Setup & Support
Set up your computers, choose your controls and display preferences, and find help with connections and syncing. Requires iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 or later.
For a full walkthrough, read Access your Mac mini from an iPad using VNC and Tailscale.
Email SupportGlanceVNC requires iOS 18 or later on iPhone, or iPadOS 18 or later on iPad. Connect to a Mac, Windows PC, Linux computer or Raspberry Pi running a compatible VNC or RDP server, or Mac Screen Sharing, that your device can reach.
Tap Add on the home screen, choose VNC under Protocol, enter the host or IP address, confirm the port, choose a sign-in method, and save. Port 5900 is the common VNC default. Addresses can include a vnc:// prefix. Choose the Remote Machine profile that matches your computer, or Unknown for general compatibility defaults.
Tap Add on the home screen, choose RDP under Protocol, enter the host or IP address and port (3389 by default), and save the remote account username and password. Choose the matching Remote Machine profile. Compatible Windows and Linux desktops must have an RDP server enabled and reachable from your device. Ordinary usernames, user@domain names and DOMAIN\username are supported.
Certificates are checked when you connect. If approval is needed, review the server certificate in the app and trust it only after verifying it belongs to your computer. Approval is remembered for future connections; a changed certificate requires a new review. To reset approval, edit the saved RDP connection, choose Forget Trusted Certificate and save.
RDP supports direct connections with TLS and NLA username/password authentication, desktop display, keyboard input, pointer control and scrolling. Version 1.3 adds plain-text clipboard exchange. RDP gateways, Kerberos or Azure sign-in, audio, file or device redirection and controls to request a new remote resolution are not supported. Nearby discovery finds VNC services; add RDP computers manually.
For VNC connections, Shared asks the server to keep other clients connected. Exclusive asks it to disconnect other clients when your session starts. The server decides how to handle the request.
GlanceVNC finds Bonjour VNC services advertised as _rfb._tcp. on your local network. Choose a discovered desktop to create a saved connection. Allow Local Network access when prompted. If discovery is unavailable, check the app’s Local Network permission in system Settings, or enter the host and port manually.
Saved profiles can sync through your private iCloud database when iCloud is available, including the connection protocol, approved RDP certificate fingerprint, remote computer profile and VNC sharing preference. Passwords are stored separately in Apple Keychain and can sync through iCloud Keychain when enabled. Desktop thumbnails and custom backgrounds are stored locally and are not part of CloudKit profile sync.
For VNC, use Automatic for most servers. With a saved username and password, it can select compatible legacy Mac login when offered; otherwise it can use standard VNC password authentication. Choose VNC password for the password configured for VNC viewers. Choose Mac login only when the server offers legacy Apple Remote Desktop authentication, and supply both the Mac username and password.
Enable Screen Sharing on the Mac and the option allowing VNC viewers to control the screen with a password. In GlanceVNC, add the Mac host name or IP address, choose the macOS Remote Machine profile, select VNC password, and enter that VNC password. A Mac account password is not interchangeable with the separately configured VNC password.
Check that your device can reach the computer over your local network or through your own VPN, that the selected VNC or RDP server is running, and that its host, port, routing and firewall settings are correct. GlanceVNC connects directly to your server and does not provide a remote-access relay.
Check the selected protocol and saved credentials. For RDP, use the remote account username and password. For VNC, also check the selected sign-in method. Some Macs offer newer Apple Screen Sharing authentication methods that GlanceVNC does not support; configure a VNC password and select VNC password in the saved connection. Servers requiring Tight Security or VeNCrypt authentication are not supported.
During a connection, tap the upward chevron to show the session controls, open Settings, and choose Touch or Trackpad under Control mode. The change takes effect in the current session. Touch positions the pointer where you touch; Trackpad moves it relative to your finger movement. To set the default for future connections, open home-screen Settings and choose Cursor mode.
With the default gesture settings, tap for a left click, double-tap for a double-click, use a two-finger tap for a right click, hold and drag to move items, use two fingers to scroll, and pinch to zoom the local view. Pinch zoom changes your view of the desktop, not the computer’s screen resolution. For gesture instructions during a session, open the session Settings menu and select How to control your computer.
Tap the keyboard button during a session to show the on-screen keyboard. You can type text and send Enter and Backspace. Use the keyboard dismissal button, or tap the desktop to hide the keyboard in Touch or Trackpad mode. The desktop tap still performs its usual remote click; use the keyboard button to reopen it. Open the expanded session toolbar for clipboard controls; see the clipboard instructions below.
For VNC connections, open home-screen Settings and choose 16-bit or 24-bit under Colour depth. 16-bit is the default and uses less bandwidth; 24-bit provides richer colour. Both use compression and apply to your next connection.
In home-screen Settings, select Choose Background to pick a photo. GlanceVNC stores a resized copy locally. Select Use Default Background to remove it and restore the default appearance. Saved connections can also display locally cached desktop thumbnail previews.
Tap the upward chevron to show the session controls, open Settings, and choose Close Connection. Confirm when prompted.
GlanceVNC negotiates RFB 3.3, 3.7 and 3.8. It supports no-password servers, standard VNC password authentication and legacy Apple Remote Desktop Mac login when offered. Tight framebuffer compression is supported; Tight Security and VeNCrypt authentication are not.
The client supports Tight (including JPEG data within Tight), ZRLE, CopyRect, Hextile and Raw. It also supports Zlib, which it advertises for compatible macOS Screen Sharing sessions. H.264, Tight PNG, standalone JPEG, RRE, CoRRE and ZlibHex are not supported.
GlanceVNC handles desktop-size updates sent by the server. The current app does not offer controls for requesting a different remote resolution. Use pinch zoom to enlarge the local view.
Version 1.3 supports plain-text clipboard exchange in compatible VNC, Mac Screen Sharing and RDP sessions. Tap the upward chevron to show the controls. Copy text on the remote computer, then tap Copy from remote to copy it to your device. Paste to remote sends text from your device clipboard to the remote clipboard; approve the iOS paste prompt if asked, then use the remote app’s Paste command to insert it. Images and files are not supported.
While connecting, GlanceVNC shows a spinner and the current stage. In version 1.3, Mac Screen Sharing waits up to 30 seconds for the initial desktop dimensions and automatically retries once if desktop preparation times out. RDP graphics setup is more reliable, and the app explains when no desktop image arrives within 15 seconds. If the connection fails, the panel explains why and offers Reconnect. Use the close button to return to your saved connections. You can select the error message to copy it into a support request.
Open Settings from the home screen. Under About, What’s New shows a text-based version history, Privacy Policy opens the website and Third-party licences shows the bundled notices without an internet connection. You can also read the privacy policy here.
Email support@glancevnc.com with your device model, iOS or iPadOS version, app version, connection protocol, server type, port, sign-in method and error text. Include the error message from a failed connection, after checking it for private host names or addresses. Do not send passwords.
