When you use another Mac and you’re logged into the same iCloud account, your other Mac will appear under the Shared section of the sidebar in Finder, and you can connect to its screen over the Internet. Open the System Preferences window, click the iCloud icon, check Use Back to My Mac, and go through the setup process. If you have another Mac, you can set up Screen Sharing to work over the Internet without needing any other software. If you don’t set up a password, you’ll have to agree to a confirmation dialog on the Mac every time you want to control it remotely. If you don’t have a Mac or want to use another VNC client, you can connect to the IP address displayed here. Bear in mind that the IP address displayed above is likely an internal IP address where your Mac can be found on your local network, which means you can’t access it over the Internet without forwarding ports.Ĭlick the Computer Settings button to set a password. If you have another Mac on the local network, you can open a Finder window, look in the Shared section of the sidebar, select the computer you want to control, and click Share Screen. This control panel will inform you how you can connect. Click the Sharing icon in the System Preferences window and enable the Screen Sharing checkbox. If you want to be sure that it’s not still connected, you can always restart your machine.To enable screen sharing, click the Apple icon on the menu bar at the top of your screen and select System Preferences. The connection between the two machines can be manually disabled once you’re done, or it’ll automatically disconnect after long periods of inactivity. It’s great for messing with colleagues, like this:Īnd that’s it. The left option lets people get a peek at your screen, while the right gives you access to their PC.
By default, you’re in control of their screen, though you can change this at the top by toggling between the two options at the upper left: Screen Sharing or Remote Management. After they accept, you can begin sharing your screen with them, or request access to their machine. Once you enter the AppleID or IP address and press Connect, the person whose machine you’re trying to share with will get a pop-up notification.
If you do need to find your IP address, you can do so at Google, with the key phrase “ what is my IP address,” or some variation.
Either works, but I’ve had greater success with the latter, and it’s often easier for the person on the other end of the tech support equation - who might not know what an IP address is, or where to find theirs. Okay, from here you’ll just need to open the app, and then type in the IP address or the Apple ID of the person you’re trying to connect to. System/Library/CoreServices/Applications/Screen Sharing.appĪpple, of course, could have made all of our lives simpler by including it in the Applications folder, but such is life when you’re an Apple user. And if you can’t find it, you can go folder digging. I’m using Alfred - a Finder alternative - but your search window and results should look similar. Fire up a Finder window and search “screen sharing.” This should bring up the built-in Screen Sharing application by default.