Messages screen sharing icon greyed out

Hi,

Have you both enabled System Preferences > Sharing > Screen Sharing ?

If so have you got this set to "Everyone" ?

If set to a named person it will refer to a Mac User account on that Mac which you probably don't have.

Same if it says Administrators as that would also be a Mac User Account on that Mac.

8:31 pm Monday; June 8, 2015

Hi,

I beg to differ.

Messages now uses two methods.

The one that iChat always used and the AIM and Jabber accounts did and still do up to Mavericks which is to have the Video Menu items enabled on both ends (You can offer you own screen if it is not set but you cannot see someone else's).

In Yosemite iMessages can not share as well.

This like the FaceTime invoke for Video and Audio chat invokes the Screen Sharing App which is "enabled" in the System Preferences Sharing.

The ichat way of clicking the Screen Share icon at the bottom of a Buddy list of using the Buddies Menu still applies to AM and Jabber base connections.

The iMessages way needs you to use the Details Option then the Screen Sharing icon.

Unfortunately the Messages Help has not been updated on this issues and refers to the method since OS X 10.5 (it has changed the word ichat for Messages but that is it).

9:28 pm Monday; June 8, 2015

HI,

Just to restate again.

AIM and Jabber A/V chats use one method like iChat had.

It uses the Video Menu ( to have all items Enabled)

It then uses the Buddy List to either highlight a Buddy then use the Green icons or the iCons at the bottom of the Buddy List or the Buddies Menu itself.

In this List - if these accounts were on other computers - I could Video or Audio Chat to myself.

iMessages works from the main Window and the Details drop down.

This Invokes the Screen Sharing App which has to be enabled in System Preferences > Sharing > Screen Sharing.

The two cannot cross over.

However if you try the Details button in an AIM or Jabber chat it will try to launch an iMessage Screen Share or Video via FaceTime (as most IDs look like emails it will try any ID)

As far as I can make out the issue is with the Apple Snatmap server that is involved in all AIM and Jabber A/V connections which includes Screen Sharing.

Only this server is in position to effect both AIM and Jabber Chats.

Bonjour would be effected except that LAN connections (even using AIM or Jabber) appear to be working and Bonjour is LAN based.

Although outdated this is the proper page http://www.apple.com/feedback/ichat.html

Add all the details in the Free Text Area about the issue.

8:52 p.m. Friday; August 7, 2015

Hi,

If you cannot Video Chat or Audio Chat using and AIM or Jabber account then Screen Sharing for those Accounst also will not work.

Current evidence is pointing to the SNATMAP server run that connects these chats.

This is being reported from iChat 5.0.3 in Snow Leopard upwards irrespective of updates.

However Starting an iMessages Video Chat invokes FaceTime (So does the Audio)

Since Yosemite the iMessages account can also Screen Share but like the Audio and Video chat it invokes an App Ouside Messages.

This needs to be Enabled.

This is Screen Sharing in System Preferences > Sharing.

You probably need to change it to All Users as the other needs to have accounts on your Mac.

As you can see this make it a VNC connection.

This is what the Finder's Side Bar uses when you use a Share in the List and click the Screen Share button

You can also use the Finder > Go Menu > Connect to Server and start the Server Address with VNC

This Address is Local like the Shares in the Finder's Side bar.

You can use it over the internet but your have to have the ports open the Screen Sharing App uses in your routing device (and at the other end).

The Screen Sharing app is found in Hard Drive Name/System/Library/Core Services/Applications in Yosemite

When iMessages starts this App it will appear in the DOCK.

So.

1) you have to be using the right account to the right person (Contact or Buddy)

2) You have to have Screen Sharing ON if iMessages (It is in the Video Menu for AIM and Jabber).

3) the Contact (if we are still talking iMessages) has to have the same things Enabled.

At this point the Details option should show the Screen Sharing icon as "live".

EDIT.

AS Any email can be an Apple ID anyone you add to a potential iMessages Chat will appear to be valid until you send a iMessages item.

If it is returned as "Not Delivered" or "Not Registered with iMessages" then it may not be an iMessages Contact.

trying to Video or Screen Share before texting is not advised.

8:36 p.m. Thursday; August 13, 2015

Just to add to this, I've got the same problem, and we both checked we had Screen Sharing enabled in System Prefs, and allowed access for all users. We are both running the latest OS X, and we've used FaceTime without issue.

I have other contacts where I can see the icon and it's not greyed out, so it's not a setting at my end. I run two macs (an 1 yr old iMac & a newer MacBook Pro), and it's the same on both (one's a home computer, so they are running on different networks).

Searched and searched and not found a good answer for this. Real shame as it's such a handy feature. Have a feeling it's something silly.

I have the same issue with some contacts but not all of them. Also, the contact I am unable to initiate screen sharing from Messages with is able to initiate it from his end and it works like a dream. We have same OS X version, same settings in screen sharing. Cannot figure out why the screen sharing button is greyed out on my end.

(FYI sharing and even video chat through AIM has stopped working couple of OS updates ago for us, so AIM accounts have been disabled at both end.)