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  • Overview
  • Getting started
    • Meshnet explained
    • How to start using Meshnet
      • Using Meshnet on Windows
      • Using Meshnet on Android
      • Using Meshnet on iPhone/iPad
      • Using Meshnet on macOS
      • Using Meshnet on Linux
      • Using Meshnet on Android TV
    • How to use Meshnet securely
  • Features
    • Linking devices in Meshnet
      • Linking external Meshnet devices on Windows
      • Linking external Meshnet devices on Android
      • Linking external Meshnet devices on iPhone/iPad
      • Linking external Meshnet devices on macOS
      • Linking external Meshnet devices on Linux
      • Linking external Meshnet devices on Android TV
    • Explaining permissions
      • Remote access permissions
      • File sharing permissions
      • Traffic routing permissions
      • Local network permissions
    • Renaming devices in Meshnet
      • Renaming devices on Windows
      • Renaming devices on Android
      • Renaming devices on iPhone/iPad
      • Renaming devices on macOS
      • Renaming devices on Linux
    • Sharing files in Meshnet
      • Sharing files on Windows
      • Sharing files on Android
      • Sharing files on iPhone/iPad
      • Sharing files on macOS
      • Sharing files on Linux
      • Sharing files on Android TV
    • Routing traffic in Meshnet
      • Routing traffic from Windows
      • Routing traffic from Android
      • Routing traffic from iPhone/iPad
      • Routing traffic from macOS
      • Routing traffic from Linux
      • Routing traffic from Android TV
  • How-to guides
    • Gaming
      • How to set up a private Minecraft server with Meshnet
      • How to set up a private Stardew Valley server with Meshnet
      • How to play Quake 3 Arena over Meshnet
      • How to set up a private Team Fortress 2 server with Meshnet
      • How to set up a remote game-streaming server for Moonlight
      • How to set up a Palworld dedicated server
      • How to play Fallout: New Vegas multiplayer over Meshnet
      • How to set up a private Factorio server with Meshnet
    • Remote files and media access
      • How to set up and access shared folders
        • Configure and access shared folders on Windows
        • Configure and access shared folders on macOS
        • Configure and access shared folders on Linux
        • Access shared folders from Android
        • Access shared folders from iPhone/iPad
        • Access shared folders from Android TV
      • How to watch videos over Meshnet using Kodi
      • How to configure and access a Jellyfin media server remotely
      • How to set up a Plex media server and access it remotely
      • How to set up a remote NAS using OpenMediaVault and Meshnet
      • How to set up a remote picture library with LibrePhotos and Meshnet
      • How to use Syncthing for remote continuous file synchronization
      • How to set up a remote Airsonic music server
      • How to set up HTTP File Server for remote file access
      • How to set up a remote audiobook server
      • How to host a remote Kavita e-book server
      • How to set up and remotely access Immich using Meshnet
    • Remote device access
      • How to log in to your PC remotely over Meshnet
        • Connect to a Windows device
        • Connect to a macOS device
        • Connect to a Linux device
      • How to access remote systems over Meshnet using SSH
      • How to access your IP camera over Meshnet
      • How to use Home Assistant remotely over Meshnet
      • How to make secure macOS Time Machine backups from anywhere
      • How to use Ansible over Meshnet
      • How to access files in your NAS from anywhere without compromising its security
      • How to set up a phone as a security camera with remote access
      • How to assign custom host names to Meshnet services using Nginx proxy manager
      • How to use Proxmox VE remotely over Meshnet
      • How to set up a remotely controlled 3D printer
      • How to set up and remotely access a CasaOS server
    • Joint projects
      • How to set up an NGINX web server and remotely access it over Meshnet
      • How to use Nextcloud file syncing with Meshnet
      • How to set up pair programming using tmux
      • How to set up a Visual Studio Code server for remote development over Meshnet
      • How to host a Focalboard server for remote project management
      • How to use Meshnet for multi-screen Node.js development
      • How to use the Multi-user editing plugin in Unreal Engine over Meshnet
      • How to set up a private Mumble voice chat server
      • How to host a private Rocket.Chat server
    • Own VPN server setup
      • How to set up a VPN server through self-hosting or with DigitalOcean
      • How to create a VPN server with Microsoft Azure
      • How to create a VPN server with AWS
      • How to create a VPN server with Google Cloud
      • How to create a VPN server with Linode
      • How to create a VPN server with Hetzner
    • Network protection
      • How to set up your network protection with Pi-hole
      • How to set up your own DNS server
      • How to protect your network with AdGuard Home
      • How to use the self-hosted Whoogle search engine remotely
      • How to set up a VPN router using Meshnet
  • Troubleshooting
    • Common issues on Windows
    • Common issues on Android
    • Common issues on iPhone/iPad
    • Common issues on macOS
    • Common issues on Linux
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On this page
  • Create a sharing user
  • Configure a shared folder
  • Access shared folders
  • See also

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  1. How-to guides
  2. Remote files and media access
  3. How to set up and access shared folders

Configure and access shared folders on macOS

Learn how to configure shared folders and access them on macOS over Meshnet.

