Mocha VNC Lite Reviews

by LychanPred

MochaVNCLite is purely a tool for selling RealVNC. It doesn't tell you up front that MochaVNCLite does not work with the "Free Personal Trial Version" of the RealVNC software. Hidden in the FAQ is where it states that they have found that you need to use the "RealVNC Enterprise Edition". When you click to download the "free trial", after the software has loaded and you start it for the first time, it tells you that your "Free Trial" time has expired. Ironically it is supposed to be a 30 Day Free Trial. If this is the case, then all our calendars should read April 1, 2015. I started the process and then 9 minutes later I was told my "30 Day Free Trial" had expired but I could purchase a new license if I want to continue to use "RealVNC". I actually never got to test MochaVNCLite, since I couldn't even use the RealVNC program that they push in MochaVNCLite's documentation. Oh, by the way, RealVNC is also the ONLY VNC Program that MochaVNCLite Designer says works properly with thier "Mocha VNC"... sounds to me like it is a "Mocha Lotta $hit"

by Caa100

UPDATE: version 2.0 takes away the ability to toggle mouse control on and off. It is far less responsive, and cannot zoom out for a full screen view. DO NOT UPDATE. Cutting back rating from 3 stars to 1.

Original Review:

At the time of this writing, this was the only free VNC viewer available for the iPhone. As other reviewers have pointed out, it is somewhat crippled. You can't send certain keys, like Ctrl-Alt-Del, and you cannot use the right mouse button. Once you get past all that, MochaVNCLite does what is left nicely. (EDIT: NOT SO WITH V. 2.0, see update above) With my iPhone connected via wifi to my home network, the speed with which I could access my home PC's surprised me. Looks pretty good, too. You can use the standard iPhone gestures to move around the screen, and zoom in or out. This could cause the remote cursor to move around a lot, so they provide a button you can press to suspend control of the remote system's mouse. (EDIT: NO LONGER SO, SEE ABOVE) Tap it again when you are ready to take back control of the mouse. Functionality is plain vanilla. There is no chat support, no ftp support (though I dont know what you would have on your iPhone that you would want to uplaod), and no support for encryption plugins like the ones supported by the UltraVNC server. Still, it is pretty decent.... (EDIT: NO LONGR SO)

by DrUnifex

Feels half hearted. Doesn’t work well and has terrible instructions. Eg how do you leave a session i had to kill MochaVNCLite to get out of a VNC session.

by Mem10123

The program is great, but after the iPhone OS 3.0 upgrade, the VNC program hangs up often. It seems to be during a first connection attempt to a computer via the connection medium for a session.

That is, either 3G&VPN to a server, or WiFi direct internal. Selecting the server hangs the program. Hit the Home button to quit, then rerun the MochaVNC and you can't get a connection list at all. Keep quitting and rerunning until a connection list can be brought up, and -then- it seems to work, but only for the Server you did before. Tedious but I guess it works.

I emailed the developer who just said Apple broke it with VNC for OS 3.0. So yeah Apple might have some responsibility, but MochaSoft: please look into making it work again and not just hoping Apple changes something that randomly makes it work in 3.0.1 months from now!

by BubbaX

Being way too lazy to get off the couch one day to reboot a system in another room, I decided to search MochaVNCLite store for a free VNC client. MochaSoft's VNC Lite was the only such app and with that hearty recommendation, I decided to give it a try.

Let me say that I'm pleasantly surprised. I'm running v.2.1, so far have two XP-based systems in my connections list, and MochaVNCLite is doing what I wanted it to do. I don't miss a CTRL-ALT-DEL key option or anything like that. And I'm able to manage and manipulate programs on my client computers pretty much the same way as I do when I'm sitting in front of them, provided I don't try to do anything too elaborate.

The one thing I wish could be improved would be a better refresh speed. I sat here at my desk, VNC'ed in to the computer in front of me, and it took almost ten seconds for the VNC screen to reflect what was on the big monitor in front of me.

But, beggars can't be choosers.

Great app - thanks!

by Turbo240Z

Using the built in remote screen control in mac os x configured to allow vnc clients this worked well with my iPad. In the configuration screen of MochaVNCLite you cannot scroll down the bottom of the options while the keyboard is popped up. Other than that all works as listed. The picture looks great when sized any way. Mouse precision is very good.
I wish I could view the mouse when it is moved by the host machine. The mouse pointer only updates when you move it through the Mocha VNC client.
I'd like a way to size to fit exactly my ipad screen even if it messes up the aspect ratio of the screen, and multi touch on the screen shouldn't resize, it'd be best if it could be used to scroll a page like when using a laptop mouse pad.
Thank you for offering this for free. I did not have any memory problems as many have mentioned. Maybe because I'm using Mac's built in VNC server rather than one from the people that sell VNC server.

by NoisyTrumpet

I downloaded this little app with some reservation due to all the negative reviews. I set up my MacBookPro to accept VNC connections in about 1 minute and logged onto it using MochaVNCLite about 2 minutes later!! The iPads screen resolution is less than your computer so obviously you'll have to scroll around a bit but the interface seemed to work ok over my local network.

