How to Remote Access a Mac From Another Mac (Built-In Tools)

Yes, you can remote access a Mac from another Mac using tools already built into macOS: Screen Sharing, Remote Management, FaceTime screen sharing, and Remote Login over SSH. Open System Settings, click General, then click Sharing, and turn on Screen Sharing on the Mac you want to reach. From the other Mac, open the Screen Sharing app and connect using the target’s Apple ID or IP address, then approve the request on the receiving end. These built-in options work best when both Macs sit on the same Wi-Fi or Ethernet network. Experience reports say reaching a Mac on a different network takes a VPN or port forwarding.

Turn on Screen Sharing by opening System Settings, clicking General in the sidebar, clicking Sharing, then switching on the Screen Sharing toggle. The app comes preinstalled on every current Mac, so there is nothing to download or buy. Click the Info button next to the toggle to open the configuration sheet before connecting from the other machine.

Screen Sharing and Remote Management cannot run at the same time. Turning one on automatically switches the other off, so check which one is already active before flipping the toggle.

Choosing Who Can Connect

The Info sheet controls exactly who can reach the Mac once sharing is on. Three settings matter most.

Anyone may request permission to control screen: lets any connecting user ask for control, which the person sitting at the Mac must approve.
VNC viewers may control screen with password: opens the door to non-Apple VNC clients once a password is set for that access.
Allow access for: a dropdown that limits the feature to all users, or only specific users chosen from the account list, network users, or network groups.

Set the narrowest option that still does the job. A single trusted account under “Only these users” is safer than leaving the door open to anyone on the network.

Check Your macOS Version Before Following Settings Paths

Check your macOS version before following any Screen Sharing or Remote Management settings path. Apple presents these features across several releases, and the settings interface differs between the older System Preferences design and the newer System Settings design.

Confirm the version installed on the Mac you plan to control before using a route shown elsewhere on the page. For Tahoe 26, use the labels displayed on that Mac rather than assuming that labels from an earlier macOS interface match exactly.

macOS version	How to use settings paths
Tahoe 26	Verify the on-screen labels on your Mac before proceeding.
Sequoia 15, Sonoma 14, Ventura 13, Monterey 12	Check the installed version before matching a settings route.
Big Sur 11.0, Catalina 10.15	Use instructions that match the older System Preferences interface where shown.
Mojave 10.14	Use instructions that match the older System Preferences interface where shown.

Screen Sharing guidance covers macOS releases from Mojave 10.14 through Tahoe 26. Older instructions identify the route as System Preferences > Sharing, while newer instructions identify System Settings > General > Sharing; more recent versions may show an information icon beside the sharing setting.

How to Remote Access a Mac from Another Mac with Screen Sharing

Open the Screen Sharing app and enter the other Mac’s Apple ID or IP address to start the session. Spotlight search for “Screen Sharing” finds it fast, or it can be opened directly at /System/Library/CoreServices/Applications/Screen Sharing.app. The connecting Mac only needs the app; the receiving Mac needs Screen Sharing turned on in Sharing settings first.
Connecting with an Apple ID: Type the Apple ID into the Screen Sharing app’s connection field and press return. macOS routes the request to that account, and the person at the other Mac sees a prompt to accept or decline.
Connecting with an IP Address: Enter the address, such as 192.168.1.42, in the same Screen Sharing field instead of an Apple ID. Finding that address is easy from the target side: open System Settings, click Wi-Fi or Ethernet depending on the connection in use, and read the number shown next to the active network.
Approving the Connection Request: A notification appears asking whether to allow the incoming connection, and the user can grant full control or decline it.

Connecting with an Apple ID is the simpler route for most people, since the other user usually knows their Apple ID but not their IP address.

An IP address works well when both Macs are already on the same network and the number is known. This route also covers cases where the other Mac is not signed into iCloud, since it relies on the network rather than an Apple account.

Approving the connection request happens on the Mac being accessed, not the one starting the session. Screen Sharing also disconnects on its own after a long stretch of inactivity, so a session left idle does not stay open forever.

Screen Sharing and Remote Management serve different roles. The table below lines up all four built-in options side by side.

Feature	Screen Sharing	Remote Management	FaceTime	Remote Login (SSH)
Built into macOS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Works on the same local network	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Works across networks without a VPN or port forwarding	No	No	No	No
Needs approval from the other Mac	Yes	Yes	Yes	Password only
Shows the remote desktop visually	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Controls files and apps	Yes	Yes	Limited	Command line only
Works with VNC clients	Yes	Yes	No	No

Remote Management is the one to pick when managing several Macs and wanting VNC compatibility alongside Apple’s own tools. Screen Sharing suits a one-off connection to a family member’s or coworker’s machine. Neither reaches a Mac on another network by itself, which is the subject of the next section.

How to Remote Access a Mac from Outside Your Local Network

Reaching a Mac on a different network takes extra setup, because Screen Sharing, Remote Management, FaceTime’s sharing feature, and Remote Login are all built for local connections. A VPN into the network where the target Mac lives, or manual port forwarding configured on that network’s router, is required. Apple does not provide a built-in way to reach a Mac across the open internet on its own anymore.

That gap exists because Apple shut down Back to My Mac on July 1, 2019, across every version of macOS. The service had let Macs signed into the same iCloud account find each other across separate networks through Apple’s servers, without any router configuration. Its removal means anyone who wants that convenience today has to set up a VPN or a third-party service instead.

