How To Allow Outside Apps On Mac

Running into issues installing downloaded apps on your Mac in Sierra or High Sierra? Is your computer telling you the file is damaged? Watch this video to le. 30 percent revenue share. Let’s be honest, forking over 30 percent of each sale is a steep.

Mac Allow App From Anywhere
How To Allow Outside Apps On Mac Computer
How To Allow Outside Apps On Macbook
How To Allow Outside Apps On Macbook Pro

Remote access to Mac, anywhere

Get Screens and work across multiple remote Macs.

While many countries are on a lockdown due to COVID-19, remote work is becoming a lifestyle. Remotely accessing a Mac is designed to be easy. Apple has spent a lot of time ensuring anyone can log in to their Macs — both desktop and laptop — from any other Mac device, anywhere. And, besides, there are a variety of third-party apps ready to help with that too.

Still, remotely managing their Mac sounds overly complicated to a lot of people. From how you connect to sharing files or screens to using your Apple device as a remote mouse, we want to demystify the process in the easy-to-follow guide below.

Best Remote Access Apps for Mac

There are times when you want to access your Mac remotely, and there are many different solutions to remote access your Mac. Best utilities in one pack, give it a go!

How to access your Mac from another location

There're two ways: you can allow remote login to your Mac from another computer, or allow others to access your computer using Remote Desktop (it's available from the App Store).

Allow remote login to your Mac from another computer

For devices using the same macOS, you can allow remote Mac login using a Secure Shell (SSH). This enables Mac remote desktop access using a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP).

To set up Remote Login:

Go to System Preferences > Sharing
Select Remote Login.
Choose which users you want to have remote access or the ability to control your Mac.

You can either select All Users, which means any other device on your network, or any Mac you own, can access and connect, or click the plus sign to pick the exact users.

When you want to remotely log in to your Mac from another device, you need to know your username (the name that appears when you login) and your computer's IP address. Write them down and keep them safe, as allowing access to your Mac does make it potentially less secure, especially over cellular or public Wi-Fi networks.

Accessing, controlling, or viewing information on your Mac can be done with a built-in Terminal or any other SSH app using your username and IP address.

Allow others to access your computer using Apple Remote Desktop

With macOS remote Mac access and control is even easier. To set up it:

Go to Menu > System Preferences > Sharing
Select Remote Management - it should appear as a checkbox.
Now you can select who has remote desktop access. Either select, All Users, which means any other device on your network, or Mac you own, can access and connect, or click the Add button(+), which gives you the ability to select who can have remote access and/or control.

If you are using a VPN or VNC viewer and want to access your Mac remotely, you will need to setup a password first. It is also possible to use iOS devices, such as an iPhone and iPad, through Apple Remote Desktop, available from the App Store.

How to stay on the same page with Screens

Collaboration has become of utmost importance to today's workplaces. And with more and more people working remotely, being on the same screen (ahem, page) is a must.

Screens allows you to work remotely with any computer regardless of your location. Whether you are on a business trip or traveling, stay confident knowing you can access any file on your home computer at any time.

This robust screen sharing tool for Mac supports:

Multiple displays
Drag-and-drop file sharing
Hiding your remote screen while accessing it
Accessing other computers (e.g. colleague's) as a guest
Alternative shortcuts (useful when connecting Mac to PC)
Custom actions in case of disconnection

To start using Screens, get the app from Setapp and configure the following:

Remote login and remote management (as per the guide above)
Install Screens Connect helper app and create a Screens ID on every machine you'd like to connect to in the future
Use your Screens ID in the Screens app and it will automatically determine which of your computers are available for connection

Remote desktop client for Mac

Control any computer remotely – a perfect way to access your Mac from anywhere without limitations.

Share files between devices

Today we have plenty of ways to send and share files. But ask someone to send something, and you are likely to get it through email. Due to the ubiquitousness of email, it's still the default method for file sharing, despite its obvious flaws and constraints.

Fortunately, there are much better ways:

Native macOS File Sharing

Few people know that their Mac has native file sharing functionality built in. To use this feature, activate it in the Sharing pane of System Preferences by checking File Sharing. If you only want to share specific folders, add them to the Shared Folders list. If you only want specific users to access the folder, add them to its Users list. Otherwise, everyone will be able to access it.

