Managing your own computer from afar or troubleshooting a family member's PC without being in front of it is much easier when you have a good remote desktop utility to rely on. This week we're going to look at five of the best remote desktop and management tools, based on your nominations.
Microsoft RDP for Mac is now called Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac (confusingly also known as RDC for Mac or Remote Desktop for Mac). Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac is a Microsoft tool which allows you to connect your Mac to PC Windows machines and other devices. What's a good Windows RDP client for Mac? Use RDC (Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac 2). In my experienced opinion, CoRD and Jump Desktop are the best RDP clients for Mac. CoRD is more for those that know what they're doing - it's simple, stable, fast and reliable. Jump Desktop however is for those that are new to Remote Desktop.
We've talked about remotely controlling your PC from anywhere and troubleshooting other people's PCs, now it's time to have your say. It's been a while since we looked at remote desktop tools, and now that one of our favorites, LogMeIn, is killing its free service, we thought it was time to take a fresh look at the field and see what's turned up.
Advertisement
![Best Remote Desktop Connection For Mac Best Remote Desktop Connection For Mac](https://webdevolutions.blob.core.windows.net/images/rdm/windows/screens/en/main-screen.png)
Comparing among the Best Remote Desktop connection software, Best Lite App and the size of Software is below 10 MB. This can also share you infinite Data sharing from one computer to another computer and as well you can access their Personal Computer. Best VPN Services Windows 10 Remote access How to use the Remote Desktop app to connect to a PC on Windows 10. And the steps to use the Remote Desktop app to start a remote session.
Use Your Computer From Anywhere: A Guide to Remote Controlling Your PC
Your home computer is the perfect machine. It's customized to your exact needs, runs all your…
Read more ReadWhile LogMeIn is a fine product, the fact is there are other utilities out there that offer the same—or better—features to users for free, and you came through with tons of options. Here are the five you recommended the most, in no particular order:
Advertisement
What's The Best Remote Desktop Tool?
When you need to access your computer when you're away from home, or troubleshoot someone…
Read more ReadThe polls are closed and the votes are counted! To see which of these great remote desktop tools earned the top spot as the Lifehacker community favorite, head over to our Hive Five followup post to check out the details!
How To Remote Desktop Mac
Advertisement
Most Popular Remote Desktop Tool: Teamviewer
Whether you're bummed about LogMeIn's recent changes or you just want a better way to…
Read more ReadTeamviewer
Teamviewer supports Windows, OS X, Linux, Android, and iOS, and is free for personal use. It's probably the most obvious alternative to LogMeIn, and the most popular contender from the nominations thread. Not only does Teamviewer offer remote support and remote management—as in you don't necessarily have to have the remote side set up before you need to connect—it also sports useful features like wake-on-LAN to wake up a sleeping computer and put it back to sleep when you're finished, file transfer capabilities, clipboard passthrough, support for connecting from mobile devices like phones or tablets, and more. Teamviewer even supports online meetings and collaboration, so multiple people can connect to one host or share a session if they need to.
Advertisement
The beauty of Teamviewer is that all of the features I mentioned are free, setup is incredibly easy, and the app actually has more features built-in to it than you'll probably ever really need. Those of you who nominated it praised its ability to manage multiple systems from one computer without having to remember them, the fact that Teamviewer works well without you having to make a ton of firewall modifications or do port forwarding, their support for two-step authentication, and more. Read more in the nomination thread here.
Advertisement
Splashtop
Splashtop supports Windows, OS X, Linux, Android, and iOS, and is free for personal use (up to five computers, and depending on how you use it). It's perhaps most notable as a tool that allows you to stream audio and video across computers with minimal latency, so if you love watching movies on your tablet that are stored on your desktop but don't want to deal with apps or compatibility issues, Splashtop is a great tool. It's not limited to that these days though—You can use the applications on your remote device like you were sitting right there, manage files without transferring them first in their own native applications, and more.
