There are several ways to establish a connection to a computer:
About Screens Connect
If you have Screens Connect installed on your Mac or Windows PC, remote connection is easy, whether you are near or far away.
Log in with your Screens Connect account
Your Screens Connect account links Screens and Screens Connect together. To establish a connection to your computer, you must log in with your Screens Connect account.
- tap or click on the Log in button
- enter the email address and password for your Screens Connect account
If required, you can create your Screens Connect account here.
After logging in, all computers on which Screens Connect is running should be displayed.
To establish a connection, simply tap (iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro) or double-click (Mac) on a screen.
Log off computer
To remove a computer from the Screens Connect list, press and hold (iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro) or right-click (Mac) on the computer and then select Logout.
Please note that deregistering a computer will make it inaccessible and you will have to log in again with your Screen Connect account on this computer.
About Tailscale
Tailscale is a mesh VPN solution that simplifies network connectivity and enables Screens 5 seamless remote access without complex port configurations. For detailed instructions on how to install Tailscale and connect your account to Screens, please refer to this article.
To connect, simply tap (iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro) or double-click (Mac) on a Tailscale computer. You can also tap and hold on a computer (iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro) or right-click on it (Mac) to edit it or see more connection options.
To a computer nearby
Screens can identify Macs in the local network on which screen sharing is enabled or PCs with an installed VNC server that transmits the service.
To connect, simply tap (iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro) or double-click (Mac) on a nearby computer. You can also tap and hold on a computer (iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro) or right-click on it (Mac) to edit it or see more connection options.
Activate local network access (iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro)
Make sure that Screens has the authorisation to access your local network. To check this, go to the "Settings" app, select "Privacy" → "Local network" and activate access for Screens.
Activate local network access (Mac)
As of macOS 15 Sequoia, new privacy measures require that apps are authorised to detect computers in your local network. To grant this access, open Preferences, navigate to Privacy > Local Network and make sure that Screens is enabled.
From a custom connection
If you do not want to use Screens Connect, use a custom URL or connect to a computer that does not transmit a Screen Sharing (VNC) service, you must create a custom connection.
- in the "Custom connection" section, select either "All Screens" or an existing group.
- click on the button in the toolbar or press ⌘N
- complete the connection information.
- navigate to the "Security" section if you prefer a secure connection (remote login or SSH server required)
- optionally visit the "Controls" section to further customise your saved connection.
- click on "Save".
Then tap (iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro) or double-click (Mac) on the newly created connection to initiate it.
From a URL
You can use the Quick connect function to manually enter or paste a URL to initiate a connection.
If you tap or click on a supported URL scheme outside of Screens, the app will start automatically and the connection will be established. Further information can be found in the article URL schemes.
From a current link
Simply tap (iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro) or double-click (Mac) on the desired element to establish the connection.
Connections established via a URL, Quick Connect or via Screens Assist are displayed here.
Editing a connection
To change a connection, press and hold it (iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro) or right-click on it (Mac) to access editing options and additional connection settings.
