Answers that get you back into flow.

Vision Pro does not find the Mac

• Put both devices on the same local network. A Mac connected by Ethernet is fine when the router permits local-device traffic.
• Confirm VisionDesk is running on the Mac. The menu-bar status should say Waiting for Vision Pro… or show a connected headset.
• Allow incoming connections if the macOS firewall asks. VisionDesk uses TCP 47823 (control) and UDP 47824 (video) on the local network — a filtering tool such as Little Snitch must allow the Mac Host on those two ports. Guest networks, enterprise client isolation, and “AP isolation” can block Bonjour discovery.
• Try a personal hotspot once. If discovery works there, the original router or network policy is the cause.

Screen Recording permission is missing or denied

1. Open System Settings ▸ Privacy & Security ▸ Screen Recording.
2. Enable VisionDesk. Authenticate if macOS locks the control.
3. Return to VisionDesk and relaunch once only if macOS requests it.

If VisionDesk is absent from the list, choose Grant Screen Recording… in the Mac app to open the system flow.

The screen stays black or on a placeholder

• Check that the Mac Host says it is actively streaming.
• Confirm Screen Recording permission still exists for the installed copy in Applications.
• Disconnect and reconnect once after a monitor topology change or Mac wake.
• Quit and reopen the Vision Pro app if the stream state is stale.

Start with Standard mode—not Maximum Quality

Standard mode is the tuned default: it preserves a 2560-pixel long-edge budget for Retina-class text, runs the focused screen at up to 60 fps when its geometry stays inside the measured one-frame encoder budget, and lowers peripheral cadence before sacrificing source detail. At the five-screen hardware limit, only the four non-focused streams step down to a 1600-pixel long edge; the screen you face or interact with promotes to 2560. Maximum Quality lifts the ceiling to 4K and can look sharper, but it also increases hardware encode time, bandwidth, and headset decode work.

Make text clearer without adding a frame of delay

• On Vision Pro, open Visuals and keep Sharpen small text enabled. Begin near the default strength and raise it only until text edges are clear without halos.
• Move a screen slightly closer or reduce its physical size before enabling Maximum Quality. More pixels per visible degree often produces a bigger clarity gain than a heavier stream.
• Use a Mac display resolution appropriate for the screen’s spatial size. Extremely high source resolution on a small distant plane wastes encoder work.

What “foveated” means in VisionDesk

VisionDesk never receives raw eye-tracking data. It uses the active screen and a privacy-preserving head-direction estimate with hysteresis to keep the screen you are working on in the focused quality tier while reducing peripheral bitrate and cadence. This is foveated stream allocation across screens—not a blurry low-resolution patch inside the focused display.

Performance feels stuttery

• Leave Maximum Quality off, then reduce a peripheral screen’s source resolution or active display count.
• Keep the Mac near the router and prefer a clean 5 GHz, 6 GHz, Wi-Fi 6, or Wi-Fi 6E link where supported.
• Avoid guest networks, VPN routes that capture local traffic, and congested 2.4 GHz channels.
• Check the stream-health view for packet loss, RTT, stale frames, and decode spikes before changing several settings at once.

Audio crackles or briefly drops out

• Confirm the local network is strong and low-loss; avoid congested 2.4 GHz and isolated guest networks.
• Temporarily reduce active display count to separate network saturation from an audio-device problem.
• Disconnect Bluetooth audio devices from the Mac and test the built-in output once.
• If crackling repeats several times per second, stop using that build and file an issue with a timestamp and redacted Console logs. Repeated crackling does not meet the release quality gate.

What is included for free?

VisionDesk Free includes one complete Mac display with resolution, audio, pointer and keyboard input, aspect-ratio choices, spatial controls, visual clarity settings, and Apple system-environment coexistence. Streaming quality and latency optimizations are not reduced for Free users.

How does the 14-day trial work?

The trial starts only after an eligible user confirms a monthly or yearly subscription in Apple’s StoreKit purchase sheet. Apple determines eligibility and shows the exact trial, localized price, and renewal terms before confirmation.

Restore, manage, cancel, or request a refund

• Open the Pro sheet by choosing a Pro feature, then select Restore Purchases after reinstalling or moving to another Vision Pro with the same Apple Account.
• Select Manage Subscription to change or cancel in Apple’s system interface.
• Use reportaproblem.apple.com for refund requests. VisionDesk does not receive payment details and cannot issue App Store refunds.

What happens when Pro access ends?

An open immersive workspace is not interrupted. After exiting or disconnecting, VisionDesk returns to one active display. Saved workspaces and Custom Photos remain stored locally but locked, so renewed access restores them. Verified access remains available during Apple’s configured billing grace period.

Does Family Sharing work?

Both Pro plans are configured to support Family Sharing. Apple controls eligibility and purchase sharing; each family member restores through their own Apple Account.

How do saved workspaces sync?

While paired, the Mac and Vision Pro synchronize profiles over the same encrypted local connection as the session. Profiles include screen count, aspect ratios, resolutions, positions, distances, sizes, rotations, tilt, and curve. No profile is uploaded to a VisionDesk cloud service.

How do I match distance and physical size?

VisionDesk Pro adds Precision Layout on Mac. Select one or more screens, enter distance in metres, and choose a percentage of the largest common physical diagonal. Multi-selection applies the same distance and diagonal in Flat, Curved, or Mixed layouts.

A connected physical monitor is missing

• Confirm it is active in System Settings ▸ Displays and leave VisionDesk open while macOS reports the topology change.
• Reconnect the VisionDesk session once if the monitor was attached while the Mac slept.
• VisionDesk Pro includes active physical displays up to the five-screen workspace limit; Free remains one display.

macOS shows an unidentified-developer warning

A public notarized DMG should not produce that warning. Delete the copy, download again only from the official Mac Host page, verify the checksum, and reinstall. Every public release is expected to include a stable Developer ID signature and stapled notarization ticket.

The host keeps asking for Screen Recording

macOS binds the permission to an app’s code signature. Local unsigned source builds can change identity after rebuilds. Use the notarized public DMG, or contributors can use ./scripts/build-host.sh with a stable Apple Development identity.

Automatic update is not working

• Choose VisionDesk ▸ Check for Updates….
• Confirm the Mac can reach the public release feed.
• Move VisionDesk into Applications; Sparkle cannot replace an app launched directly from its DMG.