Advertisement
The only downside to Splashtop free is that it starts to get pricey when you really need remote access. $2/month will get you the ability to access your home computers off network, which is arguably the biggest draw of a remote access tool—so you can actually access your PC when you're away, or a friend or family member's PC without going to their house. It does require a little setup on the client side before you can connect too, but if your goal is to enjoy media remotely and do some light troubleshooting, it's worth a look. Check out its nomination thread here.
Advertisement
Chrome Remote Desktop
Chrome Remote Desktop supports Windows and OS X (and Linux, sort of), and is completely free for personal and commercial use. It's essentially just a Chrome app that you have to install in Chrome on any computer you want to connect to. You'll have to be logged in to Chrome on any computer you want to connect to as well, which is a bit of a bummer, but the great thing is that it runs in your browser, is super-easy to set up, and it's remarkably fast. It's not packed with additional features, but if all you need is to do some quick, cross-platform troubleshooting or access some files remotely, it's fast and free, and uses a web browser you probably already have installed. The video above from Tekzilla shows you how it works.
Advertisement
It's not perfect—Chrome Remote Desktop has no mobile apps or support at all (although the word is it's coming soon), has some trouble with multiple displays, and it's pretty featureless when it comes to things like wake-on-LAN, file transfer, streaming, and other support tools, but what you trade in heft you get back in simplicity and ease-of-use, which is exactly what those of you who nominated it praised it for. Check out the nominations thread here.
Advertisement
Microsoft Remote Desktop (RDC)/Apple Remote Desktop
Advertisement
Microsoft's RDC protocol and Apple's own Remote Desktop platform both use existing technologies within each respective operating system to give remote administrators the ability to connect from anywhere they need to, access their files, troubleshoot problems, or work with files and applications as though they were using the remote device. If you live in a Windows world, for example, enabling RDC on your home server and connecting directly to it over your LAN is much easier than downloading and setting up a third party tool. If you're connecting remotely across the internet, you can still do it, but you'll need to forward ports and lock things down for security's sake. Plus, there are mobile clients available. Apple's Remote Desktop on the other hand is a bit more complicated—instead of just remote access, you get complete remote management, including the ability to update software, install software, manage users, and fully support a remote computer. ARD is $80. RDC is free (it's not a fair comparison, feature-wise, and we're not trying to compare the two to each other.)
Microsoft Releases Remote Desktop for Android and iOS
Android/iOS: Alongside Windows 8.1, Microsoft released its Remote Desktop application today for…
Read more ReadAdvertisement
The biggest benefits to both though is that once you're set up, and with minimal effort on the client side, you don't need to do anything else, and you have tons of options and features that let you manage, access, and troubleshoot the remote PC. Since both platforms use protocols built in to their respective operating systems, cross-platform support is a matter of finding a tool that works on each OS that connects to the other, and that offers the features you want. Those of you who praised each mentioned as much, and noted their ease of setup. Check out the nomination thread for RDC here, and for ARD here.
Advertisement
VNC
Advertisement
VNC, or Virtual Network Computing, is less of a specific product and more of a platform. It uses existing protocols to send keyboard and mouse actions to a remote computer, and in turn it sends the screen from that remote system back to your viewer. Depending on the VNC client and server software you use, you get more features, like clipboard syncing, file sync and transfer, and more. That's the catch though—there's a VNC client and server that supports every operating system, mobile and desktop, and as long as you know what you're doing and set it up properly, you'll be able to connect to any system you control, anywhere you have internet access, completely for free. The 'Official' VNC software is RealVNC, which offers its client and server apps for Windows, OS X, Linux, Android, iOS, and even Chrome for free (but will happily add features and support if you're willing to pay for them).
