Remote Management on a Mac: what it is and how to turn it off

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Remote Management is the Sharing setting that lets others access your Mac using Apple Remote Desktop. To turn it off, choose Apple menu > System Settings, click General, then Sharing, and switch off Remote Management. Check Screen Sharing and Remote Login on the same screen while you're there.

Quick answer

On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings, click General in the sidebar, then click Sharing. Turn off Remote Management. Then turn off Screen Sharing and Remote Login unless you use them. On a work Mac, ask IT first: your employer may use these settings to manage it.

What is Remote Management on a Mac?

Apple describes it as the setting to "allow others to access your computer using Apple Remote Desktop". Apple Remote Desktop is an app sold on the App Store, and Apple says it "is used to remotely manage Mac computers in a commercial or business environment".

Apple lists what it adds beyond plain screen sharing: installing and configuring apps, helping remote users and creating detailed reports. When it's on, the settings let you choose which users can access the Mac and what they're allowed to do, and there's an option to always show Remote Management status in the menu bar.

If you find it on and you didn't switch it on, that's worth knowing.

How do I turn off Remote Management?

  1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
  2. Click General in the sidebar, then click Sharing. You may need to scroll down.
  3. Find Remote Management in the list and turn it off.
  4. In the same list, turn off Screen Sharing and Remote Login too, unless you use them.

Apple's Screen Sharing guide says that when screen sharing is turned off, other computers on your network can't connect to your Mac.

On a work Mac, check with IT before you change these. The work Mac section below shows where to look.

Remote Management vs Screen Sharing: what's the difference?

Apple says screen sharing allows users of other computers on your network to remotely connect to your Mac to view your desktop and control it. While your screen is shared, the other person "can open, move, and close files and windows; open apps; and even restart your Mac".

Remote Management is the setting Apple Remote Desktop uses, and Apple says Remote Desktop adds remote management capabilities such as installing and configuring apps, helping remote users and creating detailed reports. Apple says you can't have Screen Sharing and Remote Management on at the same time: to turn on Screen Sharing, you first turn off Remote Management.

Apple says screen sharing and Apple Remote Desktop are both compatible with VNC, an industry standard for controlling computers remotely on a network.

Remote Management vs Remote Login: what's the difference?

Remote Login is a different door. Apple says it lets you access your Mac from another computer using SSH (Secure Shell Protocol) or SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol). Apple's steps show logging in by typing an ssh command in Terminal on the other computer, then your password. It has its own option, "Allow full disk access for remote users".

Apple's own warning is plain: "Allowing remote login to your Mac can make it less secure." If you don't use it, leave it off.

What if it's a work Mac?

Then check before you change anything. A work Mac may have configuration profiles from your employer. Apple says administrators use them to standardise settings such as Mail, Wi-Fi and VPN, for example to work with servers on a school or workplace network.

  1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings, click General in the sidebar, then click Device Management. You may need to scroll down.
  2. Double-click a profile to see information about it.

Apple says that if you can't remove a configuration profile, ask for help from the person who provided it. On a work laptop, that's usually IT. Our guide on whether your employer can see your work laptop covers what IT tools can do.

What did macOS 27.2 fix in Remote Management?

Apple's security notes for macOS Golden Gate 27.2, released on 26 October 2026, list fixes in Remote Management and the Screen Sharing server, including:

  1. Remote Management, CVE-2026-112427: "A remote attacker may be able to cause arbitrary code execution".
  2. Remote Management, CVE-2026-112480: "A user with screen sharing access may be able to view another user's screen".
  3. Screen Sharing Server, CVE-2026-112473: "An attacker with the legacy VNC password for Screen Sharing may be able to copy files to the Mac".

Apple's page doesn't say any of these was exploited. The fix is to install the update: System Settings > General > Software Update. Our guide to the macOS 27.2 security update lists what else it fixes and which Macs get it.

What if Remote Management was on and I didn't turn it on?

Turn it off, then work through the checks in can someone remotely access my Mac?: the rest of Sharing settings, the apps allowed to record or control your Mac, and what a remote support scam looks like. How to tell if your Mac is hacked goes further, and can someone see your computer screen remotely? covers the screen side.

If you've been the victim of cyber crime or fraud, or suspect one is being attempted, Police.uk says to report it to Report Fraud, online at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040.

Where Failshot fits

Remote Management is about someone reaching your Mac over a network. Failshot is for the moment someone sits down at your Mac and unlocks it.

  • With Failshot on, it photographs whoever unlocks your Mac, then, with Pro, records a 5-second video. Video can be switched off.
  • Whoever unlocks sees Failshot's window saying the unlock was photographed. With the Mac's built-in camera, the green light comes on.
  • Switching it off, or quitting it from its menu, takes Touch ID or your Failshot PIN and answer, never your Mac password.
  • With Pro, turn on alerts and Failshot emails you about an unlock you don't confirm as yours.

Failshot for Mac is out now as a download from failshot.app, for macOS 14 or later. Free to use. Pro adds video, email alerts and the encrypted vault.

More questions

Should Remote Management be on or off on my Mac?

On a personal Mac, off, unless you use Apple Remote Desktop. Apple says Apple Remote Desktop is used to remotely manage Mac computers in a commercial or business environment. On a work Mac, ask IT before changing it.

Is Screen Sharing the same as Remote Management?

No. Screen Sharing lets users of other computers on your network view and control your Mac. Remote Management lets others access it using Apple Remote Desktop, which Apple says adds capabilities such as installing and configuring apps and creating detailed reports. Apple says the two can't be on at the same time.

How do I turn off Screen Sharing on a Mac?

Choose Apple menu > System Settings, click General in the sidebar, then click Sharing, and turn off Screen Sharing. Apple says other computers on your network then can't connect to your Mac.

Can I remove Remote Management from a work Mac?

Ask IT first. Configuration profiles from your employer are listed in System Settings > General > Device Management, and Apple says that if you can't remove a profile, you should ask the person who provided it.

Was the macOS 27.2 Remote Management flaw exploited?

Apple's security notes for macOS Golden Gate 27.2 don't say it was. They describe CVE-2026-112427 as letting a remote attacker cause arbitrary code execution, fixed in the 26 October 2026 update.

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