Screen sharing for old people!?

[JamesMay82]

Hi Guy’s,

my folks are in there mid 70’s and run and eBay shop and my mum is going visiting my sisters and needs to screen share my dad if he has tech problems.

Mum is on a M1 MacBook Air and dad is M1 iMac. Dad’s computer can invite my mum but my mum can’t ask to share his screen. It just gets stuck on waiting for a response.

I’ve logged them both out and restarted computers and I still can’t get my mums computer to work with dads.

Any ideas? Is the easier alternative for them to try?

 

[Bigwaff]

Are you trying to screen share using the feature built into FaceTime? It has worked well for me w/ my elderly family members.

Share your screen in FaceTime on Mac

In FaceTime on your Mac, share your screen with others on a FaceTime video call.

support.apple.com

 

[JamesMay82]

Are you trying to screen share using the feature built into FaceTime? It has worked well for me w/ my elderly family members.

Share your screen in FaceTime on Mac

In FaceTime on your Mac, share your screen with others on a FaceTime video call.

support.apple.com

Thanks will have them try that to see how it works. I’ve just been having them screen share from iMessage.

 

[joevt]

The Screen Sharing.app exists at /System/Library/CoreServices/Applications

If you launch that from there, it will ask for a hostname or an Apple ID. If you enter their AppleID then they get a message that you want to share their screen. They can accept with "Control my screen" or "Observe my screen".

Another method is to press command-K in the Finder (or use the menubar: Go -> Connect to Server...).
Then type "vnc://their_apple_ID"

Make sure they have Screen Sharing enabled in the Sharing preferences panel.

 

[ignatius345]

I have my grandmother's (over 90 y/o) Mac set up with TeamViewer in such a way that she doesn't have to click on anything. I haven't tried setting it up with the newer screen sharing features (via iMessage, etc). It's incredibly valuable to be able to get in there and fix stuff.

 

[JamesMay82]

I have my grandmother's (over 90 y/o) Mac set up with TeamViewer in such a way that she doesn't have to click on anything. I haven't tried setting it up with the newer screen sharing features (via iMessage, etc). It's incredibly valuable to be able to get in there and fix stuff.

Thanks - will look into that. Do you pay or is it a free version.

 

[matrix07]

Perhaps this’ll help?

 

[ignatius345]

Thanks - will look into that. Do you pay or is it a free version.

I'm using the free version. It was a little annoying to set up at first, but works very well and is zero touch on her end, once she opens up her laptop. The free version throws up a little "consider paying for this" message at the end of each session, but other than that no limitations on the basic screen sharing stuff.