The other nice thing about VNC is that because it's a simple protocol, you don't necessarily have to match client and server—you can use one server on your PC at home and a free client on your phone to connect to it. VNC isn't difficult to set up, but it can be tricky to set up correctly—as in, in a way where there's minimal latency when you're trying to work with your computer remotely (easier said than done, especially over the Internet), VNC can communicate securely through your firewall at home, and without worrying that your home IP address will suddenly change and prevent you from connecting. Again, not hard, but a knowledgeable hand should do it. RealVNC may be the official VNC software provider, but TightVNC has always been one of my favorites, and it's free. UltraVNC is another option. VNC definitely has the benefit that your data isn't passing through a third party, there are no proprietary tools or services to subscribe to, and you're in complete control. You do have to set it up in advance though, which may make it great for remote access, but not necessarily remote support. Check out the nominations thread here.
Macbook Remote Desktop Connection
Advertisement
![Best free remote desktop connection for mac Best free remote desktop connection for mac](https://machow2.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/rdp-for-mac-shortcuts-1024x922.png)
Now that you've seen the top five, it's time to vote for the Lifehacker community favorite:
Advertisement
The honorable mention this week goes out to Mikogo, a cross-platform remote management and online meeting platform that supports WIndows, OS X, Linux, Android, and iOS. On the desktop, using it is as simple as opening your browser, and you don't have to install heavy plug-ins to connect with it. It's richly featured and great for web conferences, remote support, and presentations. We mentioned Mikogo a while ago, and while they've come a long way and added a ton of new features (including VoIP chat), they're largely premium and enterprise-oriented (check out their pricing plans here.) They do offer free accounts for personal use though, so it's a great option if you only need to do remote support.
Advertisement
Mikogo Is a Two-Way Desktop Sharing Tool
Windows/Mac: Mikogo sports the basic features you'd expect from a decent desktop sharing tool: …
Read more ReadHave something tosay about one of the contenders? Want to make the case for your personal favorite, even if it wasn't included in the list? Remember, the top five are based on your most popular nominations from the call for contenders thread from earlier in the week. Don't just complain about the top five, let us know what your preferred alternative is—and make your case for it—in the discussions below.
Advertisement
What's The Best Desktop Video Player?
It's one thing to download movies and TV shows to watch on your desktop or laptop, it's…
Read more ReadThe Hive Five is based on reader nominations. As with most Hive Five posts, if your favorite was left out, it didn't get the nominations required in the call for contenders post to make the top five. We understand it's a bit of a popularity contest. Have a suggestion for the Hive Five? Send us an email at [email protected]!
Advertisement
Title photo by Greg Mote.
While your screen is being shared, the user of the other Mac sees what’s on your screen and can open, move, and close files and windows, open apps, and even restart your Mac.
Before you start, make sure the Mac whose screen you want to view has screen sharing turned on. See Turn Mac screen sharing on or off.
Start a screen sharing session with another Mac
If you’ve been given permission, you can view and control the screen of another Mac on your network.
- On the Mac you want to share, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Sharing, select Screen Sharing, then note the name and address of the Mac (it’s listed on the right).The name looks like “iMac (7)” or “Joe’s MacBook Pro.”The address looks like vnc://[IPAddress] or vnc://[Name.Domain].
- On your Mac, do one of the following:
- Connect using the name: Click the Finder icon in the Dock to open a Finder window. In the Locations section of the sidebar, click Network, double-click the Mac you want to share, then click Share Screen.If no items appear in the Locations section of the sidebar, hold the pointer over the word Locations, then click Show.
- Connect using the address: In the Finder, choose Go > Connect to Server, enter the address of the Mac you want to share, then click Connect.
- If prompted, enter your user name and password, then click Sign In.If both computers are logged in using the same Apple ID, the screen sharing session starts. If they’re not, you’re prompted to enter the user name and password of a user who is allowed screen sharing access on that computer, or you can request permission to share the screen if the computer allows it.
- If someone else is already connected to the Mac as a remote user, a dialog asks if you want to share the display with the other remote user (Share Display) or log in concurrently using a different user name and screen (Log In).If you choose Log In, you share the Mac with the other remote user, but you won’t share the same screen.