PreviousConfigure and access shared folders on WindowsNextConfigure and access shared folders on Linux

Last updated 10 months ago

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In this article, you will learn how to set up a shared folder on macOS and access another device's shared folder from a macOS device.

Create a sharing user

To grant access to your shared content for Meshnet peers, you need to create a new sharing user on your macOS. This newly created account must have a username and password, which will serve as authentication credentials for accessing the shared folder.

  1. Select the Apple menu > System settings, and then click Users & groups.

  2. Click Add user.

  3. Enter your device's password and select Unlock.

  4. In the new window, click the New user pop-up menu and then choose Sharing only.

  5. Enter a name and password for the user.

  6. Click Create user.

  1. Click the Add account button.

  2. Enter your device's password and select Unlock.

  3. In the new window, click the New account pop-up menu and then choose Sharing only.

  4. Enter a name and password for the user.

  5. Click Create user.

  1. Unlock the settings menu by clicking the lock in the lower-left corner of the window.

  2. Enter your device’s password and select Unlock.

  3. Click the plus (+) button on the sidebar menu.

  4. In the new window, click the New account pop-up menu and then choose Sharing only.

  5. Enter a name and password for the user.

  6. Click Create user.

Configure a shared folder

Once you have created the sharing account, you can proceed to enable file sharing on your system and share your desired folder.

  1. In the Shared folders section, click the plus (+) button, choose the folder you want to share, and select Open.

  2. Click the Options button.

  3. Under Windows file sharing, select the user account you created earlier and click Done. You may be asked to enter the password of the added user.

  4. Click Done to exit.

Note

Due to a bug in macOS Sonoma, sharing-only users may not be displayed under the Windows file sharing section. In such cases, you should use your standard macOS user credentials to access the shared folder.

  1. Add the folders you want to share by clicking the plus (+) button in the Shared folders section.

  2. Click the Options button.

  3. Under Windows file sharing, select the user created earlier, and click Done. You may be asked to enter the password of the added user.

  4. Click Done to exit.

  1. Select File sharing and add the folders you want to share by clicking the plus (+) button.

  2. To allow devices with other operating systems to access the shared folders, click the Options button in the File sharing section.

  3. In the new window, select Share files and folders using SMB, select the user created earlier, and click Done. You may be asked to enter the password of the added user.

  4. The finished configuration should look as shown:

Note

To access the shared folder, the peer device will need to use the sharing account's username and password for authentication.

Access shared folders

Note

You can find platform-specific instructions for accessing the shared folder in the appropriate guides:

  1. Copy the sharer's Nord name from the NordVPN app by clicking it and choosing Copy device’s Nord name.

  2. In the new window, enter smb://, paste the Nord name followed by a slash (/) and the name of the shared folder, and then click Connect. Example

    smb://secret.meerkat-andes.nord/MeshnetFolder

  3. Click Connect once more to confirm the connection.

  4. Select Registered user, and enter the username and password for accessing the shared folder.

  5. If you don't want to enter authentication details for this folder again in the future, select the Remember this password in my keychain option.

  6. Click Connect.

The shared folder should now open in Finder.

See also

Select the Apple menu > System settings, and then click Users & groups.

Select the Apple menu > System preferences, and then click Users & groups.

Select the Apple menu > System settings > General, and click Sharing.

Under Content and media, enable the File sharing toggle and click the Infobutton.

Select the Apple menu > System settings > General, and click Sharing.

Enable the File sharing option and click the Infobutton.

Select the Apple menu > System preferences, and then click Sharing.

To connect to a folder shared by a peer device in your Meshnet from a macOS device, you can use the Connect to server function of Finder .

Control-click Finder and choose Connect to server.

Access shared folders from Android
Access shared folders from iPhone/iPad
Access shared folders from Android TV
Configure and access shared folders on Windows
Configure and access shared folders on Linux
"Add user..." button highlighted under a list of users.
"Add user..." button highlighted under a list of users.
New user creation window with filled in details.
New user creation window with filled in details.
New account creation window with filled in details.
New account creation window with filled in details.
Lock button
User account creation window
"File sharing" toggle enabled.
"File sharing" toggle enabled.
"meshnet" user account selected and "Done" button highlighted.
"meshnet" user account selected and "Done" button highlighted.
"Done" button highlighted.
"Done" button highlighted.
Enabling the File sharing toggle.
Enabling the File sharing toggle.
Enabling SMB sharing for the 'meshnet' user.
Enabling SMB sharing for the 'meshnet' user.
Enabling SMB sharing for the 'meshnet' user.
File sharing settings
Selecting "Copy device's Nord name" in the NordVPN app.
Selecting "Copy device's Nord name" in the NordVPN app.
"Connect to server" option highlighted.
"Connect to server" option highlighted.
Shared folder's path entered in the "Connect to server" dialog.
Shared folder's path entered in the "Connect to server" dialog.
Access shared folders from Linux
Access shared folders from Windows