iChat 6.x: Share your screen with a buddy

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Share your screen with a buddy

With iChat, you and a buddy with Mac OS X version 10.5 Leopard or later can share a screen, even at a distance, making it easy to collaborate on a website or other project. With screen sharing, both of you can work on the shared desktop.

You and your buddy can do anything on the shared desktop, such as opening folders, creating documents, and copying files by dragging them from one desktop to another.

During screen sharing, iChat automatically initiates an audio chat so that you can talk to your buddy.

You can share screens while using any account that iChat supports: iCloud or MobileMe (me.com or Mac.com), AIM, Jabber, Google Talk. or Yahoo!. You can also share your screen with others on a local network using Bonjour.

Screen sharing in iChat is independent of screen sharing settings in System Preferences. You can share screens using iChat even when Screen Sharing is deselected in the Sharing pane of System Preferences.

Important: When you share your screen with a buddy, the buddy has the same access to your computer that you have. Share your screen only with trusted parties, and be particularly careful if you receive a request to share your screen from someone who isn’t in your buddy list. If the request comes from someone using Bonjour, remember that the name shown for the person in Bonjour does not necessarily match the person’s real name, so his or her identity is uncertain.

There are several ways to share your screen.

Share your screen

  • Select a buddy in a buddy list or Bonjour window.

    To share your own screen, choose Buddies > Share My Screen. To share your buddy’s screen, choose Buddies > “Ask to Share.”

  • Choose File > New Chat, and then choose the account you want to use for screen sharing from the From pop-up menu.

    From the Type pop-up menu, choose Share My Screen or choose Share Buddy’s Screen. In the To field, identify a buddy by typing his or her buddy name or by dragging a name from a buddy list or Bonjour window. Click Chat to start screen sharing.

Switch between viewing your screen and your buddy’s screen

Click the small desktop image.

Close a screen sharing session

Click the “x” in the upper-left corner of the small desktop image.

Last Modified: Sep 3, 2015
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