How to Access Your Mac’s Screen from Windows (and Vice-Versa)

Sharing your screen remotely is a seamless way to access another computer as if you were physically present. With minimal setup and free software, you can effortlessly share your Mac’s screen on a Windows machine, and vice versa.

Connecting to Your Other Computers Using RustDesk

RustDesk is an easy, free, and open-source solution for initiating simple screen sharing between Mac and Windows machines. While there are other remote desktop solutions you can try out, I found that RustDesk’s free tier works great for remote tasks and administration. Best of all, it requires practically no configuration, so you can start using it in a matter of minutes.

To begin, you’ll want to install the RustDesk software on each of your client machines. From there, it’s a fairly straight path to screen sharing. One of the great things about RustDesk is that the software is pretty much identical for both platforms, so once you know how to use it on one system, you don’t have to learn how to use it on the other.

When you connect from one machine, you’ll need the remote machine’s ID and the one-time password. Simply enter the ID in the “Enter Remote ID” field and select “Connect” then enter the one-time password.

Alternatively, if you are sitting at the remote machine, you can also select “Accept” when prompted.

Once connected, you can use the remote machine as needed. Along the top of the RustDesk control window there are some dropdown options. You can enter full-screen mode and pin the toolbar so it doesn’t automatically hide itself.

If needed, you can initiate certain actions on the remote machine, such as Ctrl+Alt+Delete and, beyond that, select certain display preferences, initiate a chat, and record your session. Once your remote session is complete, select the red “X” to disconnect it.

The remote user also has significant control over permissions, ensuring both functionality and security. For example, you can prevent someone’s ability to use mouse or keyboard input on your machine. This is useful if all you want to do is show the other person what you’re talking about.

You can also restrict clipboard sharing, copy and paste, audio streaming, and disable screen recording. Finally, you can prevent someone from remotely restarting your machine, and if you need to sever the connection, just select “Disconnect”.

Settings You Might Want to Know About

RustDesk has various settings for changing things, like the theme, language, security, display, and account. Feel free to dig through these at your convenience. For now, I want to bring your attention to a couple that I found immediately useful.

Assigning Permanent Passwords

RustDesk typically uses a one-time password for connections, which changes with each session. This is ideal for occasional use, such as assisting a friend or family member. However, for frequent access to devices on your private network, you may want to set a permanent password.

Open Rust-Desk’s settings and select Security (you might need to authenticate). Under Passwords, select “Set Permanent Password” to assign a permanent password to that computer. Repeat this process for every device running RustDesk if you want to connect to them more easily.

Setting Your Default View Style

One other option that I feel is important is “Default View Style” under Display settings. I like to select “Adaptive” to constrain the remote computer to a resizable window. I find this is much easier to use, such as when connecting from a lower-resolution display like 1080p to a higher resolution like 4K.

Connecting to Computers with Multiple Displays

If the remote computer has multiple displays, RustDesk lets you choose which display to view or show all of them as separate windows. This feature ensures a cleaner and more focused experience.

As you can see, RustDesk is a versatile and user-friendly solution for remote screen sharing, offering robust features without the cost of Windows Professional or the complexity of setting up VNC. Whether you’re assisting someone or accessing your own devices, it provides a seamless experience with flexible settings to suit your needs.

Tools like RustDesk unlock simple, secure, and cost-effective remote access across devices, making collaboration and troubleshooting easier than ever. Whether you’re managing your own machines or lending a helping hand to someone else, you’ve gained the skills to stay productive and connected, no matter where you are.