BoxView
Coming soon

Get help from family.

BoxView Helper is a small app for your Mac. Once it's set up, someone you know can call you from their iPhone or iPad, talk you through a problem, and see your screen when you allow it.

Download BoxView Helper BoxView-Helper.zip · macOS 11 or later

How it works

  1. 1

    Someone sends you a link

    It starts with boxview.app/join. Open it on the Mac that needs help, and the page shows you what to do next.

  2. 2

    You install BoxView Helper

    Download it and open it. It shows you who sent the invite and asks whether to accept, then checks that Screen Sharing is ready.

  3. 3

    They call, and you answer

    When they call, BoxView Helper rings on your Mac. Answer, and you can talk straight away. If they ask to see your screen, your Mac asks you first.

Screenshot · support-ringing BoxView Helper ringing on the Mac, with Answer and Decline Mac crop · 1600 × 1000

You stay in charge

Every call rings first, and you can decline it. Your Mac asks again before anyone sees the screen. You can end a call at any time with End in BoxView Helper.

What it asks for

BoxView Helper needs two things from your Mac. You set each of them once.

Your microphone

So that you and the person helping you can hear each other. The first time, your Mac asks whether BoxView Helper may use the microphone. Click OK or Allow.

Screen Sharing, turned on once

BoxView Helper uses the Screen Sharing that comes with your Mac, set so that your Mac asks you before anyone can see or control the screen. It shows you what to switch on and tells you when it's done. These are the steps it takes you through:

macOS Ventura or later

  1. Choose Apple menu › System Settings, click General, then Sharing.
  2. Turn on Screen Sharing, then click the ⓘ button next to it.
  3. Turn on Anyone may request permission to control screen, then click Done.

macOS Monterey or earlier

  1. Choose Apple menu › System Preferences, then click Sharing.
  2. Tick Screen Sharing, then click Computer Settings…
  3. Tick Anyone may request permission to control screen, then click OK.
Screenshot · support-setup BoxView Helper's Screen Sharing window, showing what's left to switch on Mac crop · 1600 × 1000

Remove BoxView Helper

To stop one person helping, click the BoxView Helper icon in the menu bar and choose Remove followed by their name. To remove the app itself, follow these steps. Nobody can reach your Mac through BoxView Helper once it's gone.

  1. 1

    Quit BoxView Helper

    Click its icon in the menu bar at the top of the screen and choose Quit BoxView Helper.

  2. 2

    Move it to the Bin

    Find BoxView Helper in your Applications folder, or in Downloads if it's still there, and drag it to the Bin in the Dock. On some Macs the Bin is called Trash.

  3. 3

    Turn Screen Sharing off again

    If you turned on Screen Sharing only for this, go back to the Sharing settings above and turn it off.

If you're the one helping

You'll send invites from BoxView on your iPhone or iPad, with Invite Someone to Get Help in the + menu on its home screen. Remote support isn't in the app yet.