Screens 5
A VNC remote-desktop client from Edovia Inc. that lets you control Mac, Windows, Linux, and Raspberry Pi computers from a Mac, iPad, iPhone, or Vision Pro with encryption, file transfer, and multi-display support.
Typical Mac workflow
You install Screens 5 from the Mac App Store and set up Screens Connect on the machines you want to reach over the internet, or add manual connections on your local network. Saved machines sync through iCloud, and Tailscale integration simplifies access to Linux and Raspberry Pi hosts without opening ports manually. From your Mac you open a connection window, choose observe or control mode, pick a display on multi-monitor setups, and work with touch or trackpad gestures, hardware keyboards, clipboard sync, and drag-and-drop file transfers.
Curtain Mode blacks out the remote Mac screen for private sessions; SSH tunneling and custom SSH keys add another authentication layer on untrusted networks. Screens Assist helps you support friends or family by running a small helper on their Mac. For Windows PCs you need a third-party VNC server such as UltraVNC or TightVNC; clipboard sharing on Windows and Linux is limited to text and URLs, and the RFB protocol means no remote audio. Screens Connect runs on macOS 10.13+ or Windows 10+ on the host side while the client app requires macOS 14.0 Sonoma or later on Mac.
Licensing and version 5.8.10
Screens 5 is App Store only: about $29.99 per year, $3.99 per month, or $179.99 lifetime, with a free trial and one subscription covering iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro. Version 5.8.10, released 3 July 2026, improves hardware keyboard detection, speeds up reconnection after interrupted sessions, keeps the iPad toolbar anchored when the floating keyboard is open, and fixes folder-selection memory in Tailscale and Screens Connect plus symbolic-link handling during file uploads. The vendor support changelog has not yet been updated beyond the broader 5.8 entries from early 2026.
