Can someone remotely access my Mac? How to check, and what to do

MacUpdated 14 October 2026

Maybe the pointer moved when you weren't touching it, or a caller asked you to open something so they could "take a look". Someone can remotely access a Mac. The routes Apple documents are a sharing service that's turned on, or an app that's been given permission, and both are listed in System Settings, so you can check them yourself.

Quick answer

Yes, if something allows it. Check System Settings > General > Sharing for Screen Sharing, Remote Management, Remote Login, File Sharing and Remote Application Scripting, and turn off any you don't use. Then check System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording, Accessibility, Input Monitoring and, if it's listed, Remote Desktop for apps you don't recognise, and your Apple Account's device list.

How can someone remotely access a Mac?

Apple's pages below cover these ways in. The first two have settings you can check yourself.

A sharing service. Apple says that while your screen is shared, the other person sees what's on it and can open, move and close files and windows, open apps and even restart your Mac.
An app with permission. Apple says some apps and websites can access and record the screen and audio on your Mac, and you decide which ones are allowed.
Someone talking you into it. Apple lists scam phone calls impersonating Apple Support, and misleading pop-ups saying your device has a security problem, among the tactics scammers use.

For a broader look that includes Windows, see can someone see your computer screen remotely.

Open Sharing settings and read down the list. Turn off anything you don't recognise or don't use.

Choose Apple menu > System Settings, click General in the sidebar, then click Sharing. You may need to scroll down.
Check each service below, and turn it off if you don't need it.

Screen Sharing: lets other users on your network access your screen. Apple says that when it's off, other computers on your network can't connect.
Remote Management: lets others access your Mac using Apple Remote Desktop. Apple says you can't have Screen Sharing and Remote Management on at the same time.
Remote Login: lets someone log in from another computer using SSH or SFTP. Apple warns that allowing remote login can make your Mac less secure.
File Sharing: lets others access shared folders on your Mac, and lets administrators access all volumes.
Remote Application Scripting: lets Apple events sent from other computers control apps on your Mac.

For Screen Sharing, Remote Management or Remote Login, if you keep it on, click the info button next to it, set "Allow access for" to "Only these users", and remove anyone who shouldn't be there. For File Sharing, check the Users list under each shared folder.

For File Sharing, Apple says any user set up on your Mac can connect over the network by default, and a user with an administrator account can access your entire Mac.

Which apps are allowed to record or control my Mac?

macOS keeps a list. Apple says you decide which apps and websites are allowed to record your screen and audio, so an unfamiliar name on that list is worth looking into.

Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Privacy & Security in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down.
Click Screen & System Audio Recording.
Turn off recording for any app you don't use or don't recognise.
Go back to Privacy & Security and do the same in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility, System Settings > Privacy & Security > Input Monitoring and, if it's listed, System Settings > Privacy & Security > Remote Desktop.

Apple's Privacy & Security page says Accessibility lets apps "run scripts and system commands to control your Mac", Input Monitoring lets apps monitor your mouse or trackpad and "see what you type on the keyboard", and Remote Desktop lets apps access your screen and audio through Remote Desktop. For Accessibility, Apple says to grant access only to apps you know and trust.

Apple says you can allow an app to record both your screen and audio, or just your audio, and that what third-party apps or websites collect is governed by their own terms and privacy policies. Check what each app is before you switch it off, so you don't break one you use.

Is there a light that shows when my Mac's screen is being recorded?

Apple documents privacy indicators to the right of Control Centre in the menu bar: an orange dot when the microphone is in use, a green dot when a camera is in use, a purple dot when system audio is being recorded, and an arrow when your location is in use. Apple says only one dot shows at a time, so with both the microphone and a camera in use you see only the green one.

Look to the right of the Control Centre icon in the menu bar.
Click Control Centre. The top of the window may show which apps are using your microphone, location, camera or system audio.
Click that field to open the Privacy window for more detail.

Apple's description of these indicators doesn't list one for screen recording or screen sharing, so the settings lists above are the more complete check. If your worry is the camera, see is my Mac camera hacked.

Could my employer have remote access to my Mac?

On a work Mac, possibly. Apple says that if your Mac is enrolled in a device management service, some sharing settings may be unavailable. To see what's installed:

Choose Apple menu > System Settings, click General, then click Device Management. You may need to scroll down. On macOS Sonoma, it's Privacy & Security > Profiles instead.
Look at the configuration profiles listed.

Apple says that if you can't remove a profile, your Mac may be a managed computer, and some profiles can only be removed by a system administrator. On a work or school Mac, ask your IT team before changing anything. On your own Mac, a profile you don't recognise is worth looking into.

What does a remote support scam look like on a Mac?

It usually starts with a call or a pop-up. Apple says scammers may call from what looks like a real Apple number, claim someone has broken into your device or account, and create a strong sense of urgency so you don't stop to check. Apple says it will never ask for your password, device passcode or two-factor authentication code, and will never ask you to disable any security feature.

