a correct in-game action with a stale phone label, follow the spell-label and character-sync checks.

Playing WoW Classic?

Use the Classic client compatibility checklist to match your game version, ConsolePort release and Thumble companion addon before configuring controls.