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Remote Desktop

You can access and control the Raspberry Pi desktop remotely from another computer. The recommended method is VNC, which is officially supported on Raspberry Pi OS and provides a reliable and consistent desktop experience.

The following section explains how to enable VNC on your Raspberry Pi and connect to it using RealVNC® Viewer.

Enable the VNC Service

RealVNC Server is preinstalled on Raspberry Pi OS, but it is disabled by default. You must enable it through the configuration tool.

  1. Open a terminal on your computer (Windows: PowerShell; macOS/Linux: Terminal) and connect to your Raspberry Pi:

    ssh <username>@<hostname>.local

    or

    ssh <username>@<ip_address>

  2. Run the configuration tool:

    sudo raspi-config
    ../../_images/ssh_raspi_config.png

  3. Select Interfacing Options and press Enter.

    ../../_images/ssh_interface.png

  4. Select VNC.

    ../../_images/ssh_vnc_vnc.png

  5. Choose Yes, then OK, and finally Finish to exit.

    ../../_images/ssh_vnc_enable.png

Log in with RealVNC® Viewer

  1. Download and install RealVNC® Viewer for your operating system.

    ../../_images/ssh_vnc_download.png

  2. Open RealVNC Viewer, then enter your Raspberry Pi’s IP address or <hostname>.local and press Enter.

    ../../_images/ssh_vnc_login.png

  3. Enter your Raspberry Pi’s username and password, then select OK.

    Note

    When connecting for the first time, you may see a message such as “VNC Server not recognized”. Select Continue to proceed.

    ../../_images/ssh_vnc_username.png

  4. You should now see the Raspberry Pi desktop:

    ../../_images/ssh_vnc_desktop.png

This completes the VNC setup process.

Additional Notes

  • Desktop version required

    • VNC requires the Raspberry Pi to be running the full desktop version of Raspberry Pi OS.

    • If you are using Raspberry Pi OS Lite, install VNC Server manually: sudo apt install realvnc-vnc-server

  • Network performance tips

    • If you experience lag or slow refresh rates, check your network quality.

    • Wired Ethernet generally offers the best performance.

  • Fixing display resolution issues

    • If the VNC window appears too small or the resolution is incorrect, set a fixed resolution via: sudo raspi-config → Display Options → VNC Resolution

  • Ensure VNC is enabled

    If VNC fails to connect, verify that it is enabled in: sudo raspi-config → Interfacing Options → VNC

  • Stopping the VNC service

    To manually stop the VNC Server: sudo systemctl stop vncserver-x11-serviced

  • Security reminder

    • VNC is designed for trusted local networks.

    • Do not expose VNC directly to the internet.

    • For secure remote access from outside your network, use Raspberry Pi Connect or a VPN.