Being able to share your screen with other people over the internet can be a really useful tool. You can conduct a presentation, demonstrate how to do something, or join in with a game like a live 'pub' quiz. It's also really useful when you need remote support to help you with a problem you are having. Most people reach for a third party piece of software to achieve this without realising that support for this feature is built right into their Mac. Watch our video on Screen Sharing on the Mac to find out how.
Remote Sharing Security Best Practice
When remote sharing your screen it is even more important that you trust the person you are giving access to your machine. They will be able to do everything that you are able to do, such as launch applications, open websites, install software and copy files to and from your machine. NEVER give your password to someone who is helping you with remote support. If the person offering you remote support does ask you to use your password, always check what they need it for first, and only when you are happy with there response type it yourself. They will also be able to see your display exactly as you see it, so make sure that any sensitive information is not visible.
The Steps
Both the person sharing the screen and the person viewing the machine need to be running messages on the Mac.
- Open messages and navigate to the conversation you have with the recipient or start a new one if it doesn't yet exist.
- With the conversation selected click on details next to the contacts name in the conversation header.
- Choose from either Invite to Share My Screen to broadcast your display to the recipient or Ask to Share Screen to request access for a remote control session.
- The recipient has the option to accept or deny the request. When they have done so Messages will make the secure connection and also start a Facetime voice call so that you may have a conversation at the same time.
- When your session is complete, close the Screen Sharing window or use the menu bar icon to close the connection.
Mac to PC Remote Screen Sharing
This method works well when the two machines in question are Macs but there are times when you would need to share with a different platform. In those cases a third party piece of software is required. One example is Teamviewer and works well on many different platforms. It also has a free option which makes it ideal for non-commercial use.