Download Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac 8 Updated

Thomas Ountruer – April 16, 2022

Download Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac 8

Apple tree 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 ane built into your Mac.

These solutions volition let you access your Mac's desktop remotely, whether y'all're using another figurer on the same local network, or you're halfway effectually the earth connecting to your Mac desktop from a tablet.

Screen Sharing

Your Mac contains a congenital-in Screen Sharing feature, which is essentially a VNC server with some actress features. This means that you can use standard VNC clients to control your Mac, and VNC clients are available for all platforms.

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 lot how you tin can connect. If yous take another Mac on the local network, yous tin open a Finder window, look in the Shared section of the sidebar, select the computer you desire 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. Conduct in mind that the IP address displayed above is likely an internal IP accost where your Mac can exist plant on your local network, which means you tin't admission it over the Net without forwarding ports.

Click the Computer Settings button to set up a password. If you don't set a password, you'll take to agree to a confirmation dialog on the Mac every time you desire to control it remotely.

If you have another Mac, you can set up Screen Sharing to work over the Internet without needing whatever other software. Open the System Preferences window, click the iCloud icon, check Utilise 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 nether the Shared section of the sidebar in Finder, and yous tin connect to its screen over the Internet.

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. Nosotros don't recommend this unless y'all know what you're doing, equally it's more than complicated and there are security concerns. If you want to connect over the Internet from some other device, nosotros recommend you use one of the below, easy-to-use alternatives to Screen Sharing.

TeamViewer

LogMeIn recently discontinued their gratuitous remote desktop access plan, but TeamViewer is yet around and offering this characteristic for free. TeamViewer is available for Mac, but every bit information technology'due south available for Windows, Linux, iPad, iPhone, Android, and even Windows Phone.

Download your preferred TeamViewer client from TeamViewer'south Mac download page. TeamViewer offers a total version, merely you can also download a TeamViewer Host awarding that runs equally a system service and is optimized for 24/7 access. You lot can apply TeamViewer in several unlike means — prepare it up to be always listening with a password, or merely fire information technology up on your Mac and employ the temporary login details when you want to use it.

TeamViewer is especially user-friendly because you won't have to forrad ports or worry about other detailed server configuration issues.

Chrome Remote Desktop

If you already use Chrome, you may want to give the Google-created Chrome Remote Desktop extension a endeavour. It works only like information technology does on Windows. Install the Chrome Remote Desktop extension in Chrome on your Mac, open up it from the new tab page, and get through its setup procedure.

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 Bone computer and you lot'll be able to connect to your Mac from the extension. You tin as well download the mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android.

Yous tin likewise cull to set up the extension and then you can connect remotely with a more permanent password. This is ideal for accessing your Mac over the Internet.

As with TeamViewer, this is an extremely user-friendly 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 flake disruptive if you're new to Macs and are looking for an equivalent to Windows Remote Desktop. You lot shouldn't need to buy Apple Remote Desktop unless yous want to centrally administer a network of Macs — Screen Sharing and the other gratuitous tools hither should do everything you need.