Set screen sharing preferences
When you’re sharing the screen of another Mac, you can set screen sharing preferences to adjust the size and quality of the shared screen.
- On your Mac, start a screen sharing session with another Mac on your network.
- Choose Screen Sharing > Preferences, then set the following options:
- Under Display, select “Scale to fit available space” or “Show full size,” depending on how large your screen is and how much of it you want to use for the shared screen. This option changes the default behavior for when you share the screens of computers you’ve never connected to before. To change the current scale, choose View > Turn Scaling Off or View > Turn Scaling On.
- Under Display, select a “Scroll the screen” option to determine how the screen sharing window behaves when you move the pointer. To decide which option you want, try each one by selecting it and then moving the pointer around in the window.
- Under Quality, select “Adapt quality to network conditions” to view the shared screen more quickly, or “Show the screen at full quality” for a more detailed view of the shared screen. This option changes the default behavior for when you share the screens of computers you’ve never connected to before. To change the current scale, choose View > Adaptive Quality or View > Full Quality.For the best results, and if your Mac is connected to a fast network, view the screen at full size and show the screen at full quality.
- Under Blocked Users, choose an option from the “Allow screen sharing requests from” pop-up menu to enable sharing your screen with either everyone who tries to connect to your computer using an Apple ID or just your contacts.To block users with specific Apple IDs from sharing your screen, click the Add button , enter the user’s Apple ID, then click Block. To unblock users, select them in the list and click the Remove button .
Set view options while sharing another computer’s screen
When you’re sharing the screen of another Mac, your viewing options depend on your network connection and the size of the screen you’re sharing.
- On your Mac, start a screen sharing session with another Mac on your network.
- From the View menu, set the following options:
- Show Tab Bar: Use this option to display or hide the tab bar.
- Turn Scaling On/Off: With scaling on, the entire screen of the shared Mac is displayed on your screen. With scaling off, the shared screen is displayed full size, and might require you to scroll to see everything on the shared screen.
- Switch to Observe Mode/Switch to Control Mode: In Observe mode, you can watch what’s happening on the shared screen, but you can’t control the pointer, move windows, open and close documents, or do other tasks. If you’re observing OS X 10.9 or later, you can click and hold to highlight the screen at your pointer. In Control Mode, you control the shared screen.
- Adaptive Quality: Use this option if your Mac is connected to a slower network. Adaptive quality adjusts depending on network speed.
- Full Quality: Use this option if your Mac is connected to a fast network and you want full resolution.
- Show/Hide Toolbar: Show or hide the toolbar that displays buttons for adjusting the scale, sharing the Clipboard, and other options.
- Customize Toolbar: Drag buttons into or out of the toolbar.
- Enter Full Screen: The screen sharing window expands to fill your screen. To see the toolbar and menus, move the pointer to the top of the screen.
- Displays: If the Mac whose screen you’re sharing has more than one display, you can choose which display you want to view.
Share the contents of the Clipboard with another Mac
When you’re sharing one computer’s screen with another computer, you can transfer information between the Clipboards of the two computers. For example, you can:
- Copy text and images from documents on one Mac and paste them into documents on the other.
- Select and drag text and images from one Mac to the other.
- Copy a link from your web browser and paste it into a web browser on the other Mac.
- Copy text from a document on one Mac and drop it on the desktop of the other Mac to create a clipping.
- On your Mac, start a screen sharing session with another Mac on your network.
- Choose Edit > Use Shared Clipboard.
You can also use Universal Clipboard to copy text, images, photos, and video on one Apple device and then paste the content on another Apple device.
Send files while sharing another computer’s screen
When you’re sharing one computer’s screen with another computer, you can transfer files between the two computers.
- On your Mac, start a screen sharing session with another Mac on your network.
- Select a file or folder, then drag and release the files over the screen sharing window.
Best Remote Desktop For Mac
See alsoIf you can’t share Mac computer screensShare your Mac screen, files, and services with other users on your network