Frequently asked questions

Short answers to the questions support hears most. Browse the sections in the sidebar for full guides.

Common questions

How do I access my remote Mac?

Two ways: SSH on port 22 for the terminal, and VNC / Apple Screen Sharing on port 59010 for the macOS desktop. See Connection overview.

Why do I get refused or disconnected immediately?

You probably left out your username. Always connect as ssh your-username@YOUR-IP (and vnc://YOUR-IP:59010). The username is required for both password and key authentication.

What is the VNC port — 5900 or 59010?

It is 59010, not the default 5900. Moving off the well-known port sharply reduces automated brute-force attempts.

I see "Your screen is being observed" on the Mac. Is someone watching?

No. macOS shows that indicator whenever Screen Sharing is active with a connected session — that session is your own VNC connection, not a third party. Your machine is dedicated to you. See Apple support 120315 and Security.

I failed to log in a few times and now nothing works. Why?

fail2ban bans an IP for 1 hour after 5 failed logins within 10 minutes, on both SSH and VNC. Fix the username/port/key, then wait for the ban to expire or contact support. See Security.

The desktop won't connect but SSH works — what do I check?

The Screen Sharing / Remote Management (ARD) agent may have stopped, sometimes after a macOS update. Over SSH, check sudo lsof -nP -iTCP:59010 -sTCP:LISTEN and restart with kickstart -restart -agent. Full steps in Troubleshooting.

Do I get full administrator access?

Yes. You have full root and administrator privileges on a dedicated physical machine, so you can install software and configure macOS as you need. See Root access.

Is the machine dedicated or virtualized?

Every machine is dedicated physical Apple Silicon hardware with exclusive resources. We do not split hardware between customers, so performance is consistent and there are no noisy neighbours.

Can I use SSH key authentication?

Yes — register one or more public keys (Ed25519, RSA or ECDSA) for passwordless login, and revoke them anytime. You still pass your username. See SSH keys.

How quickly is my Mac ready?

Most standard machines are provisioned within minutes of payment. Custom configurations can take up to 24 hours.

Can I run Docker and virtualization?

Yes. With bare-metal access you can run Docker, Anka, Tart and other virtualization layers on top of macOS. See Docker & virtualization.

Can I connect an iPhone for debugging?

Yes, by forwarding USB over the network with third-party tools such as VirtualHere or USB Network Gate. See Remote USB.

Is this allowed under Apple's licensing?

Yes. You rent genuine Apple hardware on a 1:1 basis (dedicated hardware), which is compliant with Apple's macOS Software License Agreement for cloud hosting.

What happens to my data if I cancel?

Your machine stays available until the end of the paid period and is then erased. Back up your data before cancelling.

How do I upgrade to a different Mac?

There is no automated upgrade. Rent the new instance, then open a support ticket — a technician migrates your data with Time Machine, free of charge. See Upgrading to a different Mac.

Do you offer KVM or IPMI access?

Not currently. You access the machine over SSH (port 22) and VNC / Screen Sharing (port 59010).

Can I use AnyDesk or TeamViewer instead of VNC?

Yes. With full admin you can install them; they run independently of the built-in Screen Sharing (ARD). Set up unattended access and grant macOS Screen Recording + Accessibility permissions over the built-in VNC first.

Is there a free trial?

No. Following a high rate of fraud, free trials are no longer available.

Do you accept PayPal?

No, PayPal is not accepted. Cards are accepted from your dashboard.

Do you accept cryptocurrency?

Yes, case by case depending on your profile; a KYC check may be required. Contact support to arrange the payment terms.

I enabled FileVault and VNC no longer works after a reboot.

FileVault locks the disk at boot, so VNC is unavailable until it is unlocked. Unlock over SSH first, or reboot with sudo fdesetup authrestart. See FileVault & reboots.

Can I do iOS or .NET MAUI development?

Yes — Xcode is pre-installed, the iOS Simulator runs over VNC, Visual Studio 2022 Pair to Mac works over SSH, and you can install the .NET SDK and MAUI workloads. See iOS & .NET MAUI development.

Still need help?

Email support@myremotemac.com or open the chat on myremotemac.com.