Apple also lists malicious commands that a website, email or message tells you to paste into Terminal, and pop-ups warning of viruses, where Apple's advice is not to call the number or follow the links.

The police's Ask the Police service puts it plainly: do not grant remote access to your computer, and legitimate companies don't display pop-up warnings that ask you to call a number. If someone claiming to be Apple calls you unexpectedly, hang up and contact Apple through its official support channels yourself.

What should I do if I find something?

Close the route in first, then secure your account.

Turn off the sharing service or recording permission you didn't expect, in the settings above.
Remove any app you didn't choose to install, especially one a caller asked you to install. Apple advises only downloading software from sources you can trust.
Change your Apple Account password, and make sure two-factor authentication is on. Apple says to do this straight away if you think your account is compromised or you entered your password on a scam website.
Check the devices signed in to your Apple Account: choose Apple menu > System Settings, click your name, and scroll down. Click any device you don't recognise, then Remove from Account.
If you gave bank details or paid a caller, contact your bank as soon as possible, and report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk, as Ask the Police advises. In Scotland, report it to Police Scotland on 101.

If you're still worried, how to tell if your Mac is hacked covers the wider checks. If the worry is someone using your Mac in person, see who unlocked my Mac and how to tell if someone used your laptop. And if the worry is someone you live with, please don't go through their devices. In the UK, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, is on 0808 2000 247. In an emergency, call 999.

Where Failshot fits

To be plain about it: Failshot doesn't detect remote access, screen sharing, SSH logins, spyware, malware or scams. For those, use the settings and steps above.

It covers a different case: someone who unlocks your Mac in person. It doesn't photograph anyone using a Mac that was already unlocked.

With Failshot on, it photographs whoever unlocks your Mac, then by default records a 5-second video. Video can be switched off. Sound is off unless you turn it on, and the app warns you that recording someone's voice without their permission is against the law in some places.
Whoever unlocks sees Failshot's window saying the unlock was photographed, and when a video is recording. With the Mac's built-in camera, the green light comes on.
Email alerts and location are off until you turn them on. With alerts on, you get an email for an unlock you don't confirm as yours. You also get one if someone gets your Failshot PIN or answer wrong when switching Failshot off, quitting it, opening its photos or changing its settings, and if Failshot's camera access is switched off while it's on. Photos are kept on your Mac, and leave it only in email alerts and the encrypted web vault, if you turn those on, and, if you join your organisation with its invite code, encrypted for its security team too.
Switching it off, or quitting it from its menu, takes Touch ID or your Failshot PIN and answer, never your Mac password. Like any Mac app, it can still be force-quit, and then it takes no photos until it's open again. A wrong Failshot PIN or answer takes another photo.

It doesn't photograph a wrong password at the login or lock screen, or the first login after a restart or a log out. Logging out, restarting or shutting down closes Failshot without asking for Touch ID or your Failshot PIN, and unless you've set it to start at login, it stays off until you open it again. It's for your own Mac. On a work Mac, use it only if your employer has authorised it, agreed Failshot's Organisation Terms and told everyone who uses the Mac that Failshot is on it. iPhone, Android and Windows versions are coming soon.

Failshot for Mac is out now as a download from failshot.app, for macOS 14 or later. It's free to download, but turning it on needs Failshot Pro, a subscription, with no free trial. Failshot Pro is £3.99 a month or £23.99 a year, VAT included, for as long as you stay subscribed, if you subscribe by 31 October 2026. From 1 November 2026 new subscriptions are £5.99 a month or £35.99 a year.

Questions people also ask

Can someone access my Mac remotely without me knowing?

Apple documents several places to check. Sharing services such as Screen Sharing, Remote Management and Remote Login are under System Settings > General > Sharing. Under System Settings > Privacy & Security, Screen & System Audio Recording lists apps allowed to record your screen, Accessibility lists apps allowed to control your Mac, Input Monitoring lists apps allowed to see what you type, and Remote Desktop, if your Mac shows it, lists apps allowed to access your screen and audio through Remote Desktop.

Does my Mac show when someone is viewing my screen?

Apple documents dots in the menu bar for the microphone, camera, system audio recording and location, but its description doesn't list one for screen sharing or screen recording. Check Sharing settings and the Screen & System Audio Recording list instead. If you use Remote Management, Apple's settings include an option to always show its status in the menu bar.

Will Apple ever call me to fix my Mac?

Apple says that if you get an unsolicited or suspicious call from someone claiming to be Apple, hang up. Apple says it will never ask for your password, device passcode or two-factor authentication code, or ask you to turn off a security feature.

What should I do if I let a scammer onto my Mac?

Turn off any sharing, recording, Accessibility or Remote Desktop permission they used, remove what they had you install, change your Apple Account password, and check your Apple Account's devices. If you paid or shared bank details, contact your bank and report it to Report Fraud, or in Scotland to Police Scotland on 101.