Mac to Mac Remote Desktop Connection. Remote Desktop Connection for Macintosh. Here’s how you can remotely connect and control one Macintosh computer from another. Due to changes in our firewall, a VPN is now required when doing this from off-campus. The on-campus computer must be left on and not in hibernation. Mac Remote Desktop Connection: Manage Mac Devices on Your Network Remote desktop functionalities are increasingly commonplace as individuals and organisations alike leverage their power to remotely access computers for maintenance work, monitoring from afar, and to facilitate seamless real-time collaboration between colleagues across the world.
While many countries are on a lockdown due to COVID-19, remote work is becoming a lifestyle. Remotely accessing a Mac is designed to be easy. Apple has spent a lot of time ensuring anyone can log in to their Macs — both desktop and laptop — from any other Mac device, anywhere. And, besides, there are a variety of third-party apps ready to help with that too.
Still, remotely managing their Mac sounds overly complicated to a lot of people. From how you connect to sharing files or screens to using your Apple device as a remote mouse, we want to demystify the process in the easy-to-follow guide below.
Best Remote Access Apps for Mac
There are times when you want to access your Mac remotely, and there are many different solutions to remote access your Mac. Best utilities in one pack, give it a go!
How to access your Mac from another location
There're two ways: you can allow remote login to your Mac from another computer, or allow others to access your computer using Remote Desktop (it's available from the App Store).
Allow remote login to your Mac from another computer
For devices using the same macOS, you can allow remote Mac login using a Secure Shell (SSH). This enables Mac remote desktop access using a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP).
To set up Remote Login:
Go to System Preferences > Sharing
Select Remote Login.
Choose which users you want to have remote access or the ability to control your Mac.
You can either select All Users, which means any other device on your network, or any Mac you own, can access and connect, or click the plus sign to pick the exact users.
When you want to remotely log in to your Mac from another device, you need to know your username (the name that appears when you login) and your computer's IP address. Write them down and keep them safe, as allowing access to your Mac does make it potentially less secure, especially over cellular or public Wi-Fi networks.
Using Remote Desktop Connection For Mac
Accessing, controlling, or viewing information on your Mac can be done with a built-in Terminal or any other SSH app using your username and IP address.
Remote Desktop Connection For Mac Free Download
Allow others to access your computer using Apple Remote Desktop
With macOS remote Mac access and control is even easier. To set up it:
Go to Menu > System Preferences > Sharing
Select Remote Management - it should appear as a checkbox.
Now you can select who has remote desktop access. Either select, All Users, which means any other device on your network, or Mac you own, can access and connect, or click the Add button(+), which gives you the ability to select who can have remote access and/or control.
If you are using a VPN or VNC viewer and want to access your Mac remotely, you will need to setup a password first. It is also possible to use iOS devices, such as an iPhone and iPad, through Apple Remote Desktop, available from the App Store.
How to stay on the same page with Screens
Collaboration has become of utmost importance to today's workplaces. And with more and more people working remotely, being on the same screen (ahem, page) is a must.
Screens allows you to work remotely with any computer regardless of your location. Whether you are on a business trip or traveling, stay confident knowing you can access any file on your home computer at any time.
This robust screen sharing tool for Mac supports:
Multiple displays
Drag-and-drop file sharing
Hiding your remote screen while accessing it
Accessing other computers (e.g. colleague's) as a guest
Alternative shortcuts (useful when connecting Mac to PC)
Custom actions in case of disconnection
To start using Screens, get the app from Setapp and configure the following:
Remote login and remote management (as per the guide above)
Install Screens Connect helper app and create a Screens ID on every machine you'd like to connect to in the future
Use your Screens ID in the Screens app and it will automatically determine which of your computers are available for connection
Remote desktop client for Mac
Control any computer remotely – a perfect way to access your Mac from anywhere without limitations.
