What changed in Screens from 3 to 5

We're pleased to announce the release of Screens 5.8.7 and Screens Connect 5.3, which now support both Sign in with Apple and Sign in with Google. Until now, creating a Screens Connect account required signing up with an email address and password. While that worked well, it also added extra steps before you could get up and running. With today's release, getting started is faster and simpler than ever.

Sign In, Connect, and Go

When creating a new Screens Connect account, you can now choose:

• Sign in with Apple
• Sign in with Google
• Email address and password Using Apple or Google means:
• No password to create or remember
• No account verification emails
• Fewer steps during setup
• A faster path to remote access For many users, this means going from launching Screens to connecting to their computers in just a few clicks.

Existing Users Can Switch Too

Already have a Screens Connect account created with an email address? You can switch your existing account to Sign in with Apple or Sign in with Google. Before doing so, make sure that:

• You are running Screens 5.8.7 or later on all your devices
• You are running Screens Connect 5.3 or later on all your computers After switching, you'll need to sign in again anywhere you're currently signed in using your email address and password. This ensures all your devices and computers are using the same authentication method and remain properly linked to your account.

Important: macOS Compatibility

Screens Connect 5.3 requires macOS 10.15 Catalina or later. If you need to install Screens Connect on an older Mac running macOS 10.13 High Sierra or macOS 10.14 Mojave, continue using Screens Connect 5.2 and a traditional email address and password. Sign in with Apple and Sign in with Google are not available on those older versions of macOS.

Getting the Update

Screens 5.8.7

Screens 5.8.7 is available now on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/screens-5-vnc-remote-desktop/id1663047912

Screens Connect 5.3

Screens Connect 5.3 is available:

• Via Screens Connect → Check for Updates...
• From https://edovia.com/screens-connect

Looking Ahead

Adding Sign in with Apple and Sign in with Google is an important step toward making remote access setup as simple and friction-free as possible. Whether you're setting up a headless Mac mini, accessing your workstation remotely, or helping friends and family, getting connected should be easy. We hope these new sign-in options make getting started with Screens even faster and more convenient. As always, thank you for using Screens.

Typing on a remote computer isn’t always convenient—especially on mobile devices or when you just want to get something done quickly. With Screens 5.8.6, we’re introducing Dictation, a simple and powerful way to speak text and have it appear instantly on your remote machine. Whether you’re connecting from your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Vision Pro, you can now use your voice to input text just as naturally as you would locally.

Built on Apple’s Latest Speech Recognition

Dictation in Screens leverages Apple’s latest on-device speech recognition technologies introduced in:

• iOS 26
• iPadOS 26
• macOS 26
• visionOS 26 Because of this, Dictation is only available on those OS versions or newer. The benefit? Fast, private, and highly accurate transcription.

How It Works

Using Dictation is intentionally simple:

• Connect to your computer as you normally would
• Tap or click the Microphone button in the toolbar
• Start speaking
• Tap the checkmark when you’re done Screens will then type the recognized text directly into the active field on the remote computer. No copy-paste. No extra steps. Just speak and go.

Available Across All Platforms

Dictation is available everywhere Screens runs:

• iPhone – Perfect for quick input on the go
• iPad – Great when using touch or Apple Pencil
• Mac – Seamlessly integrated into the toolbar
• Apple Vision Pro – A natural fit for spatial computing For new users, the Dictation button is available right away. If you’ve been using Screens for a while, you may need to enable it in: Settings > Controls > Toolbars

Permissions: One-Time Setup

To turn your voice into text, Screens needs access to:

• Your microphone
• Speech recognition The first time you use Dictation, you’ll be prompted to grant access. Once enabled, you’re all set. If you previously declined, you can re-enable permissions in your system settings:
• On iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro: Settings > Apps > Screens
• On Mac: System Settings > Privacy & Security

A Few Tips

• Make sure the correct window or text field is focused on the remote computer before dictating
• Speak clearly for best accuracy
• Background noise and microphone quality can affect results

Why This Matters

Remote desktop apps have always been about access—but input matters just as much. Dictation removes friction. It lets you respond faster, work more naturally, and stay in the flow—especially on devices where typing isn’t ideal. It’s one of those features that feels small at first… until you start using it. You can give Dictation a try today in Screens 5.8.6.

