And whenever you do that, there’s always a potential risk that you could let in someone you don’t want to. How to use Mac remote access securelyīy definition, by enabling remote access on your Mac you open a door to the outside. Most of them have some kind of free tier, as well as paid packages. It’s really that simple, and you have numerous options when it comes to choosing a remote desktop solution for your Mac.

On the remote device, install the relevant app from the same software provider.

Create an account, setting your username and password.

Install the remote desktop software on your Mac.

These vary, of course, but the process is generally something like this: How to remotely access your Mac from any device over the internetīy far the easiest way to remotely log into and control your Mac is to use a third-party remote desktop solution. So you can remotely access your Mac from an iPhone, an iPad, a Linux PC or a Windows system, as long as you have the right app. The screenshot here is from VNC Viewer for Android, but there are VNC apps for practically every operating system. Enter your Mac’s IP into a VNC app on the remote device. Under Allow access for, select All users or choose specific usersĥ. Enable VNC viewers may control screen with password. As before, go to System Preferences > Sharing, but this time, click Computer SettingsĢ. There are a couple of things you need to do differently here:ġ. Сonnect to your Mac from a non-Mac device over your local network You should now be able to view and remotely control your Mac in the Screen Sharing app on the second Mac. Enter the IP address for the first Mac, and click Connect From the top menu, select Go > Connect to ServerĦ. Under Allow access for decide who you want to be able to access your Macĥ. Enable Screen Sharing by clicking the relevant tickboxģ. Access your Mac from another Mac on the same networkĢ. That means you can also connect using any other device that can run a VNC app. It’s also compatible with VNC (Virtual Network Computing), an open standard for remote access. That makes it easy to remotely access your Mac from another Mac on the same network. If your Mac is running OS X 10.5 (Leopard) or later, it will include Screen Sharing as standard. This article is all about the last of these - ways in which you can connect to and take full control of your Mac from a remote location.

A full remote desktop for your Mac, where you can see whatever is displayed on your remote Mac and take complete control of it.

Screen sharing, where you can see your Mac’s screen but can’t control the computer itself.

Using a mobile device like a smartphone as a remote control for your Mac.

Browsing and accessing files via a shared folder or FTP (File Transfer Protocol).

The term “remote access” can mean a few different things.

Remote desktop viewer mac