Share files between devices
Today we have plenty of ways to send and share files. But ask someone to send something, and you are likely to get it through email. Due to the ubiquitousness of email, it's still the default method for file sharing, despite its obvious flaws and constraints.
Fortunately, there are much better ways:
Native macOS File Sharing
Few people know that their Mac has native file sharing functionality built in. To use this feature, activate it in the Sharing pane of System Preferences by checking File Sharing. If you only want to share specific folders, add them to the Shared Folders list. If you only want specific users to access the folder, add them to its Users list. Otherwise, everyone will be able to access it.
AirDrop
Although not the most reliable solution, AirDrop works fine for occasional sharing a file between Apple devices. In the Finder, choose Go and then AirDrop on both the sending and receiving Mac. As soon as you see the receiver's user icon, drag the desired file onto it to send.
Read more about how to use AirDrop
Dropshare
If you don't want to send files Mac-to-Mac directly but rather through a cloud storage, there is no easier way than Dropshare. The app works with numerous cloud providers, from Dropbox to Google Drive, and saves your files for sharing by simply dragging them onto its menu bar icon.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
The most technical but also the most robust way to share files from your mac is to use FTP, which you could do either through Terminal or an FTP Client, the latter being much more user friendly.
There are a few popular FTP clients one could choose from. The robust file managing app ForkLift covers most of the FTP functionality but takes it to the next level and could be a viable replacement for the Finder altogether with its quick search, instant previews, and file comparison.
DCommander is another full-featured file transfer app for Mac that combines speed and reliability, able to handle thousands of files, schedule backups, and even automate transfers.
At last, when it comes to sharing the same files on different devices, an app like ChronoSync Express becomes invaluable.
ChronoSync Express is powerful tool for sharing and transferring files from Mac to Mac, or any another Apple device. With a feature called Synchronizer Document, you can select which files need to be automatically synchronized and shared between devices, just like that:
Create a new synchronizer document for each folder synchronization you'd like to perform
Name the synchronization
Change the Operation to Synchronize Bidirectional
Select folders to sync on the left and right
Test with a Trial Sync
Remote Connection For Mac
Do you need to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network)?
Whether you are working on your Mac directly, logging into your Mac remotely, or sharing access with someone else, security should be on top of your mind.
As a rule of thumb, you should always use a VPN when connected to a public Wi-Fi network, as someone could log in and see the information you send just as easily as you do.
And with remote access — even in the View Only mode — someone can see every file and document on your Mac, except those that are password protected. Unfortunately, if you leave passwords in a visible document, you expose yourself to immense risks.
A secure VPN client for Mac like Shimo is well worth using to stop unwanted eyes from lurking around, especially if you are sharing sensitive files, financial records or customer data.
However, for extra peace of mind and security, consider firing up your VPN automatically on all networks you are not 100% sure about to keep your emails, bank accounts and personal documents safe.
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To share your Mac with someone else, download a remote Virtual Network Computing (VNC) app like Jump Desktop. With full remote access and Mac remote control, the other person — or yourself connecting to another Mac — can have the same level of control as the person using that device. Except for Admin level access, since it's password protected.
Starting with Jump Desktop is easy: either yourself (gaining access) or the person you are giving a remote view or control access to your Mac, needs to add details of the device and the password.
Secure your access with VPN
Get a VPN client for Mac to avoid privacy infringement while connecting remotely. It's secure and free to try.
Once permission is granted at the other end, remote Mac screen sharing or control (whereby you can use the iOS device as a remote mouse) becomes possible.
How to use your iOS device as a remote mouse
If your remote work starts on a patio hammock somewhere in east Asia, you should note that Apple iOS devices, such as an iPhone or iPad, can be used to control a Mac remotely, much like a mouse can control a desktop or laptop. Apps that make this possible work on VNC.
Remote Mouse is the easiest, most effective way to turn your iOS device into a wireless remote control for your Mac.