AirDrop

Although not the most reliable solution, AirDrop works fine for occasional sharing a file between Apple devices. In the Finder, choose Go and then AirDrop on both the sending and receiving Mac. As soon as you see the receiver's user icon, drag the desired file onto it to send.

Dropshare

If you don't want to send files Mac-to-Mac directly but rather through a cloud storage, there is no easier way than Dropshare. The app works with numerous cloud providers, from Dropbox to Google Drive, and saves your files for sharing by simply dragging them onto its menu bar icon.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

The most technical but also the most robust way to share files from your mac is to use FTP, which you could do either through Terminal or an FTP Client, the latter being much more user friendly.

There are a few popular FTP clients one could choose from. The robust file managing app ForkLift covers most of the FTP functionality but takes it to the next level and could be a viable replacement for the Finder altogether with its quick search, instant previews, and file comparison.

DCommander is another full-featured file transfer app for Mac that combines speed and reliability, able to handle thousands of files, schedule backups, and even automate transfers.

At last, when it comes to sharing the same files on different devices, an app like ChronoSync Express becomes invaluable.

ChronoSync Express is powerful tool for sharing and transferring files from Mac to Mac, or any another Apple device. With a feature called Synchronizer Document, you can select which files need to be automatically synchronized and shared between devices, just like that:

Create a new synchronizer document for each folder synchronization you'd like to perform
Name the synchronization
Change the Operation to Synchronize Bidirectional
Select folders to sync on the left and right
Test with a Trial Sync

Do you need to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network)?

Whether you are working on your Mac directly, logging into your Mac remotely, or sharing access with someone else, security should be on top of your mind.

As a rule of thumb, you should always use a VPN when connected to a public Wi-Fi network, as someone could log in and see the information you send just as easily as you do.

And with remote access — even in the View Only mode — someone can see every file and document on your Mac, except those that are password protected. Unfortunately, if you leave passwords in a visible document, you expose yourself to immense risks.

A secure VPN client for Mac like Shimo is well worth using to stop unwanted eyes from lurking around, especially if you are sharing sensitive files, financial records or customer data.

However, for extra peace of mind and security, consider firing up your VPN automatically on all networks you are not 100% sure about to keep your emails, bank accounts and personal documents safe.

To share your Mac with someone else, download a remote Virtual Network Computing (VNC) app like Jump Desktop. With full remote access and Mac remote control, the other person — or yourself connecting to another Mac — can have the same level of control as the person using that device. Except for Admin level access, since it's password protected.

Starting with Jump Desktop is easy: either yourself (gaining access) or the person you are giving a remote view or control access to your Mac, needs to add details of the device and the password.

Secure your access with VPN

Get a VPN client for Mac to avoid privacy infringement while connecting remotely. It's secure and free to try.

Once permission is granted at the other end, remote Mac screen sharing or control (whereby you can use the iOS device as a remote mouse) becomes possible.

How to use your iOS device as a remote mouse

If your remote work starts on a patio hammock somewhere in east Asia, you should note that Apple iOS devices, such as an iPhone or iPad, can be used to control a Mac remotely, much like a mouse can control a desktop or laptop. Apps that make this possible work on VNC.

Remote Mouse is the easiest, most effective way to turn your iOS device into a wireless remote control for your Mac.

Although remote access through a local network would be most effective, since the closer you are to the device the quicker the connection, it's also possible from anywhere in the world, providing the network is secure and fast enough.

Setting up and granting access to the iOS device is the same process as when someone wants to access using a Mac. Except you need to give them a password. And make sure it is different from your primary Mac or iOS (App Store) one.

So working together or checking on your devices can be done from anywhere in the world and there are lots of ways to do that, from sharing screens and files to having complete access to a system set up far away. Setapp equips you with all the apps needed to remotely access any device you need and elevate your work to the global level.

These might also interest you:

Setapp lives on Mac and iOS. Please come back from another device.

Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.

Read on

Setapp uses cookies to personalize your experience on our website. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our cookie policy.

For iOS Apps

There are two cases which you want to distribute your applications outside the App Store:

Testing Purpose: Before releasing your apps, you would want to test them as much as you can. Thus, you would want to distribute your apps to users (testers) by various ways besides the App Store.
In-house Applications: The applications are made for internal uses (in a company or organization) only.

