Coming soon · iPadOS 26+
FastScreen Support
Get your Mac ready. Find your way around.
Start with your Mac’s built-in Screen Sharing, then make yourself at home on iPad. FastScreen is coming soon; this guide explains the current app.
Set up your Mac and iPad
You’ll need iPadOS 26 or later, a Mac with Screen Sharing, and a trusted LAN or your own trusted VPN. Keep the Mac awake and reachable while you connect.
On your Mac
Open System Settings → General → Sharing.
Turn on Screen Sharing. If Remote Management is enabled, turn it off first.
Open the Screen Sharing settings and allow access for the Mac account you will use.
Keep your Mac awake and connected to the same trusted network as your iPad, or reachable through your VPN.
On your iPad
Open FastScreen to your saved Macs on the launch screen. Choose a saved Mac to connect directly, choose a nearby Mac, or tap Add Mac to enter an address. Allow local-network access when iPadOS asks so nearby Macs can appear.
Over a VPN, add the Mac’s reachable VPN address manually; discovery may not cross the VPN.
Enter your Mac account name and password. Choose a connection mode and whether to remember the password on this iPad.
For a new connection, confirm that you are using a trusted network or your own VPN, then tap Connect. During a session, tap Disconnect session to return to your Macs and choose another connection. If a session ends unexpectedly, a banner explains why and offers Reconnect.
Desktop previews are saved only on this iPad. Each preview shows the full last-selected display, or Complete desktop, with its capture time. Previews may show sensitive desktop content and are removed when you delete the saved Mac.
Use a trusted network
Standard VNC desktop and input traffic is not encrypted by FastScreen. Use a trusted local network or your own trusted VPN. FastScreen does not set up a VPN or encrypted tunnel.
Troubleshoot a connection
Check these items on both devices before trying again.
My Mac does not appear nearby
Check that Screen Sharing is enabled and both devices are on the same reachable local network. Guest Wi-Fi and network isolation can stop devices from finding or reaching each other. If discovery is unavailable, add the Mac’s hostname or IP address manually.
Local-network permission was denied
Open iPad Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network and allow FastScreen, then return to the app. Discovery needs local-network access. A manually entered address still needs a reachable network route and any permission required by iPadOS.
The Mac rejects my sign-in
Enter the Mac account name and its password, not an Apple Account or separate VNC-viewer password. Check that this user is allowed in Screen Sharing settings. If the Mac account password changed, edit the saved connection and enter the new password. FastScreen cannot sign in at the FileVault pre-boot screen.
Screen Sharing cannot be enabled
In System Settings → General → Sharing, turn off Remote Management before enabling Screen Sharing. On a managed work Mac, ask your administrator to check the allowed remote-access settings.
The connection times out or the Mac is unreachable
Confirm the Mac is awake, online and at the address saved in FastScreen. Check that its firewall and your network allow Screen Sharing between the two devices. Use the configured Screen Sharing port; the normal default is 5900. If you are on a work or school network, ask the administrator about device-to-device access. Keep access on your trusted LAN or own VPN.
The Mac is asleep or has just restarted
Wake the Mac locally and ensure macOS is running with Screen Sharing available. FastScreen does not send Wake-on-LAN packets or unlock FileVault before macOS starts. Review the Mac’s sleep settings if it becomes unreachable during use.
I can connect at home but not over my VPN
Connect your iPad to your trusted VPN, then add the Mac’s VPN-reachable address manually. Bonjour discovery and .local names may not work across a VPN. Check that the VPN permits a route to the Mac and access to its Screen Sharing port. FastScreen does not provide or configure the VPN.
Make the desktop feel familiar
Touch and navigation
Move one finger to move the pointer; tap to click.
Double-tap and hold to drag. Tap with two fingers to right-click; slide two fingers to scroll. Faster swipes scroll farther. Adjust Scroll speed in Controls → Input; the Touch gestures guide is there too.
Pinch to zoom. Move the pointer toward an edge to pan a zoomed desktop, or pan with three fingers.
