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How to remote access a Mac from a Windows PC

Updated

On the same network, turn on Screen Sharing on the Mac and connect from the Windows PC with a VNC viewer. To reach the Mac from anywhere else, use a remote-access tool whose app on the Mac connects out, rather than opening the Mac's screen sharing to the internet.

Quick recommendation by scenario

  • The Mac and the PC are in the same office or home: Mac Screen Sharing and a VNC viewer on the PC (Route 1).
  • You need the Mac from home or on the road: a remote-access tool with an app on the Mac (Route 2 or 3).
  • You're helping someone who's at the Mac: anything built on Screen Sharing, so you see what they see.
  • Nobody will be at the Mac: any of the above, plus the sleep settings under Reaching the Mac when nobody's there.

What the Mac must allow

Whichever route you choose, you set it up at the Mac itself. Depending on the route, that means:

  • Screen Sharing, in System Settings > General > Sharing, for the built-in route and for Aile Insight.
  • Screen & System Audio Recording and Accessibility, in System Settings > Privacy & Security, for third-party tools. The first lets the app show the screen; the second lets you use the mouse and keyboard.
  • Full Disk Access, which tools such as TeamViewer and AnyDesk also use for file transfer.
  • Staying awake, if you'll connect when nobody's at the Mac.

Route 1: Mac Screen Sharing and a VNC viewer

Screen Sharing is built into macOS and is VNC-compatible, using TCP port 5900 (Apple: ports used by Apple software), so a VNC viewer on Windows can connect to it.

  1. Open Sharing settings on the Mac

    Go to Apple menu > System Settings > General > Sharing. If Remote Management is on, turn it off first. Apple says the two can't be on at the same time.

  2. Turn on Screen Sharing

    Click the Info button next to Screen Sharing and switch it on.

  3. Allow VNC viewers

    Turn on "VNC viewers may control screen with password" and set a strong password you don't use anywhere else. This is what lets a VNC viewer on Windows connect.

  4. Choose who can connect

    Under Allow access for, limit it to the users who need it.

  5. Connect from the Windows PC

    Install a VNC viewer on the PC, enter the Mac's address on your network, and type the VNC password.

Steps from Apple: turn Screen Sharing on or off.

Route 2: A remote-access tool

A remote-access tool installs its own app on the Mac. The app connects out to the tool's service, so it works from outside your network without router changes. Chrome Remote Desktop is one example: install the host on the Mac from remotedesktop.google.com/access, set a PIN, and connect from a browser on the PC (Google: Chrome Remote Desktop).

  1. Install the tool's app on the Mac

    Follow the tool's own instructions, and sign in or pair it with your account.

  2. Allow screen access

    Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording and turn the app on (Apple: screen recording access).

  3. Allow control

    Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility and turn the app on (Apple: accessibility access).

  4. Connect from the Windows PC

    Use the tool's Windows app or its website, sign in, and choose the Mac.

Route 3: Aile Insight

Aile Insight opens the Mac's own Screen Sharing in a browser on your Windows PC, over Aile Insight's encrypted connection. You see the Mac's screen as it is and use its mouse and keyboard, so it works for your own Mac and for helping someone who's sitting at theirs.

We set it up with you on a 20-minute call: we install a small app on the Mac and turn on Screen Sharing. The app connects out, so there's nothing to change on your router, and nothing to install on the PC.

How Aile Insight works

Same network vs the internet

On the same network, a VNC viewer connects straight to the Mac's Screen Sharing. From anywhere else there's no direct path unless you change your network, and forwarding port 5900 to the Mac exposes it to the whole internet, with the encryption concerns Apple describes.

The safer options are a VPN into your network, or a tool whose app on the Mac connects out (Routes 2 and 3), which needs only outbound traffic. Remote access without a VPN

Reaching the Mac when nobody's there

Unattended access means connecting with nobody at the Mac to accept. The Mac has to be switched on, awake and running whatever accepts the connection. Apple's sleep settings (Apple: sleep and wake settings):

  • Desktop Mac: System Settings > Energy, then turn on "Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off" and "Wake for network access".
  • Mac laptop: the same two settings, under System Settings > Battery > Options. Keep it plugged in.

With Aile Insight, an authorized Mac opens with nobody there as long as it's on, awake and its app is running. Learn about unattended access

Security

  • Don't open port 5900 on your router.
  • Use a strong, unique VNC password, and limit "Allow access for" to the people who need it.
  • Only grant Screen Recording and Accessibility to remote-access apps you chose and trust; review the lists in Privacy & Security now and then.
  • Keep macOS and the remote-access app updated.
  • If the Mac belongs to someone else, they should know when you connect.

Troubleshooting

  • Screen Sharing won't turn on. Turn off Remote Management in the same Sharing settings.
  • The VNC viewer rejects the password. Check that "VNC viewers may control screen with password" is on, and set the password again.
  • A third-party tool connects but you can't see the screen. Check Screen & System Audio Recording in Privacy & Security.
  • You can see the screen but can't click or type. Check Accessibility in Privacy & Security.
  • The Mac drops off after a while. It's going to sleep. Change the Energy or Battery settings above.
  • It works in the office but not from home. That's expected for Route 1: see Same network vs the internet.

Questions

Can I use Windows Remote Desktop to connect to a Mac?

No. Windows Remote Desktop connects to Windows PCs. A Mac's built-in option is Screen Sharing, which is VNC-compatible, so from Windows you use a VNC viewer or a remote-access tool instead.

Do I need to install anything on the Windows PC?

For the built-in route, a VNC viewer. Chrome Remote Desktop runs in a browser. With Aile Insight you open the Mac in a web browser, so nothing is installed on the PC.

Can someone keep using the Mac while I'm connected?

With Screen Sharing, yes: you both see the same screen, which is what makes it useful for helping someone. The option "Anyone may request permission to control screen" lets the person at the Mac accept or decline.

Why can't I turn on Screen Sharing?

Check whether Remote Management is on in the same Sharing settings. Apple says the two can't be on at the same time, so turn Remote Management off first.

Can I reach the Mac when it's asleep?

Plan for it to be awake instead. Turn on "Wake for network access", and on a desktop Mac also turn on "Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off" in Energy settings, so it's awake when you need it.