TeamViewer is a popular multi-platform remote desktop solution that makes it possible to effortlessly establish incoming and outgoing remote desktop and computer-to-computer connections for multiple purposes, including remote control, file transfer, or online meetings, just to name a few.
Founded in 2005 in Germany, TeamViewer is now owned by European private equity firm Permira. Before the arrival of TeamViewer and other similar applications, desktop sharing used to be complicated and tedious to set up. Most remote desktop software applications at the time were deeply unintuitive, and they required extensive knowledge of computer networks.
TeamViewer makes remote desktop control a matter of a simple click. Despite its simplicity, TeamViewer is powerful and intelligent. The application can efficiently route data for maximum data transfer speeds, and it automatically optimizes the connection quality on the fly to keep remote sessions at 60 frames per second. All TeamViewer sessions are end-to-end encrypted with 256-bit AES for maximum security.
How to Download TeamViewer for Mac
TeamViewer download Mac links can be found on the official website of the application. Apart from TeamViewer itself, you have several other TeamViewer remote desktop support and collaboration download options.
How to Install TeamViewer for Mac
To install TeamViewer Mac:
- Open your favorite web browser and go to https://www.teamviewer.com.
- Click Download.
- Click Mac.
- Click Download TeamViewer.
- Click the downloaded TeamViewer.dmg file.
- Double-click the icon to begin the installation process.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.
- (Optional) If you choose to make your computer accessible remotely, you will be asked to choose a personal password for unattended access.
How to Uninstall TeamViewer for Mac
If you later decide to completely uninstall TeamViewer Mac, you can do so by following the instructions below:
- Launch TeamViewer for Mac.
- Click the TeamViewer menu in the top-left corner.
- Click Preferences.
- Go to the Advanced tab.
- Check “Also delete configuration files” option.
- Click Uninstall.
It’s also possible to leave the “Also delete configuration files” option uncheck if you wish to reinstall TeamViewer in the future.
TeamViewer Free Versus Paid
TeamViewer can be used free of charge at home for personal use, but business users are required to purchase one of three available licenses.
- Business License: this license permits connections from up to 3 devices, and it features the ability to access and control computers remotely, custom branding, secure unattended access, remote printing for Mac & Windows on any printer, file sharing, unlimited endpoints, cross-device access to desktops, and device management with app customization.
- Premium License: this license permits multiple licensed users to access a single concurrent session, and it features everything Business License does plus user and device management console, user access reporting, and Servicecamp Service Desk, which is a cloud-based service desk solution that’s integrated with TeamViewer.
- Corporate License: this license permits multiple licensed users to access up to three concurrent sessions simultaneously, and it features everything Premium License does plus mass deployment, device access reporting, and pre-built software integrations.
TeamViewer QuickSupport
TeamViewer QuickSupport is a small utility that can be launched without administrator rights or installation and used to allow someone with TeamViewer installed on their computer to provide remote support instantly. TeamViewer QuickSupport can be customized using modules that contain your own logo and text, which makes it perfect for businesses and companies that would like to give personal notes to their customers. The customization is done using the TeamViewer Management Console.
TeamViewer QuickJoin
TeamViewer is often used for online meetings and collaboration, and TeamViewer QuickJoin allows anyone to join meetings or presentations and collaborate online without installation or administrator rights. To use it, you simply download it from TeamViewer’s website and double-click on it to launch it.
TeamViewer Host
Whereas both TeamViewer QuickSupport and TeamViewer QuickJoin are meant as one-off solutions, TeamViewer Host is used for around-the-clock remote monitoring and server maintenance. It can be installed on an unlimited number of computers and devices and customized using the TeamViewer Management Console.
How to Use TeamViewer for Mac
Each computer or device that runs TeamViewer is assigned a globally unique ID number based on its hardware characteristics. In many ways, this number is similar to a street address or a telephone number.
When you want to establish a remote TeamViewer connection, all you have to do is type in the TeamViewer number of the device you want to connect to into your local TeamViewer and authenticate with a temporary password. Likewise, if you want to allow someone else to connect to your computer, simply give the person your TeamViewer ID and your temporary password, and they’ll be able to connect to your computer.
TeamViewer offers several connections modes:
- Remote control: this mode makes it possible to control your partner’s computer or work together on a single computer.
- File transfer: use this mode to transfer files from or to your partner’s computer.
- VPN: TeamViewer can also create a virtual private network with your partner.
To read further instructions on how to connect TeamViewer Mac to PC, we recommend you read this extensive manual.
Alternatives to TeamViewer for Mac
TeamViewer is likely the most popular remote desktop solution for Mac, but there are several reasons to consider its alternatives as well. For starters, TeamViewer has been successfully hacked in the past, allowing users sharing a desktop session to gain complete control of the other’s computer without permission. It’s understandable that you wouldn’t want to compromise your security and privacy by using any software with less than perfect security history.
But your reasons may also be far more subjective, starting with TeamViewer’s interface design and ending with its performance. To help you decide whether TeamViewer is really the best remote desktop solution for Mac, we’ve picked three popular alternatives, all of which run on macOS.
Chrome Remote Desktop
Chrome Remote Desktop is remote desktop software developed by Google, and it requires Google Chrome to work. It can be downloaded as a Google Chrome extension from the Chrome Web Store. Similar to TeamViewer, Chrome Remote Desktop relies on a proprietary protocol to allow users to easily remotely control another computer.
Being a Google Chrome extension, Chrome Remote Desktop understandably has a lot fewer features than TeamViewer, but it makes up for it with its simplicity, low CPU usage, support for multiple platforms, and the fact that it is open source. If you see yourself remotely connecting to another computer or receiving support from someone else only occasionally, Chrome Remote Desktop might be all you need. But if control of remote computers is an integral part of your work, a more feature-packed software such as TeamViewer will likely work better for you.
AnyDesk
Developed by AnyDesk Software GmbH in Stuttgart, AnyDesk is a popular alternative to TeamViewer as the two applications share many of the same features, providing bi-directional remote access between personal computers. AnyDesk works across multiple platforms, including Windows, Linux, Free BSD, Mac OS, iOS, and Android, and it delivers a fantastic performance even at high screen resolutions or bandwidths of just 100 kB/s.
To protect its users, AnyDesk relies on banking-standard TLS 1.2 technology and RSA 2048 asymmetric encryption. AnyDesk enterprise customers can additionally operate independently from AnyDesk servers, shielding them from attacks on the AnyDesk network. Because of its small footprint and outstanding customizability, AnyDesk is suitable for all kinds of deployments, and it can be recommended to individuals and businesses alike.
LogMeIn
LogMeIn has been voted the most reliable remote desktop solution for SMBs based on a survey of over 500 panelists. LogMeIn is actually an entire family of access management and support services, consisting of over a dozen of products. Included among them are LogMeIn Pro, subscription-based remote access and administration software.
LogMeIn Central, web application focused on IT management for remotely managing PCs and servers running on Windows or macOS operating systems, and LogMeIn Rescue, remote support web application used by large contact centers.
Bonus: Disk Drill
While not exactly an alternative to TeamViewer, Disk Drill complements TeamViewer because it can reliably recover all files that get accidentally deleted during remote file sharing or support sessions.
Just like TeamViewer has greatly simplified remote connections, Disk Drill has made file recovery effortless. Whereas many other file recovery software solutions are way too complicated to be used without reading a manual, Disk Drill features a one-click approach to file recovery and support for virtually all major file formats and storage devices.
Besides helping you recover lost and deleted files, Disk Drill also comes with handy disk tools, which you can use to clean, backup, protect, recover, and otherwise manage your Mac for free.