Choose Fit to see the whole selected desktop or Fill to fill the view. Fit and Fill are directly available in the toolbar. Tap the expand arrows for fullscreen and use the floating control to exit.
Keyboard, pointer and Mac actions
Swipe inward from the right edge or open Controls → Show actions palette for typing, modifiers and Mac shortcuts, or connect a hardware keyboard. Collapse the palette to a small pill or hide it completely; an edge swipe opens or expands it again. Some system shortcuts remain reserved by iPadOS.
For a mouse or trackpad, choose Controls → Input → Capture pointer in a full-screen iPadOS window. Press Escape, touch the screen or choose Release pointer to return to iPad controls. The palette’s esc key sends Escape to your Mac.
The Actions bar includes Previous/Next Space, Mission Control, App Exposé, Spotlight, Show Desktop and Switch App. These send standard macOS shortcuts. Customize and move the palette to suit your workflow.
If a Mac action does not respond, check the matching shortcut under Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts on your Mac. To change Spaces on a particular display, click a window on that Mac display first. Selecting a display in FastScreen changes the view only. Independent Spaces require Displays have separate Spaces in Desktop & Dock settings.
Frequently asked questions
What do I need to use FastScreen?
An iPad running iPadOS 26 or later, a Mac with built-in Screen Sharing enabled, and a reachable network connection. Use a trusted local network or your own trusted VPN. Your Mac must be awake and allow access for the Mac account you use to sign in. FastScreen is coming soon.
Which username and password should I enter?
Use the Mac account name and password of a user allowed in the Mac’s Screen Sharing settings. FastScreen does not use your Apple Account or the separate password for VNC viewers. FileVault pre-boot sign-in is not supported.
Can I choose between multiple Mac displays?
Yes, when the Mac supplies display information. Use the display picker to choose a monitor or the complete desktop. FastScreen remembers your display and view preferences for that Mac. It does not create an extra virtual display. Selecting a display changes your view; to change Spaces on a particular display, first click a window on that Mac display.
How do Performance, Balanced and Quality differ?
Performance uses 50% of the native width and height, Balanced uses 75%, and Quality uses native resolution. Lower dimensions reduce detail and can help on a slower connection. All modes use full color and leave the Mac’s display resolution unchanged. Change the mode in the connection editor or in-session Controls; changing it during a session reconnects to the Mac.
Where are my saved Macs and passwords stored?
Saved Macs and connection preferences stay in FastScreen’s app storage on your iPad. Saving a password is optional. When enabled, it is stored in Apple’s Keychain on that iPad with iCloud Keychain synchronization disabled. FastScreen has no EZV account or cloud sync service, and your passwords are not sent to EZV.
How do I remove a saved connection or password?
In Macs, open the saved Mac’s menu and choose Delete to remove its connection record and saved password. To keep the connection but remove its password, edit it, turn off Remember password on this iPad, enter the Mac password for that session and tap Connect. Delete saved passwords before uninstalling; uninstalling alone is not a reliable way to erase Keychain items. Deleting a connection does not delete your Mac account or files on the Mac.
Is the remote session encrypted?
Mac-account authentication protects credentials during sign-in, but standard VNC desktop and keyboard or pointer traffic is not encrypted by FastScreen. Connect only on a trusted local network or through your own trusted VPN. FastScreen does not provide a VPN, encrypted tunnel or session relay.
Does FastScreen support audio, clipboard sync or file transfer?
FastScreen currently provides remote video and control. It does not stream audio, synchronize the clipboard, transfer files, record your screen, create virtual displays, wake a sleeping Mac with Wake-on-LAN, or unlock FileVault before macOS starts. Monitor selection depends on server metadata. A 60 Hz viewer does not guarantee 60 desktop updates per second.
Need a hand?
Email us with your iPad model, iPadOS and macOS versions, what you were trying to do, and the exact error message. Let us know whether you are on a local network or VPN. Please leave out passwords and private desktop content.
Email FastScreen supportinfo@ezv-software.com
