How to Set up VNC on a Mac and Fix Common Issues

PDF download Download Article
Remote access your Mac with this beginner-friendly VNC guide
PDF download Download Article

Connecting to a Mac with VNC lets you log in remotely and control the desktop. To use VNC, you'll need to enable it on the Mac that's accepting connections (the host), which is easy with macOS's built-in Screen Sharing and Remote Management tools. This wikiHow guide teaches you how to set up VNC on a Mac and log in remotely using a VNC viewer on any device.

Quick Steps

  1. Open System Settings and select Sharing .
  2. Select Screen Sharing and check the box.
  3. Click the Info icon (the "i" in a circle).
  4. Select VNC viewers may control screen with password .
  5. Select All users from the "Allow access for" menu.
  6. Click Done .
  7. Use a VNC viewer on another device to connect to this Mac.
Section 1 of 3:

Enabling VNC

PDF download Download Article
  1. macOS has a built-in VNC server that allows people to access a Mac's desktop using a VNC client. To get started, click the Apple menu and select System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions). [1]
    • Perform these steps on the Mac you want to connect to .
  2. If prompted, enter the username and password you use to access your Mac.
    Advertisement
  3. To do this, select Screen Sharing in the left panel, then check the box beside it.
    • If the VNC connections you're accepting are coming from users with the Apple Remote Desktop app, you'll need to select and enable Remote Management instead. Not that most other VNC viewers will not work if Remote Management is enabled, and you cannot enable Screen Sharing and Remote Management at the same time. [2]
    • Check the box next to VNC viewers may control screen with password , then create a unique password others can use to connect to this Mac. For the Screen Sharing option, which is used by most VNC viewers, this is the only option others can use to connect to this Mac.
    • If you want to allow those who connect with a VNC viewer to also control your Mac's screen, check the box next to "Anyone may request permission to control screen" as well.
    • If you're using Screen Sharing so non-Mac devices can connect with VNC, select All users from the "Allow access for" menu—this allows people to connect via VNC using the password you set.
    • If you're using Remote Management, you can choose Only these users to select specific user accounts that can connect. This option is best if those connecting are using Apple Remote Desktop and have user accounts on this Mac.
  6. VNC is now enabled for this Mac.
    • To see the VNC connection address for this Mac, click the small "I" in a circle next to Screen Sharing. It should look like vnc://example.address. [3]
    7. Advertisement
Section 2 of 3:

Connecting with VNC

PDF download Download Article
  1. If you don't have a VNC viewer, you have many to choose from.
    • On Windows or Linux, try TightVNC Viewer, a free, open-source VNC viewer that makes it easy to connect to a Mac with VNC. [4]
    • You can also try RealVNC , a VNC Viewer that works on Windows, Mac, Linux, Raspberry Pi , iOS, and Android. The Lite version is free for personal use. [5]
    • Remote Ripple is another free VNC viewer that works on Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone, and iPad. [6]
  2. Type vnc:// , followed by the IP address of the computer to which you want to make a connection. If you're on the same network as the Mac you're connecting to, you can replace the IP address with the Mac's hostname (Example: vnc://mymac).
  3. Or, depending on the viewer, you may need to click Connect before entering a username and/or password. Once you're authenticated, you'll see the Mac's desktop.
    4. Advertisement
Section 3 of 3:

Troubleshooting

PDF download Download Article
  1. TCP port 5900 must be open for a Mac to accept VNC connections. [7] If it's not open, nobody will be able to connect with their VNC viewer.
  2. In most cases, unless the client computer is using Apple Remote Desktop to connect to the host Mac, Screen Sharing should be enabled, and Remote Management should be disabled. The two cannot be enabled at the same time.
    • On the VNC server, go to Apple menu > System Settings > Sharing , remove the checkmark next to "Remote Management" if present, and then check the box next to "Screen Sharing."
    • If you set up your connection preferences for Remote Management (allowed users, passwords, etc.), you'll need to set them up again for Screen Sharing.
    • In some cases, your VNC viewer may actually require Remote Management instead of Screen Sharing. In this case, do the opposite—turn off Screen Sharing, then enable Remote Management. [8]
  3. If the Mac you're trying to log into is asleep, it cannot accept VNC connections. You can adjust your Mac's sleep settings in System Settings > Battery (MacBooks) or System Settings > Energy Saver (Mac desktops). [9]
  4. If a user cannot connect to the Mac with their username and password, create a VNC password and use that password to connect instead.
    5. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      • Remote Management offers plenty of customization options for managing multiple Macs.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      • To keep your VNC-enabled Mac secure, only accept local connections and establish an ssh tunnel from the client machine. This way, all VNC packets between the client and server will be encrypted.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Reset a Lost Admin Password on Mac OS X
      How to
      Install macOS on a Windows PC
      How to
      Show Hidden Files and Folders on a Mac: 4 Simple Methods
      How to
      Take a Screenshot on a Mac: Complete Guide
      The Easiest Ways to Download YouTube Videos on macOS
      How to
      Safely Clear Cached Files on Your Mac
      How to
      Open RAR Files on Mac OS X: Free Apps, Online Tools, & More
      3 Easy Ways to Allow Mac Apps from Unknown Developers
      Easy Ways to Resize an Image on a Mac (Without Buying Software)
      3 Ways to Add & Remove Apps from a Mac's Dock
      How to
      Quit an Unresponsive App on a Mac: Step-by-Step Guide
      How to
      Connect Airport Time Capsule to Mac
      How to
      Insert a Signature in Pages on Mac
      How to
      Create a Backup for a Mac Without Time Machine
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/remote-desktop/virtual-network-computing-access-and-control-apde0dd523e/mac
      2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/turn-screen-sharing-on-or-off-mh11848/mac
      3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/find-your-computers-name-and-network-address-mchlp1177/14.0/mac/14.0
      4. ↑ https://www.tightvnc.com/faq.php#macosx
      5. ↑ https://www.realvnc.com/en/connect/plan/lite/
      6. ↑ https://remoteripple.com/
      7. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/change-screen-sharing-connection-settings-mac-mchl67d5398b/mac
      8. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/remote-desktop/set-up-a-computer-running-vnc-software-apdbed09830/mac
      9. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/set-sleep-and-wake-settings-mchle41a6ccd/14.0/mac/14.0

      About This Article

      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,245,391 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Anonymous

        Mar 4, 2017

        "Clarified my own ideas about which method to use (client)."
      More reader stories Hide reader stories
      Share your story

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement