BoxView

Call and help

Call someone's Mac, talk, see their screen, and end the call.

Call

A Mac you help shows a green Call badge with the person's name on its card, and whether it's Online.

  1. Tap the Mac's card.
  2. Choose Call, or Call with Microphone Off to start without either microphone. You can turn yours on during the call; theirs comes on when you unmute, or when they click Unmute.

The card shows each step:

  1. Reach the Mac through boxview.app.
  2. Waiting for them to answer: their Mac rings.
  3. Log in to Screen Sharing.
  4. Waiting for them to share the screen: macOS asks them on the Mac.
  5. Show the screen.

Once they answer you can talk, even before they share the screen.

During the call

A bar at the top shows who you're talking to and for how long, and muted when they've muted their microphone.

  • Mute turns your microphone off or on.
  • The red End Call button hangs up and closes the session.

You use their Mac as in any session: touch and gestures, keyboard, and if their BoxView Helper offers it, the window list and Quick switcher. In the session controls, On the Call has Clicks shown: rings on their screen where you click, so they can follow, and rings on yours where they click.

When the call ends

  • If they click End Call, BoxView says they ended the call and closes the session.
  • If you hang up, their call ends straight away.
  • If the connection drops, BoxView calls straight back, and their Mac lets you in again without ringing for a short while.

Switching to another app pauses the call's sound; their Mac waits 25 seconds for you to come back.

If the call doesn't go through

MessageWhat it means
The Mac isn't onlineBoxView Helper isn't running on it, or it's asleep or offline. Ask them to open BoxView Helper.
The call was declined.They clicked Decline.
Nobody answered on the Mac.It rang for 45 seconds.
Someone else is already helping on that Mac.Another call is in progress.
Screen Sharing is off on that Mac.BoxView Helper has shown them how to turn it on.
This Mac doesn't take requests to share its screen.They need Anyone may request permission to control screen in Screen Sharing's options.
The Mac's user declined to share the screen.They said no to macOS's request.
This iPhone isn't paired with BoxView Helper on that Mac any more.They removed you. Send a new invite.

Tap Try Again to call again.