How to Remotely Access a MacBook

by Lawrence Nyveen
LogMeIn Free lets you log in to your Mac remotely.

LogMeIn Free lets you log in to your Mac remotely.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Many applications will let you access a Mac remotely. Apple's Remote Desktop and the "Back to My Mac" feature of its MobileMe service only work Mac to Mac. Timbuktu offers many remote options, but you need to install the software on both the Mac you will access and the computer you sit at, which can be inconvenient. Other options include FarFinder, GoToMyPC and LogMeIn Free. All three let you remotely access your Mac through a local web browser, but only LogMeIn Free offers full access to the remote Mac with no fee. It does lacks file transfers, remote printing and desktop sharing.

Install LogMeIn Free

Step 1

Surf to the LogMeIn Free website from the MacBook you wish to remotely access.

Step 2

Click the green "Get Started" button. Fill in your information to create an account, then click the blue "Continue" button.

Step 3

Click the green "Download" button to download the LogMeIn software called "LogMeInInstallerMAC.zip."

Step 4

Double-click on LogMeInInstallerMAC.zip to expand it. It will create a file called "LogMeIn Installer.pkg."

Step 5

Double-click LogMeIn Installer.pkg and click "Continue" in the subsequent dialogue box to run the installer. Install the software as you would any Mac OS X application. Close the installer.

Step 6

Check your email and verify your LogMeIn account with the link in the message the company has sent you.

Remotely Access Your Mac

Step 1

Go to a different computer. Its operating system is irrelevant.

Step 2

Open a web browser and go to LogMeIn.com.

Step 3

Enter your email address and password in the "Login" section on the right side of the page and click the blue "Log Me In" button to access your account. Your target computer will be identified in the next window.

Step 4

Click the "Remote Control" button associated with the computer you wish to remotely access. If the computer you are sitting at does not yet have the LogMeIn plug-in, the website will prompt you to install it. The installation is a typical software installation for your operating system.

Step 5

Type in the username and password (if any) you use on the target computer once LogMeIn connects to it. Click the blue "Log In" button and LogMeIn will display your MacBook's desktop in the browser window.

Warning

  • LogMeIn is slow and does not provide the same color depth that appears on your target computer. Image-intensive software like Photoshop is almost impossible to use.

About the Author

Lawrence Nyveen has been a freelance editor, writer and researcher since 1993. He was editor of Netsurfer Digest and now teaches journalism at the college level. He is involved in screenwriting and with military history. His most recent book was "Avia S-199 in Israeli Air Force Service: 1948-1950." Nyveen holds a graduate diploma in journalism from Concordia University in Montreal.

Photo Credits

  • Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images