Remote desktops on Apple Vision Pro
On Apple Vision Pro a remote desktop is a window you can place, resize and see through. This page covers the window's controls, how input works in the headset, and the glass and background-removal settings. Glass also works on Mac; background removal works on Mac, iPad and iPhone.
The desktop window#
Each desktop opens in its own window with the service's name at the top and a row of controls below it:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Shrink to Orb | Shrinks the window into a small glass orb with the desktop's live picture; pinch the orb to bring the window back. The desktop stays connected. See Shrink a session window to an orb on Vision Pro. |
| Settings (gear) | Opens Desktop Settings, which also holds the display this window shows and, for Screen Sharing (VNC), Quality. See Give a desktop window its own settings. |
| Clipboard | Sync Automatically, then sends this device's clipboard, or copies the remote computer's, and sends Control–Alt–Delete. With Share clipboard off, it says so and types the clipboard's text instead. See Keyboard, pointer, clipboard and audio. |
| Keys | Type Text…, where you type text and choose Send to type it on the remote computer; Escape and Tab; Control, Option, Command and Shift for the next key; navigation keys; and F1–F12. See Keys that are hard to type. |
| Arrows | Drag on it to send arrow keys. |
| ⚡ | Brings the library forward on Active. Pinch and hold it for All Windows; see See everything open with Show All Windows. |
The window is at least 800 × 440 points. It keeps the shape of the display it shows as you resize it, so the picture fills it with no bars (Keep Display Proportions, in Desktop Settings > This Window), and takes that shape again when it grows back from its orb. While Match Window Size is changing the remote computer's resolution to match the window, the window can take any shape instead. See Resolution, scaling and zoom and Keep a window in its display's shape.
A window for each display#
When a computer with several displays connects, each display opens in a window of its own, as if you had a monitor for each: the desktop's window shows the main display, and the others open beside it. Place, resize and zoom each window on its own; each keeps its display's shape. The pointer and keys go to the display of the window you are using, and the pointer is drawn in whichever window shows the display it is on, at the size the computer shows it. All of them share one connection. A Mac sends its whole picture at one scale, so while a Retina display and a standard one are both on screen, each arrives at its own pixels; see Retina displays from a Mac.
Close a display's window when you don't need it: the others stay connected, and that display stops using the network. Closing the last window ends the session. To open a display again, choose Settings in one of the desktop's windows, and under Displays in This Window choose the display's Open … in a New Window, for example Open Display 2 in a New Window.
To keep every display in one window instead, set Display Windows to One Window in Desktop Settings > Connection, or for every desktop in Settings > Desktops. See Several displays.
Input in the headset#
- Look at a point on the desktop and pinch to click there. Pinch and drag to drag.
- Pinching is how you select in visionOS, so it does not zoom the desktop. To see more detail, make the window larger, or use Local Scale in Desktop Settings > This Window.
- A connected keyboard types directly into the remote computer, and a connected trackpad or mouse points and clicks. To take the keyboard back from the desktop, press ⇧⌘Esc; the desktop has the keyboard again the next time you pinch it.
- Without a keyboard, use Keys > Type Text… to send text, the rest of Keys for Escape, Tab, modifiers, navigation and function keys, and Arrows for the arrow keys. A connected keyboard's arrow keys go to the remote computer too, not to visionOS.
Glass#
In Desktop Settings > This Window, the Appearance section changes how this window sits in your space:
- Opacity fades the whole desktop, from transparent to opaque.
- Glass is the window's own glass, from none to Apple's.
The desktop sits inset in the window, with corners that follow the window's. Set both to 0% and only the title and controls remain. Only this window changes, and it keeps these on this device for the next time this desktop opens. To change every desktop window, use All Desktops, beside This Window, or Settings > Desktops, which are the same page; there Clear and Frosted set Glass in one step. A window follows All Desktops until you set its own; see Give a desktop window its own settings. On Mac the same settings apply: the desktop window fades over a frosted or clear backdrop showing what is behind it.
Note
When Reduce Transparency is on in Accessibility settings, the glass controls are unavailable and the desktop is shown opaque with Original presentation.
Remove the remote desktop's background#
Background removal makes parts of the remote image transparent, so a remote window can float over your surroundings or your other windows. In Desktop Settings > This Window, under Background Removal, choose a Presentation:
- Original — the complete image.
- Remove Black — black areas become transparent.
- Remove Background Color — a color you choose becomes transparent. Set the remote computer's desktop background to a solid color, then pick the same color in Background Color, or choose Use Magenta and set the remote background to magenta. Color Code shows the value, for example
#FF00FF; choose Copy to copy it. - Remove Wallpaper — choose Choose Wallpaper Image and select the same image the remote computer uses as its wallpaper. Areas that match it become transparent. The image is kept for this session only.
Matching colors anywhere on the desktop become transparent, including inside apps. Under Edges, Tolerance decides how close a color must be to match, and Edge Softness blends the border.
To go back, choose Show Original, under Presentation: this window shows the complete image, at full opacity. Reset This Window returns the window to All Desktops' settings.
Each desktop window keeps its own presentation, color, tolerance and edge softness on this device, for the next time that desktop opens, except Remove Wallpaper, which lasts for the session that chose its image. To choose them for every desktop window, use Background Removal in All Desktops (the same as Settings > Desktops); it offers Original, Remove Black and Remove Background Color.