I'm not exactly sure how to right click but then I probably need to RTFM. I was also able to connected to a horrible windows vista machine no problem. So anyone who says this FREE app doesn't work is probably not setting it up correctly.

Setting up any type of VNC server is going to require some reading and research (hint check your windows firewall setting, anti virus apps or router) unless you want to pony up $30 for those zero config apps so please read the bloody manual before you post negative comments or better still get your bespeckeled basement dwelling computer nerd cousin to help you!!! In years past I too have spent hours tooling around with routers and firewalls trying to get stuff like this to work so you have been warned !!!

by HKlatinGUY

i discvrd via MochaVNCLite store i could convert my iphone into a mouse. at first i thought for what? but i soon had a need for it. i initially checked out jumimouse and although it worked the pointer would fly all over my main screen or sometimes just dance around in directions completely opposite of what i wanted. i decided to check out VNC and it seemed like a very confusing and technical process just to get it up and running. long story short; i installed the entire thing (both on my iphone and pc in under 10 mints. no kidding. since my goal was only to get my phone to act as a mouse (watch a lot movies online and sometimes want to pause/rew/for etc without walking back to the other side of the room) i COMPLETELY missed the part i can also view everything on my monitor right on my iphone. (practically a mirror image. i think this is really great product, it more then served its purpose. my only concerns are security ones. there is the encrypted password option, but i hope additional security measures are added to MochaVNCLite.

by LeahClark

Ummm what can I say... SOOOOO impressed with free application can not wait to buy version (hopefully modestly priced, PUH-LEASE Mocha) I can just imagine that time that I am traveling and forgot to save a file to idisk and want to show someone an image from my desktop or forgot to upload those pesky notes for my next meeting....

2 quips... it was a little slow for me and I couldn't use scroll bar for lists :(

I am not an uber tech that can understand what sort of time I can expect it to take for my phone and mac to have their little convo and make it so that a change takes place but i saw an instant change on my mac and my phone took quite a while to reflect the change even over wifi connection....and I couldn't use the scroll bar to scroll down my applications list on my desktop, nor could i access my toolbar.... but holy cow how useful..... TYTYTY from the girl that always seemed to forget her homework on the dining room table.... Can't wait to see the new version and mocha tech rep please contact me so I can learn more about your amazing product :)

by TheWorkz

I find it hillarious how most of you are complaining about Bait and Switch. Especially since you havent paid for ANYTHING! A free app should always have its limitations unless its open source and its only fair to the developer to pay for something they spent time and money on. The developer appears to simply be making a change to the product so it can be sold in a way that it was originally intended. I never had the previous version of the software installed as I just got my iPhone, but I really like the free version and plan on paying for the full version to get the full functionaility.

Right after install, it worked amazingly well with an existing UltraVNC install I had on WinXP. I was shocked as to how well it worked over wifi, and its not too bad over 3G. Only complaint is that it does warn me of Low memory, but I can still work around that. Great Job MochaSoft, and I would ignore these complaints as well. You will never make everyone happy, but you have made my day. :) Thanks!

by CapnJack78

The time limit was raised to 5 minutes. Thank you! Honestly this is the most useful app that I have. I manage my Plex server and run ThinVNC on it. MochaVNCLite works perfectly. The controls and mouse clicks work well and I've been very happy with it. On average it takes about 5-10 seconds to connect and then I'm off doing whatever I need to do. I can right-click on taskbar icons and everything. I'd buy the full version if it was just a little bit cheaper.

by Maimaipanda

This program does exactly what it promises without any hassle or complications. I followed the directions on the developer's home page and was connected to my computer within 3 minutes via Wi-fi. It works exactly as you might expect letting you open/view/delete files etc. (depending on your computer settings) just as if you were sitting in front of your computer. Screen refresh was amazingly fast and I was very pleased to see how smoothly the zooming/panning was implemented. Best of all, it's free. Based on the other reviews it seems that if you want to connect to a windows machine you might need the paid version to gain access to the "del" key, but for connecting to mac via Apple Remote Desktop, this is not needed. Even if you had to pay for it it'd be a great deal, but for free? It's amazing!

