Apple sells Apple Remote Desktop on the Mac App Store for $80, but you don’t have to spend any money to remotely connect to your Mac. There are free solutions — including one built into your Mac.
These solutions will let you access your Mac’s desktop remotely, whether you’re using another computer on the same local network, or you’re halfway around the world connecting to your Mac desktop from a tablet.
Screen Sharing
Your Mac contains a built-in Screen Sharing feature, which is essentially a VNC server with some extra features. This means that you can use standard VNC clients to control your Mac, and VNC clients are available for all platforms.
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To enable screen sharing, click the Apple icon on the menu bar at the top of your screen and select System Preferences. Click the Sharing icon in the System Preferences window and enable the Screen Sharing checkbox.
This control panel will inform you how you can connect. If you have another Mac on the local network, you can open a Finder window, look in the Shared section of the sidebar, select the computer you want to control, and click Share Screen. If you don’t have a Mac or want to use another VNC client, you can connect to the IP address displayed here. Bear in mind that the IP address displayed above is likely an internal IP address where your Mac can be found on your local network, which means you can’t access it over the Internet without forwarding ports.
Click the Computer Settings button to set a password. If you don’t set up a password, you’ll have to agree to a confirmation dialog on the Mac every time you want to control it remotely.
If you have another Mac, you can set up Screen Sharing to work over the Internet without needing any other software. Open the System Preferences window, click the iCloud icon, check Use Back to My Mac, and go through the setup process. When you use another Mac and you’re logged into the same iCloud account, your other Mac will appear under the Shared section of the sidebar in Finder, and you can connect to its screen over the Internet.
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If you want to connect to your Mac from anything that isn’t a Mac, you’ll need to forward ports to ensure the VNC is accessible. We don’t recommend this unless you know what you’re doing, as it’s more complicated and there are security concerns. If you want to connect over the Internet from another device, we recommend you use one of the below, easy-to-use alternatives to Screen Sharing.
TeamViewer
LogMeIn recently discontinued their free remote desktop access program, but TeamViewer is still around and offering this feature for free. TeamViewer is available for Mac, just as it’s available for Windows, Linux, iPad, iPhone, Android, and even Windows Phone.
Download your preferred TeamViewer client from TeamViewer’s Mac download page. TeamViewer offers a full version, but you can also download a TeamViewer Host application that runs as a system service and is optimized for 24/7 access. You can use TeamViewer in several different ways — set it up to be always listening with a password, or just fire it up on your Mac and use the temporary login details when you want to use it.
TeamViewer is especially convenient because you won’t have to forward ports or worry about other detailed server configuration issues.
Chrome Remote Desktop
RELATED: How to Use Google Chrome to Remotely Access Your Computer
If you already use Chrome, you may want to give the Google-created Chrome Remote Desktop extension a try. It works just like it does on Windows. Install the Chrome Remote Desktop extension in Chrome on your Mac, open it from the new tab page, and go through its setup process.
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You’ll then be able to click the Share button to receive a temporary access code. Simply install the Chrome Remote Desktop extension in Chrome on another Mac, Windows, Linux, or Chrome OS computer and you’ll be able to connect to your Mac from the extension. You can also download the mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
You can also choose to set up the extension so you can connect remotely with a more permanent password. This is ideal for accessing your Mac over the Internet.
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As with TeamViewer, this is an extremely convenient way to access your Mac that doesn’t require the usual port forwarding and other configuration process.
Apple Remote Desktop is more of an enterprise application for managing multiple desktops, although this can be a bit confusing if you’re new to Macs and are looking for an equivalent to Windows Remote Desktop. You shouldn’t need to buy Apple Remote Desktop unless you want to centrally administer a network of Macs — Screen Sharing and the other free tools here should do everything you need.
A technical guy would say that it is very easy to remote access from Mac to PC. This is because Apple has spent a lot of time ensuring anyone can log in to their Macs. Besides, there are a variety of third-party applications that's very helpful for users.