We’re excited to announce that Screens 5.7 is now available for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro! This update not only adds full support for version 26 of Apple’s platforms, but also introduces fresh features, design refinements, and important improvements across all devices.

iPhone

A New Library Experience

Screens on iPhone now sports a modern design with a Tab Bar, making it faster and more intuitive to navigate your connections: We’ve also added unified search, letting you quickly find recent connections or browse all your saved ones—wherever they are.

Compact Toolbar with Liquid Glass

Screens now takes full advantage of Liquid Glass, letting you see through the toolbar for a more immersive feel. Based on your feedback, we’ve also redesigned the toolbar with a compact layout, giving you quicker access to your controls. Prefer landscape? The compact toolbar is available there too:

iPad

Menu Bar Support

With iPadOS 26, the Mac comes even closer to iPad. Screens now supports the new system menu bar, bringing all toolbar commands and shortcuts into one familiar place: And with the new Hide on Hardware Input option, Screens will automatically hide the toolbar when you type on a keyboard or use a pointing device, making the experience even closer to macOS. You can re-enable it anytime with a two-finger double-tap. You'll find Hide on Hardware Input in the app settings under Controls > Toolbar Visibility.

Liquid Glass Everywhere

On iPad, Screens applies the Liquid Glass effect to Docked and Floating toolbars, offering a consistent, refined look.

iPhone & iPad Enhancements

Smarter File Transfers

Screens 5.6 introduced file transfers, and now Screens 5.7 takes them further. Thanks to the new background task API in iOS/iPadOS 26, large file transfers keep going even if you switch apps. You’ll also see progress updates via a Live Activity:

Safer Drop Target

To avoid accidental transfers, we added a lock delay to the Drop Target. Hover for a second to confirm and start the transfer—an animation shows when it’s locked. Of course, the Drop Target also benefits from Liquid Glass: Move away to cancel, or tap the Drop Target to dismiss it.

Mac

On Mac, Screens gets the same elegant Liquid Glass treatment: The connection window toolbar has also been redesigned to group related controls together: And beyond file transfers, you can now drag and drop text, images, and URLs to and from Screens using the pasteboard—making cross-device workflows even smoother.

Vision Pro

On Vision Pro, Screens 5.7 introduces the new download Drop Target and brings general stability improvements and bug fixes. Everything else you love remains unchanged.

Availability

Screens 5.7 is available today on the App Store.

• iOS/iPadOS: requires version 17.6 or later (some features require iOS/iPadOS 26)
• macOS: requires macOS 14 or later (some features require macOS 26)
• visionOS: requires version 2.0 or later For the full list of changes and fixes, see the Release Notes.

We’d like to share some exciting news with you regarding Screens 5.2, which is now available, featuring a brand new native Vision Pro version. Screens on Vision Pro brings an unparalleled level of functionality to remote computing. Similar to the experience on a Mac, this version allows users to seamlessly manage multiple connections simultaneously. The connection windows packed with useful features, with not one but two toolbars for quick access to essential shortcuts and commands, enhancing productivity with just a glance and a pinch. Moreover, Screens introduces intuitive gesture controls for effortless cursor control of your remote computer:

• Pinch and move your hand to control the cursor
• Pinch for a click
• Double pinch for a double-click
• Pinch and rotate with two hands for a secondary click
• Pinch and move with two hands for smooth scrolling As on iPad, Screens 5.2 for Vision Pro also fully supports hardware keyboards and pointing devices, making it the ultimate Screen Sharing client app on Vision Pro. One other significant enhancement in Screens 5.2 is the introduction of a new rendering engine, addressing previous issues associated with OpenGL dependency, which is not available on visionOS. This new engine not only resolves those challenges but also delivers noticeable performance improvements, ensuring a seamless and responsive user experience. Screens 5.2 is also available on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS and also introduces some improvements as well:
• Easily declutter your interface by hiding unused sections.
• Organize library items based on connection count for better organization.
• The Spotlight shortcut now automatically brings up the virtual keyboard. (iOS)
• Configure Screens to use ⌘-\ on your hardware keyboard for seamless app switching, bypassing iOS limitations with ⌘-Tab. (iOS)
• Optimize your experience with specific codecs for PC connections.
• Customize image compression quality for each connection to suit your needs.
• Create and delete your Screens ID directly from the app instead of going on our website. Notably, Screens on Vision Pro is included in all our subscription plans, including the Lifetime option. You can check out Screens on the App Store or on our website.