Introduction
Remote control on macOS works the same way it does everywhere else in Level: click the OS icon next to an online device and a live desktop session opens in a new browser tab, end-to-end encrypted and peer-to-peer when network conditions allow.
What's different on macOS is Apple's privacy model. Screen capture and input control are gated behind explicit permission grants, and a session won't work fully until those are in place. This article covers the required permissions, how to grant them at scale, and the session behaviors specific to macOS.
For session controls, toolbars, and clipboard tools, see Remote Control. Those work the same on every platform.
Required Permissions
macOS requires explicit permission grants before any app can capture the screen or control input. Level needs three, all under System Settings → Privacy & Security:
Permission | What it enables |
Screen Recording | Capturing the display. Without it, there's no remote desktop view. |
Accessibility | Mouse and keyboard input during sessions. Without it, you can see the desktop but can't interact with it. |
Full Disk Access | File operations through File Explorer and patch management. |
Granting these requires admin credentials on the device. The install modal lists all three as a reminder, and the macOS Install article covers the post-install grant flow step by step.
⚠️ WARNING: If remote control connects but shows a black or empty screen, Screen Recording wasn't granted. If you can see the desktop but your mouse and keyboard do nothing, Accessibility wasn't granted. These are the two most common macOS remote control issues, and both are fixed in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
Granting Permissions at Scale
Clicking through System Settings on every Mac doesn't scale. For MDM-managed environments, Level provides a PPPC (Privacy Preferences Policy Control) mobileconfig profile that handles most of it.
The profile grants Accessibility and Full Disk Access silently via MDM policy. Screen Recording is a protected privacy permission that Apple doesn't allow any MDM to grant silently. Instead, the profile allows non-admin users to approve the Screen Recording prompt themselves, so end users can complete the last step without admin credentials.
Download and deployment details are in macOS Install.
ℹ️ NOTE: The mobileconfig file is a sample. Behavior varies across MDM vendors, so test in your environment before deploying broadly.
macOS Session Behaviors
A few things to know once you're connected.
Lock screen access works. You can connect to a Mac sitting at the lock screen and unlock it from the session. Use User Sessions in the top toolbar to switch to an active user session if one exists.
Multi-monitor is supported. Use the Display dropdown in the top toolbar to switch between monitors.
Clipboard sharing works as described in Remote Control. On the macOS lock screen, use Paste rather than Send clipboard, since it mimics keystrokes instead of writing to the restricted clipboard.
Both architectures are supported: Intel (x64) and Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3). Remote control behaves the same on both.
ℹ️ NOTE: The macOS service account that Level creates on Apple Silicon devices is for patch management only. Remote control doesn't use or require it. If you dismissed the service account prompt at install, remote control still works normally.
FAQ
I connected to a Mac and the screen is black. What's wrong? Screen Recording permission wasn't granted to Level on that device. Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording on the Mac and enable Level. You may need to do this locally or via another management tool if you can't see the screen to fix it remotely.
I can see the Mac's desktop but can't click or type. That's missing Accessibility permission. Enable Level under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility. Since you can see the screen, you may be able to guide an end user through it, but the toggle itself requires admin credentials unless your MDM profile pre-granted it.
Can I grant all the permissions silently through my MDM? Mostly. The Level PPPC profile silently grants Accessibility and Full Disk Access. Screen Recording can't be granted silently by any MDM (it's an Apple restriction), but the profile lets non-admin users approve that one prompt themselves.
Can I remote into a Mac when no one is logged in? Yes, at the lock screen. You can unlock the device from the session. The exception is a Mac that's powered off or sitting at the pre-boot FileVault unlock screen, where the agent isn't running yet.
Does remote control need the Level service account on Apple Silicon? No. That account exists for patch management. Remote control works whether or not it was set up.
Why did remote control stop working after a macOS upgrade? Major macOS upgrades occasionally reset or re-prompt privacy permissions. Check System Settings → Privacy & Security and confirm Level is still enabled for Screen Recording and Accessibility.