How to Remote Desktop from Windows to a Mac
This guide shows how to connect to your Mac with the Remote Desktop Connection app (mstsc.exe) that already comes with Windows. Install RDPyon on the Mac and it accepts RDP connections. You install nothing on Windows.
What you need
- A Mac running macOS 12.3 (Monterey) or later. Apple Silicon and Intel both work.
- You are logged in on the Mac. You sign in with the Mac owner's short account name and its password.
- A network path between the Windows PC and the Mac. Use the same network or a VPN.
- An RDPyon license key.
Steps
1. Install RDPyon on the Mac
Open the .dmg file and drag the RDPyon icon into the Applications folder. Then open RDPyon from Applications.
2. Allow the Mac permissions
Allow the permissions the app asks for on first launch (Screen Recording, Accessibility, and so on) in System Settings under Privacy & Security, then restart the app.
3. Find the Mac's address
Click the RDPyon icon in the menu bar. It shows "Local IP" and "Port". On the same network, use the Local IP. The default port is 3389. You can change it from 1024 to 65535 with "Change Server Port" in the menu.
4. Open Remote Desktop Connection on Windows
Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box and type the command below. Replace the address and port with the values from step 3.
mstsc /v:MacAddress:Port /prompt5. Sign in with your Mac account
Choose "More choices" or "Use a different account", then enter the Mac's short account name and your Mac login password. An empty password is rejected.
6. Check the connection
When the Mac screen appears in the Remote Desktop window, you are connected. While you are connected, a connection bar shows at the top of the Mac screen.
What works / what does not
Check this before you buy. Everything below is as of RDPyon 1.0 (October 2026).
What works
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Client | The built-in Windows Remote Desktop Connection (mstsc.exe). Nothing to install on Windows. |
| Supported Macs | macOS 12.3 or later. Both Apple Silicon and Intel. |
| Sign-in | Your Mac account's short name and password. The connection uses TLS. |
| Screen size | The Mac screen is sent at the size of the Remote Desktop window. How well a window resize is followed can vary by client version and settings. |
| Clipboard | Copy and paste text and images between the Mac and Windows. |
| Sound | Sends the Mac's sound to Windows. Needs macOS 13 or later. It is on by default; turn off "Forward Mac Audio" in the menu if you do not want it. |
| Shortcuts | Windows Ctrl is sent as Mac Cmd, and the Windows key as Mac Ctrl. Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V work as you expect. |
| Port | Default 3389. You can change it to any value from 1024 to 65535. |
| Choosing a display | If your Mac has several displays, pick the one to send with "Select Monitor" in the menu. |
What does not work / limits
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| NLA (Network Level Authentication) | Not provided. The Mac account is checked over a TLS connection. |
| Server-side sign-in screen | None. You enter your credentials in the Remote Desktop Connection window. |
| Simultaneous connections | One session at a time. |
| Multiple displays | One display is sent at a time. |
| Failed sign-ins | After 5 failed attempts in a row from the same IP address, connections are blocked for 30 seconds. The block gets longer with each further failure. |
| Korean/English key and Hanja key | The Korean/English key switches the Mac input source, and the Hanja key is sent as Option+Return. A keyboard that uses Right Alt as the Korean/English key cannot be told apart from Option. mstsc may also capture the Windows key, Ctrl, or CapsLock first, so behavior can differ by setup. |
| Locking local input while connected | Not available yet (the menu item is marked "coming soon"). |
| Mac screen lock | If the screen is locked, connecting may fail. Unlock the Mac first. If the screen locks during a session, the connection ends with the default setting ("Disconnect when screen locks" is on). You cannot connect at the login window right after a restart or log out. |
| Copying and pasting files | Not guaranteed yet. |
| Mac App Store | RDPyon is not distributed through the App Store. You download and install it directly. |
If you cannot connect
Windows says it cannot continue because authentication is not available.
If you connect with an .rdp file instead of the command above, check whether that file contains the line enablecredsspsupport:i:0. With that line, mstsc on Windows 10 does not ask for TLS and the connection is blocked. Remove the line and try again.
After the October 2026 Windows update, connecting as a non-administrator fails with error 0xC000000D.
Microsoft lists this as a known issue of the October 2026 Windows 11 update (KB5127648) when Administrator protection is turned on. Until Microsoft ships a fix, connect with an administrator account on the Windows PC, or turn Administrator protection off in Windows Security and try again.
You typed your password but it is rejected.
Choose the other-account option and enter the Mac's short account name (not the full name) and your Mac login password. After 5 failures in a row, connections are blocked for 30 seconds.
The Mac screen does not appear.
In System Settings, check that you allowed the permissions RDPyon asked for (Screen Recording, Accessibility, and so on). Restart the app after you allow them.
Frequently asked questionsSee system requirementsRDP server for Mac: how it works and common errors