Connect From Anywhere With Screens 5 And Tailscale

Screens Connect is the simplest way to make your computer accessible from outside its local network. But if Screens Connect isn't an option for you, there's another way to connect to your computer from anywhere on the Internet.

In this scenario, we recommend using Tailscale, a secure VPN service that creates a private network, allowing your devices to connect directly through encrypted tunnels. Tailscale makes it easy to access your systems remotely, without complicated network setups. Please note that Tailscale requires macOS 11 or later.

With Screens 5.3 and later, Tailscale is built right into the app:

Prerequisite

Before setting up Tailscale, make sure your computer is already configured to accept screen sharing connections. Detailed step-by-step instructions can be found in the “Preparing Your … for Screen Sharing” articles located in this section.

Step 1: Install Tailscale

1. Sign up for a free Tailscale account if you don’t already have one.
2. On each computer you want to connect to, download and install Tailscale using the links for Mac, Windows, or Linux/Raspberry Pi.
3. On your Apple devices you'll be connecting from, download and set up Tailscale using the links for Mac and iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro.

Step 2: Link Your Tailscale Account

1. Go to Tailscale.com > Settings > General to find your Organization Name. Write it down.
2. Visit Tailscale.com > Settings > OAuth Clients.
3. Click Generate OAuth Client….
4. Enter a description (e.g., Screens 5).
5. Under Devices > Core, choose Read.
6. Click Generate the client.
7. Make sure to copy the Client Secret; the Client ID is not required.
8. Open Screens 5 and go to the Tailscale section.
9. Click or tap Link Account… and enter the Organization Name (make sure to enter the Organization Name, not your Client ID) you collected in Step 2.1, along with the Client Secret (starting with tskey-client-...).
10. You should now see your devices. Screens will keep them in sync.

Tips:

1. You need to link your Tailscale account on every device where Screens is installed.
2. Supported devices include Macs, Windows PCs, Linux PCs, and Raspberry Pi.