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has anyone used this app called Screens, i have a few questions about it

mrgreeneyes

mrgreeneyes

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 7, 2007
851
57
Gatineau,Canada
i cant seem to be able to connect to my mac when i am away from home. it seems to only work when i am home and connected to wifi.

is there a better colution to remotely connect to my mac? i have tried Anydesk, i dont like that fact that i can't save my connected device, i have to remember my ID, i have tried teamviewer, i dont like that i have to have the app running on my mac in the dock.
 
mrgreeneyes said:
i cant seem to be able to connect to my mac when i am away from home. it seems to only work when i am home and connected to wifi.

is there a better colution to remotely connect to my mac? i have tried Anydesk, i dont like that fact that i can't save my connected device, i have to remember my ID, i have tried teamviewer, i dont like that i have to have the app running on my mac in the dock.
Click to expand...
Yes I use Screens and love it. Tried TeamViewer, VNC, Jump and like it best.
It works fine away from my local network.
Don't know what to suggest, it will prob be a setting somewhere, so keep trying!
EDIT I assume you have the complementary Screens Connect installed?
 
Last edited:
Mike Boreham said:
Yes I use Screens and love it. Tried TeamViewer, VNC, Jump and like it best.
It works fine away from my local network.
Don't know what to suggest, it will prob be a setting somewhere, so keep trying!
EDIT I assume you have the complementary Screens Connect installed?
Click to expand...
how did you setup screens to work remotely?
did you have to create a connection and use your ip address?

i tried my external ip address and it wont connect.
 
mrgreeneyes said:
how did you setup screens to work remotely?
did you have to create a connection and use your ip address?

i tried my external ip address and it wont connect.
Click to expand...
The Screens Connect client needs to be running on your Mac at home, and signed into your Screens account. This will then handle the access for you, and you won’t need to know your home IP address.

Screens Connect - Make your Mac and Windows PC Reachable from Anywhere - Edovia

Support for software made by Edovia, Inc.
edovia.com
 
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chrfr said:
The Screens Connect client needs to be running on your Mac at home, and signed into your Screens account. This will then handle the access for you, and you won’t need to know your home IP address.

Screens Connect - Make your Mac and Windows PC Reachable from Anywhere - Edovia

Support for software made by Edovia, Inc.
edovia.com
Click to expand...
I have the screens connect app running in my Mac, when I am on my home network I can connect to my Mac and see it and control it, but I can’t when I am away from home.
 
mrgreeneyes said:
I have the screens connect app running in my Mac, when I am on my home network I can connect to my Mac and see it and control it, but I can’t when I am away from home.
Click to expand...
Are you signed into the same Screens account on both your home and remote computer? The Screens Connect app has some diagnostic features to show if it’s working as it should.
 
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chrfr said:
Are you signed into the same Screens account on both your home and remote computer? The Screens Connect app has some diagnostic features to show if it’s working as it should.
Click to expand...
yes i am signed into the screens connect app on my mac and iphone.
 
Your internet router needs to support inbound mapping of ports for screens to work. Most routers can do this automatically but some require manually setting inbound mapping of ports. Every router is different so you will have look at the manual.

I have started using a 5G access point from T-Mobile recently and it doesn’t support any inbound mapping. Not automatically nor manually. To solve this I started using Tailscale. It works great for me and I have access to my local network again when I’m away from home.
 
Apple_Robert said:
More than likely, your router is blocking access. I have the same problem with the AT&T Uverse router. I use JumpDesktop asI find it faster, more fluid, and never gives me trouble connecting.
Click to expand...

I tried JumpDesktop and liked it except for this problem...which doesn't seem to be a common complaint so maybe won't apply to the OP.
 
jdb8167 said:
Your internet router needs to support inbound mapping of ports for screens to work. Most routers can do this automatically but some require manually setting inbound mapping of ports. Every router is different so you will have look at the manual.

I have started using a 5G access point from T-Mobile recently and it doesn’t support any inbound mapping. Not automatically nor manually. To solve this I started using Tailscale. It works great for me and I have access to my local network again when I’m away from home.
Click to expand...
Is tailscale basically a VPN?
 
Just as an update to this thread, though I expect the OP has moved on by now. I recently changed my router to a Linksys AX4200, and I can't get Screens to work outside my local network, same as the OP. UpNp is enabled in the Linksys but Screens Connect keeps reporting "Port mapping failed".

I know in theory I could use the manual port method, but it seems simpler to use Jump Desktop which works away from my local network. TeamViewer also works. I like the screen image quality more with Screens as previously.

In fact Jump Desktop and Teamviewer both work from remote location with UpNp turned off in Linksys.
 
Last edited:
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mrgreeneyes said:
i cant seem to be able to connect to my mac when i am away from home. it seems to only work when i am home and connected to wifi.

is there a better colution to remotely connect to my mac? i have tried Anydesk, i dont like that fact that i can't save my connected device, i have to remember my ID, i have tried teamviewer, i dont like that i have to have the app running on my mac in the dock.
Click to expand...
Yeah, they are pretty incompetent bunch. Their stupid Screens Connect is about most impotent remote connect solution I have had the displeasure of using. Can’t do crap - can’t punch through firewalls, shows the computer as connectable, but it never actually connects while not on Wi-Fi, support is pretty useless - try Tailscale or check your router, yeah right, I just told you I did check the router and enabled UPnP, also mapped a port.
Very aggravating experience.
 
Mike Boreham said:
Just as an update to this thread, though I expect the OP has moved on by now. I recently changed my router to a Linksys AX4200, and I can't get Screens to work outside my local network, same as the OP. UpNp is enabled in the Linksys but Screens Connect keeps reporting "Port mapping failed".

I know in theory I could use the manual port method, but it seems simpler to use Jump Desktop which works away from my local network. TeamViewer also works. I like the screen image quality more with Screens as previously.

In fact Jump Desktop and Teamviewer both work from remote location with UpNp turned off in Linksys.
Click to expand...
Since I posted the above I have switched back to Screens but using Tailscale which avoids the port mapping issue and works brilliantly.
 
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