For in-house distribution, you will need to have an Apple Developer Enterprise Program account.

The differences between Apple Developer and Apple Developer Enterprise programs regarding apps distribution:

Apple Developer Program	Apple Developer Enterprise Program
Beta OS Releases	Yes	Yes
Ad Hoc Distribution	Yes	Yes
App Store Distribution	Yes	No
In-house Distribution	No	Yes
TestFlight Beta Testing	Yes	No
Team Management	No	Yes
App Analytics	Yes	No

For more information about the differences between the two programs, please refer to Choosing a Membership.

There are two ways to distribute your pre-release apps for testing:

using App Store Connect: it’s required iOS Developer Account and takes time since it needs approval from Apple Review prior to the distribution.
using Ad Hoc distribution: it can be done with either iOS Developer and iOS Developer Enterprise accounts. Plus, it doesn’t require the approval from Apple Review.

In-house distribution is to securely distribute your iOS apps to your employees. In other words, you can distribute your app to any company devices. However, if you want someone outside of your company to test your app or restrict distribution to specific devices, you can use Ad Hoc distribution.

Ad Hoc distribution is to distribute your apps using Ad Hoc provisioning profile to registered devices up to 100.

Both types of distribution have the same ways for app installation. The difference is the provisioning profile.

There are several ways you can install your applications outside the App Store as shown in the following sections.

Install using Apple Configurator 2 (Mac Only)

Install Apple Configurator 2 on your Mac from the App Store.
Connect your device to your PC.
Open Apple Configurator 2, select your device. If you device doesn’t appear here, please make sure that your device is successfully connected to your Mac.
Click on Add button and select App option.
Select Choose from my Mac button and browse the .ipa file. Then, the app will be installed on your device.

Install using Xcode

You can install your iOS app (.ipa file) via Xcode as follows:

Connect your device to your PC.
Open Xcode, go to Window → Devices .
Then, the Devices screen will appear. Choose the device you want to install the app on.
Drag and drop your .ipa file into the Installed Apps as shown below:

Install using iTunes

iTunes 12.7 for Mac was released on Tuesday with a major change in the app. Apple has redesign iTunes so that it focuses on sales of music, movies, TV shows, audiobooks, and podcasts. It no longer has an App Store for buying apps for your iPhone or iPad. Therefore, you can no long install your iOS App (.ipa file) through iTunes any longer.

Build your application with with debug or ad-hoc build. For moredetails about iOS build process, please refer to Building an iOS App.
Download the .ipa file after the build completes.
Open iTunes, go to App library.
Drag and drop the downloaded .ipa file into the App library.
Connect your device to iTunes and go to your device apps.
Click Install button of the app and click Sync button. See the example below:

Install using OTA Deployment

OTA (Over-The-Air) Deployment enables you to install your built apps via HTTPS.

Build your application with either debug, ad-hoc or in-house build. For moredetails about iOS build process, please refer to Building an iOS App.
Download the .ipa file after the build completes.
Upload the .ipa file to the site you want.
Create a .plist file for this built application. The .plist file should look like this:
While creating .plist file, please pay attention to these points:
- .plist file must be accessed via https protocol.
- update bundle-identifier with the App ID.
- specify correct path to the .ipa file.
Upload the .plist file to the site you want. Make sure this filemust be accessed via HTTPS protocol.
Create a webpage embedded the link to the uploaded .plist fileusing special itms-services:// protocol. See blow example:
After you get the link, use your device to access the link. Then,you will be prompted to install the application. See below example:

For Android Apps

There are two cases which you want to distribute your applicationsoutside the offical markets such as Google Play Store, Amazon AppStoreand so on:

Testing Purpose: Before releasing your apps, you would want to testthem as much as you can. Thus, you would want to distribute yourapps to users (testers) by various ways besides the officialmarkets.
Personal/Internal Purpose: The applications are made for your ownpersonal uses or just for internal uses.

Install using ADB command

ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is a tool enabling you to use variousterminal commands to your phone.

Prerequisite:

install Android SDK on your computer
locate the ADB path after Android SDK installation
enable USB Debugging and allow installation of apps from sourcesother than the Play Store on your device.

Mac Allow App From Anywhere

In order to install your built app via ADB command: