
But, as they say, better late than never. I might have found it sooner if I’d been more persistent earlier on. It looks like the solution has been around for awhile. I’m once again using it on a regular basis. However, Messages has the advantage that all OS X users already have the app and almost all already have the needed iCloud/iMessage account set up.Īs for me, I’m glad I didn’t give up on getting Messages’ Screen Sharing to work. There are third-party apps, such as TeamViewer, that can similarly enable screen sharing, bypassing Messages altogether. After the person again gives their consent, you will have control of their Mac. To change this, select the Control icon (rather than the binoculars “observe” icon) in the upper left of the window. Initially, you will likely be limited to viewing the person’s screen you cannot control it. Once she agrees to the request, her screen will appear on your Mac!ĥ. Assuming the recipient has an iMessage account set up, she will see the invite.

This will initiate an invitation to the other person. Click on the Screen Sharing icon and select the “Ask to Share Screen” item that appears. Click this and a mini-window pops up that contains the three icons for audio, video and screen sharing connections (as seen below).Ĥ. In the upper right corner of the Messages window, you’ll notice the word Details in blue. If necessary, check the Accounts section of Messages’ Preferences to determine if you have this set up.ģ. If necessary, start a new message to this person so that their name appears in the left-hand column listing.įor this method to work in El Capitan or later, both users need to have iMessage accounts enabled. Locate and select the name of the person whose screen you want to access. This is where you’ll find all your iMessage text conversations.Ģ. From Messages app, open the Messages (not the Buddies) window. The methodology is a bit more obscure – but I can vouch that it does work. Rather, you access it from the Messages window. The good news is that Screen Sharing in Messages still works - just not from the Buddies window. At the very least, provide a warning that you are likely wasting your time here. This raises the question as to why Apple still retains the Screen Sharing icon in the Buddies window. The reason for this, according to what I’ve read, is that Apple no longer supports the protocols necessary to get Screen Sharing to function from here.
Message macos share screen greyed out software#
Maybe there is some combination of settings, software and hardware that can get it to function, but I couldn’t find it ( although someone else apparently did see the comment below). Period! At least not in the latest versions of OS X. What I discovered was quite a surprise: Screen Sharing in Messages’ Buddies window no longer works. And, with some detective work and a few helpful Google searches, I had success. This time, I was determined to find a solution. Admittedly, I didn’t try very hard.Ī few weeks ago, I renewed my interest in Messages’ Screen Sharing. I periodically checked back to see if I could get Screen Sharing in Messages to work again, but never succeeded. In the end, I gave up without ever identifying the culprit. Both at my end and the recipient end - all seemed well.
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I was getting warmer here - but initially I could find nothing wrong. The most likely alternative was that my Screen Sharing’s settings were not correct - possibly because Apple had changed the rules in an OS X update. The Screen Sharing icon was now typically grayed out and unselectable.Īt first, I hoped this was due to a bug in Apple’s software and it would be fixed in the next OS X update. I’m not exactly certain when things went south, but I believe it was after Mavericks was released. From here, an invitation would be issued and accepted - and we were good to go. Using AIM accounts, I selected my friend’s name in Messages’ Buddies list and clicked the Screen Sharing icon (two overlapping rectangles) at the bottom of the window. Until the break, I had been accessing Screen Sharing via Messages (formerly iChat). This all worked well until a few years ago when, inexplicably, Screen Sharing stopped functioning. As a bonus, screen sharing serves as a live video tutorial for the recipient.

Message macos share screen greyed out mac os#
Mac OS X’s Screen Sharing, by allowing me to view and control other people’s Macs from my machine at home, has long proven to be a near-essential tool for me to help my friends and relatives with their Mac problems. Screen sharing is much more effective than attempting to address such matters via a phone call.
