Explained
How to Choose the Right RMM Tools for Your Organization
RMM tools are necessary for IT administrators who want to do maintenance and repairs remotely. Here’s how to choose the right RMM tool.
How-Tos
macOS Screen Sharing: 4 Methods for IT Admins
How macOS Screen Sharing works: the built-in app, Remote Management, VNC and Messages sharing. Setup, permissions and what to use for a fleet of Macs.
- Written by
Atena LadchartabiContent writer, trio.so
- Published on
- Modified on
macOS Screen Sharing lets one Mac view and control another Mac's screen over the network. To share your own screen in a call, use FaceTime. To control a Mac you support, turn on Screen Sharing in System Settings > General > Sharing and connect from another Mac. For a fleet, use Remote Management with Apple Remote Desktop or a remote desktop tool in your device management console.
Four ways to share a Mac screen
| Method | What it does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| FaceTime screen sharing | Shares your screen with the person you are talking to, with their consent | Helping a colleague or family member |
| Screen Sharing (built in) | View and control another Mac on your network, using the Screen Sharing app or a VNC client | Supporting a few Macs |
| Remote Management | The Sharing setting that works with Apple Remote Desktop, which is sold separately in the App Store | Admins who manage Macs with Apple's tool |
| VNC | Standard remote desktop protocol. Screen Sharing can accept VNC connections with a password | Connecting from non-Apple clients |
Screen Sharing and Remote Management cannot both be on at the same time.
How to screen share on Mac in a call
If you only want someone to see your screen, you do not need to change any Sharing setting.
- Start a FaceTime call.
- Click the screen sharing button in the menu bar and choose to share a window or your whole screen.
- Stop sharing from the same menu.
How to turn on Screen Sharing on a Mac
These steps are for the Mac you want to connect to. Apple's guide is Turn Screen Sharing on or off on Mac.
- Open System Settings > General > Sharing. You may need to scroll.
- If Remote Management is on, turn it off first.
- Click the info button next to Screen Sharing and turn it on.
- Choose Allow access for all users or only specific users.
- Optionally turn on Anyone may request permission to control screen, or set a VNC password for VNC viewers.
- Click Done.
With Screen Sharing on, other computers on the network can view the desktop and control it, including opening apps and restarting the Mac.
How to connect to another Mac
- On your Mac, open the Screen Sharing app from Spotlight, or choose Go > Connect to Server in the Finder.
- Enter the other Mac's name or IP address. For a VNC connection, use
vnc://followed by the address. - Sign in with a user account that is allowed in the Sharing settings.
- Choose to control the screen or only observe it.
Remote Management and Apple Remote Desktop
Remote Management is a different setting on the same pane. Apple describes it as the way a Mac is handled through Apple Remote Desktop, a separate app sold on the App Store. It adds tools for installing and configuring software, helping users remotely and creating reports, and it is aimed at business use. If you want those, turn on Remote Management instead of Screen Sharing and choose which users and which privileges it allows.
Reach a Mac that is outside your network
Built in Screen Sharing finds Macs on the same network by name or local address. It does not reach a Mac at someone's home on its own. Apple removed Back to My Mac, its old way of doing this, in macOS Mojave, and nothing built in replaced it. You have three options.
- VPN first. The user's Mac, or you, connects to the office VPN, then you open Screen Sharing to the Mac's address as if it were in the building. This works if the VPN allows traffic between clients.
- A remote desktop tool. The Mac runs an agent that connects outbound to a service, and you connect through that service. No inbound ports, no VPN. This is how most IT teams support remote staff.
- Port forwarding. Do not. Screen Sharing and VNC use port 5900. Putting that on the internet invites password guessing.
Apple Remote Desktop has the same limit: it manages Macs it can reach over the network, so it also needs a VPN for remote staff.
Permissions and consent
- Built in Screen Sharing is controlled by the Sharing settings above. Allow only the accounts that need it, not every user.
- Remote tools that are not Apple's usually ask for Screen Recording and Accessibility in System Settings > Privacy & Security. On a managed Mac an MDM profile can grant them in advance.
- Tell the user before you connect to a laptop that belongs to a person. A support session without a heads-up is a trust problem even when it is allowed.
- Use a VNC password only on a trusted network. Do not open VNC to the internet.
Troubleshoot macOS Screen Sharing
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Black screen after connecting | The Mac's display is asleep, it is a headless Mac with no display attached, or it is at the login window | Wake the Mac; for a headless Mac mini or Mac Studio, attach a display or an HDMI dummy plug; sign in at the login window |
| "Cannot connect" or the connection times out | Screen Sharing is off, the Mac is asleep, the firewall blocks it, you used the wrong address, or you are on another network | Check System Settings > General > Sharing; stop the Mac sleeping while plugged in; use the IP address instead of the .local name; connect through the VPN |
| Asks for a password, then refuses it | That user is not in the allowed list | In the Screen Sharing info panel, choose Allow access for and add the user, or allow all users |
| Screen Sharing is greyed out or will not turn on | Remote Management is on (they cannot both run), a profile from your MDM controls the setting, or you are not an administrator | Turn off Remote Management first; check your MDM's restrictions; authenticate in the pane with an admin password |
| Works until a restart, then not at all | FileVault is on and the Mac is waiting at the pre-boot password screen, where remote tools are not running | Someone has to enter the disk password at the Mac. Plan restarts for when the user is there |
| Laggy or choppy | Slow link or a high resolution | Lower the quality in the Screen Sharing app, or close extra displays on the target |
Managing this across many devices
The built in method means the admin enables Screen Sharing on each Mac, finds each address, and connects one at a time. That is fine for a few Macs on one office network. It is slow for remote staff, and it does not reach them at all without a VPN. trio.so has remote desktop for enrolled Macs, Windows PCs and Linux machines from the console. It is not Apple Remote Desktop, and it does not cover iPhones or Android phones. See remote access for Mac and MDM remote control.
Related reading: remote control an iPhone, shut down a Mac remotely and remote access security.
Take over a Mac screen from the console
trio.so gives IT remote desktop access to managed devices from one console, so you don't set up screen sharing on each Mac. Try it free for 14 days.
Get Ahead of the Curve
Every organization today needs a solution to automate time-consuming tasks and strengthen security. Without the right tools, manual processes drain resources and leave gaps in protection. trio.so is designed to solve this problem, automating key tasks, boosting security, and ensuring compliance with ease.
Don't let inefficiencies hold you back.
Every organization today needs a solution to automate time-consuming tasks and strengthen security. Without the right tools, manual processes drain resources and leave gaps in protection. trio.so is designed to solve this problem, automating key tasks, boosting security, and ensuring compliance with ease.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Have questions? We've got answers. This section covers some of the most commonly asked questions related to this topic.
Start a FaceTime call and use the screen sharing button in the menu bar. The other person sees your screen right away.
During a FaceTime call, click the screen sharing button in the menu bar and choose a window or your whole screen.
Usually the display is asleep, the Mac is at the login window, or it is a headless Mac with no display attached. Wake it, sign in, or attach a display or dummy plug.
Not directly. Use a VPN or a remote desktop tool. Do not forward port 5900.
Open System Settings > General > Sharing and switch on one of them. They cannot both be on at once.
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