IMac – How to hide screen when logged into remote iMac

displayimacremote desktopscreen-sharing

I use Back-To-My-Mac to log into my office computer from home and vice versa. Normally, after I log into my home laptop, I darken the screen for both energy efficiency and privacy and that works fine. However, when I log into my iMac at work, I noticed the next day that the screen-darkening trick is virtually pointless as far as privacy is concerned (I share an office). The lowest brightness setting of the screen on my iMac is nowhere near a level that would prevent others from watching me work.

Is there a way to darken or hide the display on an iMac when logged in remotely? I've been searching for a solution and cannot find one.

Best Answer

Awhile back, I discovered an even better, simpler, more reliable, and free way to accomplish the goal of screen sharing without people being able to mess with the remote mac or observe you working. All you have to do is:

  1. Create a secondary user on the remote mac.
  2. Screen share into your account (assuming it's the one that has the screen locked).
  3. Use fast user switching to switch accounts to the secondary account
  4. Lock the screen of the remote mac using the apple menu -> "Lock Screen" option
  5. End the screen sharing session
  6. Screen share into your account again (which no longer is showing on the screen of the remote mac).

Viola! You can now work without anyone messing with your keyboard or watching what you're doing. Much more reliable of a method than Shades and free too.

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