How to Screen Share on Mac & Give Remote Control

Learn how to screen share on MacBooks and iMacs and all the screen sharing Mac tips to share your screen with others and give them remote control.

By Olena Kagui Tue, 02/01/2022

In this article, we will teach you how to screen share MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac screens with others via Messages and give them remote control over your Mac. This is a great way to offer or receive tech support, collaborate on projects, and more! Let’s dive into the best way to screen share on Macs!

How to Use iMessage on Mac for Screen Sharing & Remote Control

Since this article is about screen sharing via Messages, you’ll have to have Messages set up on your Mac and the Mac that you plan to share your screen with. For tips on how to activate Messages on Mac, read this. Once you connect Messages to Mac:

  1. Open Messages.

    Open Messages.
  2. Select the thread with the contact you wish to screen share with.

    Select the thread with the contact you wish to screen share with.
  3. Click the 'i' icon.

    Click the “i” icon.
  4. Select share.

    Select share.
  5. Click Invite to Share My Screen. If you wish to see their screen, click Ask to Share Screen.

    Click Invite to Share My Screen.
  6. You will see their phone number pop up under the screen mirroring icon in your Mac’s Control Center.

    You will see their phone number pop up under the screen mirroring icon in your Mac’s Control Center.
  7. The person you are sharing your screen with will see a notification that you want to show them your screen. They will need to click on Options.

    They will need to click on Options.
  8. Next, they need to click Accept.

    Next, they need to click Accept.
  9. They will see a popup while the connection is being established.

    They will see a popup while the connection is being established.
  10. Once the connection is established, they will be able to see your screen. They will see everything on your screen, including any incoming notifications. You may consider turning on Focus mode if you don’t want them to see your incoming messages, calls, and other notifications.

    Once the connection is established, they will be able to see your screen.
  11. If you want the other person to control your screen, for example, to show you a new setting or feature, they need to click on Control.

    Click on Control.
  12. You will receive a notification that they would like to control your screen. Click Accept.

    Click Accept.
  13. The other user can now control your Mac!

    The other user can now control your Mac!
  14. To end screen sharing, tap the screen mirroring icon in your Mac’s Control Center.

    To end screen sharing, tap the screen mirroring icon in your Mac’s Control Center.
     
  15. Click End Screen Sharing.

    Click End Screen Sharing.
     
  16. Once you get the notification that they have disconnected, you have confirmation that they no longer see your screen.

    Once you get the notification that they have disconnected, you have confirmation that they no longer see your screen.

If you don’t want to screen share via Messages, you can also do it via FaceTime or even Facebook Messenger. Read about how to share your screen on FaceTime here.

Related: How to Send Messages on Mac

Now you know how to screen share on Mac and give or request remote control. This can be super valuable when sharing tech tips, work collaboration, and just for fun! Don't forget to sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter to learn even more Mac tips.
Master your iPhone in one minute a day: Sign up here to get our FREE Tip of the Day delivered right to your inbox.

Topics

How-To
Mac
Messages
Screen Mirroring
Communication

Author Details

Olena Kagui's picture

Author Details

Olena Kagui

Olena Kagui is a Feature Writer at iPhone Life who lives in Hawaii. With a BA in International Relations from Anglo American University, Olena traveled the world. She has lived in Ukraine, the Czech Republic, China, and the USA. Olena won an excellence award for a controversial article, got a grant to blog from a war-zone, and published a short fictional story. She hopes to publish a full-length novel and continue writing up a storm on her blog The Travel Bug Bite! When she’s not typing or flying, she is loving on animals, crafting bizarre creations, and devouring all-you-can-eat sushi.