In order for Screens to be able to connect back to your Mac, it needs to be configured for remote access.
There are 2 ways to configure your Mac:
Then, you need to ensure that your Mac will accept incoming connections:
- Validating your firewall and security settings
- Wake for network access, power management and FileVault
These topics are discussed below.
Configuring your Mac via Screens Connect
To make the configuration easier, we recommend that you download and install Screens Connect, our free utility that makes your Mac reachable from anywhere.
Screens Connect will also make sure that all required services (Remote Management and optionally Remote Login) are enabled.
Screens Connect is by default accessible via the system menu bar.
You can download Screens Connect here. Simply launch the app and follow the instructions!
A few other steps...
To complete the configuration process, please ensure that your firewall is allowing incoming connections and that your Mac is configured to wake for network access and that it is plugged into a power source.
Configuring your Mac manually
If you prefer to configure your Mac manually, whether you wish to use Screens Connect or not, you can do so by following these steps:
From the Dock or the menu, open System Preferences
Select Sharing
Enable Remote Management
Allow access for all users, or add each individual user to grant permissions to connect to the service.
Click Options... and Enable both Observe and Control
If you wish to allow incoming Screen Sharing requests from guest users, click Computer Settings... and enable Anyone may request permission to control screen
If you’d like to use a secure connection (SSH tunnel) while using Screens, you must enable Remote Login
Make sure to also allow access for all users or add each individual user to grant permissions to connect to the service.
A few other steps...
To complete the configuration process, please ensure that your firewall is allowing incoming connections and that your Mac is configured to wake for network access and that it is plugged into a power source.
Validating your firewall and security settings
To verify that your macOS firewall is set to allow incoming Remote Management and Remote Login connections:
Open System Preferences
Select Security & Privacy
Select Firewall
Click the Lock icon and authenticate in order to access the firewall settings
Click Firewall Options...
If the firewall is enabled, ensure that Screen Sharing, Remote Management and Remote Login are allowed services and that Block all incoming connections is not enabled
Router Firewall
Your router may be equipped with a firewall or some security settings that can also prevent incoming connections to go through. Please consult your router's user guide to learn more. Note that some modems also act as routers as well.
Note: the same thing may apply to third-party firewalls or network monitoring apps such as Little Snitch.
Wake for network access, power management and FileVault
In order for your Mac to respond to incoming connections while it is asleep, make sure to enable Wake for Network Access in System Preferences > Energy Saver.
If your Mac is a MacBook, ensure that it is plugged into a power source or it may not wake up.
Finally, there are some caveat regarding FileVault, if enabled on your Mac.
For more details and tips about these topics, please consult this article.
Configure Screens
You can now create a new screen in order to connect to your Mac.
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