Screen sharing from across the globe

Tech Support
1

I often do remote tech support for an elderly relative (not tech-savvy at all) who lives on the other side of the world.

Until recently I was able to use the Screen Sharing app from my M1 Mac Mini to see and control the screen of her 2011 MacBook Pro. Recently she replaced the elderly MacBook with a 2024 M3 MacBook Air. She got someone local to help her migrate her accounts and data over to the new machine. So for everything seems to be working as expected, except I can’t connect to her new MacBook with Screen Sharing.

She is logged in to her Apple ID. Her Screen Sharing preference settings seem to have transferred over – “Screen Sharing” is on and “Anyone may request permission to control screen” is on. When I try to use the Screen Sharing app to connect to her Apple ID the request times out on my end and she does not see any notification on her end.

After trying a bunch of different options I was able to connect by using TeamViewer. Her local tech-helper-guy set it up on her MacBook and it seems to be working fine, but I would rather use the built-in solution if possible.

Anybody have any idea what the issue is and how it can be resolved? Alternatively, is there any reason to prefer TeamViewer (or any other app) over the built-in solution?

2

Interesting…

Apple does not advertise Screen sharing between different networks:

Screen sharing allows users of other computers on your network to remotely connect to your Mac to view your desktop and control your Mac. When screen sharing is turned on, your Mac desktop can be viewed from another computer on your network.

Screen sharing basically is a VNC connection - and it happens between two IP addresses. In order to have VNC access to a remote computer, you would need to connect to its public IP address, stuff has to be routed to the computer. This can be done with port forwarding, DDNS and what not (I would not recommend that). But it can (could?) be done like you have in the past - using the Apple ID. Apple apparently is providing the connection this way using their backend server stuff.

There are many variables working here. First thing would be to make sure that your relative has everything configured correctly (see the document above “Turn Mac screen sharing …”). Remote Management has to be turned off. Maybe, it can help to turn the settings off and on again, if everything already is set up correctly…

I wonder if there are issues now because of the new Mac being a second Mac to Apple under the same Apple ID. Maybe, the old one somehow is getting in the way. It may be an idea to check if the old Macbook still is part of the devices under the Apple ID of your relative. If so and if the Macbook really is gone, deleting it there may be an option. There may be issues because the request for screen sharing may end up somewhere where it should not (old Mac).

Well… you are experiencing one of the reasons right now… It can be tricky - and I wonder if using it across networks is officially supported by Apple these days.

There is a different Apple option to try out that does sound quite easy to use (I have never tried that):

Other services like TeamViewer, Screens, Jump Desktop and many more establish the connection between two computers across the internet using own gateways. For tech support, TeamViewer really is easy to use (and free for personal use). The option using Messages also may be quite nice (I have never tried that) and could be a viable built-in alternative. Then again: if screen sharing worked in the past, it should work now, too.

Maybe, others can chime in with more knowledge about screen sharing across networks.

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Jump Desktop works anywhere in the world. The only problem is getting Jump Desktop Connect installed on the remote computer. Once that gets done, then it works really well. Your overseas relative may need to have remote help to get that installed.

You can type the username and password in to gain unlimited access at any time; what I do for my clients is - I never ask for the username and password and “ask to connect”.

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If you can use ssh to connect to their machine you can screen share over that.

5

How about doing it through Facetime?

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Be aware that Team Viewer has a nasty habit of randomly determining your use to be for “business” and cutting you off.

Any other tool (free or paid) is better.

Screen sharing across the open Internet requires dynamic DNS and traversing firewalls and NAT (network address translation).

Best to use a tool or helper designed to make that work reliably. Apple’s built-in messaging screen sharing can do that along with some of the other tools.

Another option is to setup Tailscale software defined network and then you can directly access the other Mac with VNC or any other tools.

Tailscale is just an app to be installed and a login. Someone could do it for them or you might be able to talk them through it.

(Tailscale can also be installed on an AppleTV as a gateway, but that assumes they also have an AppleTV.)

Best is a simple single solution, such as using JumpDesktop with JumpDesktop Connect app installed on their end.

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I actually did get a connection working by staring in FaceTime, but it was incredibly laggy – to the point of being borderline unusable.

In the past (on the old MacBook), the lag using the screen sharing app alone without starting the connection in FaceTime was a little laggy, but not terrible.

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Another vote for Jump. Works great for me to connect to my mother’s PC 3,000 miles away. Of course, latency will be different from what you see locally.

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I use Anydesk commercially but increasingly are going trough Messages.
In the conversation with the other party select the " i " > Share > Ask to share screen.
The connection is usually very fast and with hand free audio via FaceTime.

Mac Expert- 2024-10-07 at 16.22.50
Mac Expert- 2024-10-07 at 16.22.50646×606 85.9 KB

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