Open a FaceTime call with the other Mac’s user, then turn on screen sharing from within that call; the feature works on macOS Monterey and later, version 12.0 onward. It shares your screen or lets you view theirs through a simpler interface than the Screen Sharing app, but it leaves out the administrator-level controls that Screen Sharing and Remote Management offer. That trade-off makes it a good fit for a quick help session with a friend or relative rather than IT-style remote management.

Turn on Remote Login in System Settings under General, then Sharing, to open command-line access to a Mac over SSH. Once it is on, a connection from Terminal on another Mac can run commands or transfer files without ever showing the remote desktop. It suits scripted tasks and file transfers more than everyday screen control, since there is no visual display to work with.

What You Can Do After Connecting

Once a session is active, a connected user can open, move, and close files and windows, open apps, and even restart the other Mac, depending on which tool was used and how much control the owner allowed. Screen Sharing and Remote Management both hand over full desktop control when the receiving Mac grants it, which covers administrative tasks as well as everyday use. FaceTime’s sharing feature and Remote Login are narrower: one is mostly view-and-point, and the other is limited to whatever a command line allows.

Everyday tasks fit comfortably within these limits. Dragging a file between folders, opening a spreadsheet to check a number, launching a program that only lives on the other Mac, or rebooting a machine that has frozen are all routine once a connection is approved. Heavier jobs, such as installing new software across a lab full of Macs, are where the paid Remote Desktop tool below starts to earn its keep instead of the free options.

Is Apple Remote Desktop Worth the Cost

Apple Remote Desktop costs $79.99 from the App Store, as of September 2026, and it earns that price mainly for IT staff managing many Macs rather than someone helping a single relative. It builds on the same Screen Sharing technology but adds features for software deployment, reporting, and bulk administration across a fleet of machines. Like the free built-in tools, it still works primarily within the same network and needs a VPN to reach Macs elsewhere.

Start by confirming both Macs are on the same network and that Screen Sharing is switched on in Sharing settings on the Mac being reached. Most failed connections trace back to one of three causes: the toggle being off, a network mismatch, or the wrong credentials.

Connection Refused or Times Out

A refused or timed-out connection usually means Screen Sharing is off on the target Mac, or the two Macs are not actually on the same network. Confirm the setting under System Settings, General, Sharing, and check that both machines show the same Wi-Fi network name. A guest network or a separate VLAN blocks the connection even when both Macs sit in the same building.

Password or Apple ID Errors

Login failures point to a mismatch between what was entered and what the other Mac expects. Apple ID connections need the receiving Mac signed into iCloud with that exact account, while VNC connections need the password set in the Sharing Info sheet, not the Mac’s login password. Resetting that VNC password on the receiving Mac and trying again clears most of these errors.

Screen Sharing Toggle Is Grayed Out

A grayed-out toggle usually means Remote Management is already turned on, since the two features cannot run together. Switching off Remote Management first, then turning on Screen Sharing, should make the option available again. An account without administrator rights on that Mac can also lose the ability to change the setting, so switching to an admin account is worth trying next.

This guide does not set out detailed firewall or router rules for internet access.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Remote Access a Mac from a Windows PC?

Not with Apple’s own built-in tools, since macOS does not offer a native Windows-compatible remote desktop client. A third-party VNC viewer on the Windows side can still connect to a Mac’s Screen Sharing service once VNC access is enabled in the Sharing Info sheet and a password is set.

Does Screen Sharing Work over the Internet Without a VPN?

No, not on its own. Screen Sharing, Remote Management, FaceTime sharing, and Remote Login are all built for the same local network, so reaching a Mac elsewhere needs either a VPN connection into that network or manual port forwarding on its router.

What Happened to Back to My Mac?

Apple discontinued Back to My Mac on July 1, 2019, for every version of macOS. The feature had let Macs signed into the same iCloud account connect across different networks without any router setup, and nothing built into current macOS replaced that exact convenience.

Is Screen Sharing Secure?

Screen Sharing supports two authentication types: native Apple authentication tied to a real user account, and legacy VNC authentication based on a single shared password. The Apple account method is the stronger choice, since a shared VNC password is not tied to any specific user and offers less accountability.

What Is the Difference Between Screen Sharing and Apple Remote Desktop?

Cost is the main difference: Screen Sharing is free and built into every Mac, while Apple Remote Desktop is a separate $79.99 purchase built for IT professionals managing many machines at once, as of September 2026. Remote Desktop uses the same underlying technology as Screen Sharing but adds software deployment, reporting, and bulk management features that a single one-to-one connection does not need. Buying it only makes sense once the job involves several Macs at a time rather than one occasional connection.

Save the VPN setup or the Apple Remote Desktop purchase for the day a connection actually needs to cross networks or manage a whole fleet of machines.

References

Enable Screen Sharing on Mac, Apple Support
How to Remotely Take Over Another Mac or Share Your Screen Using Built-In Apple Software, The Next Web
How to Remotely Access and Control Your Mac, Macworld
How to Screen Share on Mac From Another Mac, Blog Scalefusion
How to Remotely Access a Mac in 2026, MacHow2
How to Screen Share on a Mac in 2026, MacHow2

Sources read in September 2026.