Screens Connect offers the easiest way to make a computer available for external connections beyond its local network; however, when Screens Connect isn't feasible under specific circumstances, connecting to a computer from anywhere on the Internet is still possible.
In such scenarios, we recommend using Tailscale, a versatile and free-for-personal-use solution that can be installed on various major platforms.
Note: Before proceeding, ensure that Remote Management is enabled on your Mac or that a VNC server is installed on your PC, with detailed instructions available in our Getting Started section.
Refer to the "Configuring … for Remote Access" article in that section corresponding to your computer.
Step 1: Install Tailscale
If you don't have one already, create a Tailscale account.
Mac
Follow instructions from Tailscale.
Once Tailscale is installed and enabled, locate the IP address for your computer in the Tailscale system menu:
Windows
Follow instructions from Tailscale.
Once Tailscale is installed and enabled, find the IP address for your computer in the Tailscale system tray:
Linux and Raspberry Pi
Follow instructions from Tailscale.
Once Tailscale is installed and enabled, obtain the IP address for your computer using this Terminal command:
tailscale ip -4
Step 2: Create a new custom connection
Now that your computer is prepared, you can proceed to create a new custom connection in Screens.
Ensure Tailscale is installed and enabled on the Mac and iOS device where Screens is installed and will be used for the connection.