Still, remotely managing their PC 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. A remote desktop connection is a great help if you want to remote access from Mac to PC.
The stalwart tool has been a remote connection for all Mac users who want to access Microsoft systems. It allows users to remotely connect to a Windows desktop to access local files, applications, and network resources. This is a great tool if you want to remote access from Mac to PC.
In order to get started with Microsoft Remote Desktop, you must begin by downloading it from the Mac App Store. If you are in the Mac App Store and successfully accessed it, use the search bar to look for the Microsoft Remote Desktop. You will find the free application at the first search result.
With the help of this application, you can remote access from Mac to PC from almost anywhere. With the help of RemoteFX in a Remote Desktop client designed to help you get your work done wherever you are.
A step by step guide to remote access from Mac to PC
- Open the Launchpad icon and click on the Remote Desktop app icon or try to look for Microsoft Remote Desktop.
- Enable remote access from Mac to PC. The administrator password is needed to complete this step. Select "Allow remote connections to this computer" in the System Properties.
- Select the users who will be able to access through remote desktop connection.
- Turn off the hibernation and sleep settings for the target PC. This might interrupt your work when you remote access from Mac to PC
- Get the full PC name, as you will need it to set up the connection if you want to remote access from Mac to PC.
- Head back to your Mac and click the "New" button at the top left of the Microsoft Remote Desktop screen. Fill the required fields. Credentials is where you will type the domain, username, and password for the target PC so you can log in through remote connection.
- You may enable "Forward printing devices" to make your local printers available during your remote access from Mac to PC session.
- Choose the local folder you wanted to be available during your remote session in the "Redirection" tab.
- When finish configuring the remote desktop, click the red close button to start your new remote desktop session.
A secure way to remote access from Mac to PC
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. And when you remote access from Mac to PC, 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 are exposed to numerous number of risks.
A secure application like Comodo ONE is a tool well worth using to stop unwanted eyes from lurking around during the time you remote access from Mac to PC. It is good most especially if you are sharing sensitive files, financial records, or customer data. It is a great management platform with free Remote Monitoring and Management, Patch Management, and Service desk platform. Download you free installation pack today.
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The following page[s] contain instructions on using Remote Desktop to connect to Faculty & Staff Windows computers on the UMKC campus [from off-campus]. Your campus computer must be powered on to receive connections.
Don't know your computer name or don't know if your account has the correct permissions? Find out here. If you need assistance, please contact the IS Technology Support Center or your IT Liaison.
Support Matrix
Please note: Before you attempt to connect to UMKC resources remotely, please make sure your operating system [Apple OS X] has all applicable security updates installed.To connect to your campus Windows PC from a Mac you will need to use the Microsoft Remote Desktop application for Mac version 10.3.8 [or higher]. If you are using a university-owned Mac, you may already have this app installed. Please contact the Technology Support Center or your IT Liaison if you have questions about using this software on a university-owned Mac.
| Supported | Default Icon | Client Name |
| Microsoft RDP v10 Link to Download | ||
| Microsoft RDP v8 | ||
| Apple RDC |
Mac OS X Remote Desktop Connection Instructions
If you have not recently connected to this computer there will be a delay as your profile is created. This is normal.
- Open the Microsoft Remote Desktop application
- Click the "+" icon
- Select PC
- For PC Name, enter the name of the remote computer to connect to. Or check How to find my computer name
- For User Account, click the dropdown to change the setting
- Click Add User Account
- For User Name, type in Domain\Username
- For Password, type your UMKC Username Password. Note: you will need to update your Remote Desktop settings every time you change your UMKC Username password.
- Click Save
- For Friendly Name, enter the PC name
- Click on no gateway to change the setting
- Select Add Gateway from the dropdown
- For Server Name, enter tsg.umkc.edu
- For User Account, click Use PC User account
- Select your UMKC username from the list
- Click Add
- Click Add again
- To initiate the connection, double click on your PC Name tile
- Click Show Certificate
- Click Always Trust to prevent seeing this warning again for the PC specified
- Click Continue
You are now connected!