by Stvsan

In using remote control on mobile devices, this is hands-down the best one I've used so far. I can even access my Linux box. I've used old PocketPCs, the Zaurus, and all versions of Windows Mobile phones with all forms of RDC and VNC. The zoom, panning, and keyboard controls are perfectly suited for the iPhone. MochaVNCLite is best suited on a wifi connection. You'll get frustrated over Edge...I don't have the 3G yet so I cannot comment on that experience. If you're familiar with VNC, you'll be very satisfied. It's strange to read any negativity around this product being that it's free. If you don't have a jailbroken phone, this is your only option but they did a great job! For those unfamiliar with VNC, you'll need to install the service in order to access your computer. Go to MochaSoft's website under the FAQs for reference and download links.

by Mikekz

I installed Mocha VNC Lite on my iPhone and TightVNC on my Vista destop and the setup and configuration of everything took less than two minutes. Mocha VNC Lite does what I need in a VNC client and that's the ability to control my desktop and read documents while on the job. Network admins controlling servers remotely should use either Mocha VNC or Jaadu VNC, both of which offer more features.

You have to option to install TightVNC as a program or a service, and those with any security concerns should install it only as a program and launch TightVNC only if you know you will need it that day before leaving for the office. Those without security concerns should install it as a service and allow it to run on boot. Both Mocha VNC Lite and TightVNC have worked flawlessly for me so far.

You really can't beat Mocha VNC Lite for the price.

Larry

by IPhone-1.0

MochaVNCLite is absolutely fantastic. There are some minor scrolling enhancments to be corrected hopefully in the pay version. Which I am patiently waiting for. I knew nothing about VNC, but as a result of reading these comments, I downloaded TightVNC and installed it, ( not as a service ). My system is a Windows XP SP3. I then adjusted my firewall to allow in port 5900. Downloaded the Mocha VNC Lite app, and added it to my iPhone. Once all was installed, I opened TightVNC, changed my password, and by holding the mouse over the PC tray Icon, saw what the IP address was. Then open iPhone app VNC Lite, used the IP address, and changed the password to what I used in TightVNC. Then [ Connect ], and instantly my home omputer desktop page appeared then I executed Excel & other programs, no problems at all. Also remember that [ EDGE ] didn't work for me, I had to use wireless. Sorry for the long winded comment, but still awed by MochaVNCLite . This process worked for me, may not work for everyone.

by ChrisN75

This is MochaVNCLite that will finally let many people leave their laptops at home. While the iPhone's small screen is not the best for getting a lot of work done, the ability to access every file and every application on your home or work computer is amazingly convenient. Wheter you need a file, to look up info in a database or spreadsheet, or generate a report you can now access it all from your iPhone. I have been using VNC for years to administer systems for clients ad it often saves me hours of driving to make a simple change, but it still required bringing a laptop along and having high speed access for it.

MochaVNCLite seems very responsive and it is easy to scroll and zoom. It would probably be sluggish on edge because VNC clients are receiving the entire screen image from your computer but on wifi it works great and I will soon test it on 3G. One word of advice: set it up before you leave to make sure all your settings work correctly. There are good instructions on the developer's website.

by Nysalesman

I was really impressed with MochaVNCLite! Although it's not perfect, I gave it five stars because it's free and really gives you a lot of bang for your buck (espeically since your not paying a buck). I have a laptop that often travels with me, but keep the bulk of my files on my ext hard drive, which stays in my office. As such, I have a desktop computer always running at home in my office, which I use as a bluetooth server to backup my external HD. Now when I'm on the road with my laptop packed away, I can still access the files backed up on my desktop through my iPhone.

This works perfectly with RealVNC. In fact, I even installed the real VNC viewer on my laptop so I can remotely control my desktop from across the room. The only thing it to remember to set whatever VNC program you are using as an exception in your firewall or you won't be able to connect from your iPhone and won't know why.

Unfortunatley, I don't have a need for more functionality so there's no incentive for me to purchase VNC pro, but I may anyway just to reward the developers for creating such an excellent app.

by Rjgogo

I have a Mac Mini that is headless that I use for a music server. The Remote app is okay but has limits. I already had VNC set up so I could access though my computer. I looked for the iPad remote version but it was the same as the one for the iPhone. Then I found this. I think most of the negative reviews are from people that don't fully understand how to set up VNC on their system or those that access across subnets or the internet which can be problematic for users that don't have experience with that aspect, I can't speak to those users, but if you use this on a local network and have VNC working on a computer this will set up in less than a minute, it is flawless. This is the best app I have downloaded yet.

