Important! Make sure that the initial setup of your computer has been completed before your read on.
On a local network, Screens will automatically detect any Mac computer that has Screen Sharing enabled and most Linux PCs as well.
To make your Windows PC detectable, please download and install Screens Connect for Windows.
To create a new screen from a detected computer:
Screens will take care of filling out the required fields for you:
If for some reason your computer is not detectable locally or simply need to enter the connection information manually, follow these instructions:
If you're creating a Screen from a detected computer, this section will already be filled out for you.
If you're creating a Screen manually, enter an IP address (ex: 10.0.1.17) a URL (ex: mycomputer.dyndns.org) or a hostname (ex: Johns-MacBook-Pro.local.) and the port your VNC server is configured to use. By default, it is set to 5900.
Make sure the correct Operating System is selected to reflect the computer you'll be connecting to.
Select the desired authentication method. While Screens does support authentication with VNC passwords, it is recommended to use the Macintosh User method.
Use the same username and password you use when you log on your Mac with Screens:
If you'll be connecting to a Windows or Linux PC, then select VNC Password if you've configured your VNC server to use a password or None if no password is required.
Enter a password, if required. You can keep this field blank and let Screens prompt you for your password every time you connect to the computer.
While recommended, it is not necessary to use a secure (SSH) connection with Screens to connect to your computer.
If you're connecting to a Mac and have already enabled the Remote Login service, then enabling this setting will make Screens create a secure connection between your device and your computer and use that connection to then connect to the Screen Sharing service.
Tap on Advanced > to configure these settings. Normally, it is not required to change these settings and it's normally best not to, unless you are an advanced user.
If you've installed freeSSHd on your PC, then you'll need to tap on Advanced > and enter the login, password and port that are being used to initiate a SSH connection. For more information, please consult the Screens Connect for Windows User Guide.
It is possible to use a SSH key if you wish. To learn more about how to use SSH keys, please refer to the Secure Connection With SSH Keys article.
When you create a Screen, default settings are attributed to it but you can set these if you need to:
Color DepthChoose between Thousands or Millions of colors. Thousands will tend to be faster, especially on slower connections.
Start in Observe ModeThis setting will automatically disable the keyboard and will not send any mouse commands to the remote computer when you're connected.
Remember Selected DisplayIf there are multiple displays connected to your Mac, Screens lets you choose which one you'd like to use. Turning this setting ON will let Screens remember which display was active and automatically re-select that display the next time you connect. See the Display Selection section for more details.
Show Local CursorTurn this setting ON to see a cursor. TIP: If you're connect to a Windows PC and seem to get disconnected for no apparent reason, turning this option OFF may resolve the problem.
Screens can send an action (mouse movement, keyboard shortcut) to your computer before disconnecting.
Grab ScreenshotThis setting will let Screens take a snapshot of your remote display and use it in the saved connections list. You can also select a custom image to use instead of a screenshot.