“In June, we noted that Apple is adding a handy new feature to the upcoming OS X Yosemite: the ability for iMessage/Apple ID users to screen share via the Messages app,” Mark Gurman reports for 9to5Mac.
“Screen sharing was a hallmark of early versions of Apple’s Mac ‘iChat’ application, but it has always required an AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) account,” Gurman reports. “With Yosemite, users can have the same screen sharing experience with just an iMessage/FaceTime/or Apple ID account.”
Gurman reports, “Apple activated the feature in this week’s beta release, and it brings some new tricks not found in earlier implementations.”
Read more, and see the screenshots, in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Lynn Weiler” for the heads up.]
handy for mom and dad’s tech support calls
Many people in the 9to5 Mac comments section would like to see iMessage allow screen sharing between Mac OS and iOS. I agree that it’s a great idea. It would help when family/friends ask how to do something on their iPads/iPhones, which happens quite frequently.
(I tried to post this over on that site but lost the comment.)
Hang on: you CAN see and even take over a Mac screen from iOS: use the TeamViewer app. i’ve use this to do Remote diagnosis on my dads iMac from my iPad.
It’s pretty good for what it is. I found this app when I could no longer use iChat to do reliable Mac to Mac screen sharing.
I hasten to add that TeamViewer does have limitations, mainly around using iOS’s touch ui to manipulate aspects of the Mac interface. It’s a bit tricky to work with. But it definitely saved me a couple of times, when I was able to solve a problem remotely without having to go on site.
Check it out. I imagine it’s only a matter of time before Apple provides this support natively; we already know that it’s technically possible.
Oh, I see you’re asking about going the other way. Haven’t tried that with TeamViewer; don’t know if it’s possible.
Agreed, I could use the Remote Desktop from my MacBook to my parent’s Mac mini. But, I would like a solution for their iPad. I see below that there may be an app for that, “TeamViewer”. I should get this resolved before they head south for the winter again.
About bloody time. Now if they’d just integrate Messages and FaceTime, things would start to make sense.
Yes!!!! That is a useful solution of your are trying to do tech support long distance. I’ve relied on the quick and easy iChat/AIM abilities for many years and it’s saved me countless hours of frustration trying to describe the path to fix something. Thank you Apple, THANK YOU.
Does no one remember that we had this feature before and it was removed?
It’s not the only feature we’ve had before and was removed.
Where the heck is my 3- or 4-way video chat? Available bandwidth and hardware video compression are probably both 3x better than when it was introduced in iChat 10 YEARS ago!