As stated above, it took me less than a minute to get this to work on my system. I entered the IP address and password and it was up and running. There are also added benefits, if I want to see flash, I can VNC to the mini and enter the address and view over this. I really can't figure out why this would have any negative reviews. Now I have full access to itunes and everything else on my headless mini from my iPad. What a great app.

Edit to add, I am going to buy the full version but for free this is the best deal going.

by Stevesteele.com

I have three Mac Pros in a studio. Almost everyday I need to be in another part of the studio but still need to have Finder access to my host and slave Macs. I use Mocha VNC 4.4 as a part of my daily workflow. I wish Apple included Remote Desktop into iOS, but we have Mocha VNC thankfully.

With the 12.9” iPad Pro and its large real estate I can freely move around and comfortably continue to work.

I’m giving version 4.4 5-stars. I’m not sure their reasoning for providing a free lite version then suddenly giving it a 2 minute time period within a decimal upgrade, especially when many people have app upgrade on automatic. Luckily I don’t. I’m glad I read the description for 4.5 first. I feel that was a little sneaky. Perhaps so many people were happy enough with the Lite version they weren’t paying for the full version. Still, it could have been handled a little better.

That being said, it’s only $5.99. And for an app that it a part of my daily workflow, I obviously have no problem paying.

I like the features the full version adds, (mouse support- hopefully local, a Bluetooth mouse connected to my iPad Pro and fully controlling macOS just as if I was in front of Mac - I need to read the description further), Mouse Easy, and encrypted sign on.

Question: Does Mocha VNC support Mission Control via function keys, the default F3 key (hasn’t worked for me), , macros or mouse gestures? I hope so. That’s something I need. I have two monitors connected to my host Mac Pro, and each monitor has at least four desktops via Mission Control, plus I use Screen Sharing in a full screen desktop to access my Mac slaves. It would be nice if a simple swipe gesture would allow me to easily move between desktops spaces.

Regardless, my reason for writing a review is to say that I much fancy this solution which keeps macOS touch-screen free, than Windows 10. IMO, touchscreens are only ergonomically feasible if they can lay flat on a surface. Plus it enhances the Apple eco-system which I fully use and embrace, (AirPlay, iCloud and AirDrop). Anything Mocha VNC can add to improve functionality with these workflows would be very helpful.

Thanks to the developer for making a VNC app that doesn’t require me to create an account, or sign up for a service like many of the other developers do. I will never support those apps where possible.

Please keep Mocha VNC account-based free, and support Mission Control and the Apple eco-system (of you already don’t). I will be purchasing more MochaSoft apps.

by Mean And Pinchy

I got the free version just to try it out. It took me only minutes to set up connections with both my (Ubuntu) desktop and laptop. Couldn't be simpler; entered the IP addresses and the passwords, hit Connect, and I was all set. Over wifi, I can use my 1280x800 laptop with 32-bit colour, but the desktop has dual displays and the resolution is high, so it runs the phone low on memory after a short time. The desktop is quite useable at 8-bit, though, if not precisely pretty, and that's no fault of MochaVNCLite itself. I'm taking it out for a test-run outside my home network, but I've already set up port-forwarding on the router, so I don't anticipate any problems; it'll just be slower than wifi. I'm giving it five stars because it works well and has all the functionality I really need, for free. That said, I'll buy the full version. Not because I really need the extra features, but because the price is very reasonable and I want to support the developers.

by Robert1014

Using the free VNC Lite 1.1, I was able to help my mother, who is in another state, resolve a problem on her Mac by connecting to her desktop and looking at it. I moved some files from her desktop to the trash and deleted them, and the problem (she was getting a message stating "0 kb available") was resolved. If I should ever find a need for the ability to do more extensive remote interaction with my own or her computer, I'll happily upgrade to the full version. HOWEVER, I subsequently upgraded to VNC LITE v. 2.0 as it claimed "better screen control" as its new feature. But, whereas v. 1.1 had a scroll button (in the shape of a pointing finger), v. 2.0 does NOT have a scroll button that I can find. Whereas I do see a bit better control in navigating AROUND the screen, without the scroll button I could not find a way to move open windows or other icons around ON the screen. This seems to me a step back in functionality. I deleted v. 2.0 from my iPhone and synced to my computer, as I still had v. 1.1 stored in iTunes, and reinstalled v.1.1. When they replace the scroll button or provide instructions on how to utilize the lost functionality, I'll consider upgrading again.