remote_macos_get_screenLABSCO SUMMARY
Nothing gets installed on the Mac being driven — Screen Sharing is the whole integration.
That is the trade this makes: no background agent, no Python on the target, works with any macOS version, and the whole native app ecosystem is in reach. The cost is the authentication limit — protocol 30 only — so check that your target Mac negotiates it before planning around this.
What it is
A server that controls a remote macOS desktop through Apple's Screen Sharing, so an MCP client can see the screen and drive the mouse and keyboard.
What you get
- remote_macos_get_screen — a screenshot of the remote desktop
- remote_macos_send_keys — keyboard input to the remote machine
- remote_macos_mouse_move, remote_macos_mouse_click, remote_macos_mouse_double_click and remote_macos_mouse_scroll, all with automatic coordinate scaling
- remote_macos_mouse_drag_n_drop for drag operations from one point to another
- remote_macos_open_application, which activates an app and returns its PID for follow-up steps
- WebRTC screen sharing through LiveKit as an alternative to plain VNC
Requirements
Screen Sharing enabled on the target Mac, Docker Desktop on the machine running the client, and three environment variables — MACOS_USERNAME, MACOS_PASSWORD and MACOS_HOST — passed to the container image buryhuang/mcp-remote-macos-use. Only Apple Authentication protocol 30 is supported.
Setup effort
One command plus credentials — docker run -i -e MACOS_USERNAME=<YOUR_MACOS_USERNAME> -e MACOS_PASSWORD=<YOUR_MACOS_PASSWORD> -e MACOS_HOST=<YOUR_MACOS_HOST> --rm buryhuang/mcp-remote-macos-use:latest
USE CASES
01
Driving an app that has no API
Open the application, then click and type through its real interface the way a person would.
02
Working on a rented or spare Mac
Point it at a machine from a Mac hosting provider — Screen Sharing is usually already on, so there is no setup step.
03
Checking what is actually on screen before acting
Take a screenshot first, then move and click against what you can see, with coordinates scaled for you.
04
Moving a file or item between windows
Run a drag from a start point to a drop point rather than scripting the app.
8 tools
Listed in project docs. Your client may show a different list.
remote_macos_send_keysremote_macos_mouse_moveremote_macos_mouse_clickremote_macos_mouse_double_clickremote_macos_mouse_scrollremote_macos_open_applicationremote_macos_mouse_drag_n_dropBEFORE YOU INSTALL
What to know first
Tools you get
8 tools named in the project's documentation.
Requires
- docker on PATH
- MACOS_PASSWORD in your environment
- MACOS_USERNAME in your environment
- MACOS_HOST in your environment
Where it runs
The documented client runs the server on your machine.
INSTALLATION
Connect your client
Server setup
TERMINAL
docker run -i -e MACOS_USERNAME=<YOUR_MACOS_USERNAME> -e MACOS_PASSWORD=<YOUR_MACOS_PASSWORD> -e MACOS_HOST=<YOUR_MACOS_HOST> --rm buryhuang/mcp-remote-macos-use:latestMCP Clients
Claude Desktop
CLAUDE DESKTOP · JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"remote-macos-use": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"-e",
"MACOS_USERNAME=<YOUR_MACOS_USERNAME>",
"-e",
"MACOS_PASSWORD=<YOUR_MACOS_PASSWORD>",
"-e",
"MACOS_HOST=<YOUR_MACOS_HOST>",
"--rm",
"buryhuang/mcp-remote-macos-use:latest"
]
}
}
}