Although remote access through a local network would be most effective, since the closer you are to the device the quicker the connection, it's also possible from anywhere in the world, providing the network is secure and fast enough.
Setting up and granting access to the iOS device is the same process as when someone wants to access using a Mac. Except you need to give them a password. And make sure it is different from your primary Mac or iOS (App Store) one.
So working together or checking on your devices can be done from anywhere in the world and there are lots of ways to do that, from sharing screens and files to having complete access to a system set up far away. Setapp equips you with all the apps needed to remotely access any device you need and elevate your work to the global level.
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You can connect with your remote devices such as desktops, laptops, and mobile phones using remote access software over a network or the internet. Using Zoho Assist, a cloud-based remote desktop connection software, you can set up and establish a secure remote desktop connection directly from your web browser.
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Mobile and cross-platform compatibility
Setting up a remote desktop connection might be tricky due to the variety of machines in use and differences in their operating systems. User interface and multi-platform compatibility play a significant role in choosing a remote desktop app. Zoho Assist covers these requirements so you can connect confidently with a wide variety of remote devices including Windows, Mac, Linux, Ubuntu, Android and iOS.
On-demand remote support
Connecting with your remote devices is now easier than ever using Zoho Assist's on-demand remote desktop connection. You can now access and share your screen with your remote customer without the need for prior installation on the remote user end, reducing the time required to establish a remote desktop connection.
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Unattended remote access
Configure large groups of devices for unattended remote access at once using our unique mass deployment concept, which helps large corporations manage their remote assets all together efficiently. Install a lightweight unattended access agent on the remote machine and diagnose your remote computers using native diagnostic operations in no time.
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Maintain your organization's authenticity using our custom rebranding options
From small businesses to large corporations, end users generally prefer a solution that can be easily modified to match their business's priorities. Using our custom branding solutions, you can completely rebrand your remote desktop application and give it an authentic personal touch to fit right in with your organization. Assist users can create customized emails and a portal URL to match their organization's branding, so customers know they're connecting with someone they can trust.
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Integrated help desk solutions
When a remote desktop software is part of your customer support process, help desk software integration compatibility is essential. That's why Zoho Assist's remote connection has integrations with the leading help desk software services, like Zendesk, Servicenow, Zoho Desk, and Jira, to name a few. We also provide custom integrated solutions such as a mobile software development kit and APIs to enhance and fine-tune your remote desktop service.
Use Apple Remote With Macbook
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Are you worried about your remote desktop connection?
Zoho Assist is entirely cloud-based and crosses all major proxies and firewalls smoothly. Your data is secured by our industrial standard end-to-end SSL and 256-bit AES encryption so that you can be sure every connection you make over Assist is secure and maintain your users' privacy. You can monitor and keep records of all the remote support activities in your organization using our Action Log Viewer, so if anything goes wrong, you can find out exactly what happened in no time. We also offer two-factor authentication to provide an additional layer of security by verification via a one-time password.
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Windows Remote Connection For Mac
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Frequently Asked Questions
Remote Connection For Mac To Windows
A Remote Desktop Connection helps you access your Mac or Windows remote desktop, laptops & mobile phones over a network.
02
How do I transfer files using a remote desktop connection?
We have tried to make the file transfer process as simple and as easy as possible. All you have to do is just choose a file from your computer or the remote computer and click Send or Receive to transfer files. Also, the file transfer process will not affect the desktop sharing during remote access.
Learn more.
03
Can I access my remote workstation without the presence of an user at the remote end?
Yes, you can remotely access your workstations via Zoho Assist's Unattended Remote Access.
Learn more.
Zoho Assist's free remote desktop connection app allows users to conduct their basic remote support at absolutely free of cost. (Recommended only for personal use.)
Learn more.
05
Does Zoho Assist - remote connection software work for Windows 10?
Zoho Assist, remote connection software allows you to control Windows 10 devices without special permission for establishing remote connections, unlike Microsoft's Windows remote desktop.