These Three Apps Will Help You Access Your Computer Remotely
Not so many years ago, accessing a computer remotely—over the Internet, from another device—was an extremely complex undertaking that was challenging even for IT professionals. However, these days there are a number of intuitive apps that make work much easier, and they are often free to use.
This extends to scenarios where you need to access your computer from your phone. While you won’t want to spend a full Windows or macOS session on your mobile phone screen, you may, for example, need to start (or stop) a certain operation while you’re away from your desk, or access a specific file.
All you need is the smart software on your computer, matching the smart mobile app on your phone, and you’ll be able to connect seamlessly – be it Android, iOS, Windows or macOS.
Chrome Remote Desktop
Google’s Chrome Remote Desktop remains one of the best ways to access one computer from another computer. It’s fast, easy and free, and there are mobile apps for Android and iOS . If you do a little setup ahead of time on the computer you want to access in the future, everything should work pretty smoothly.
First, using Google Chrome, go to the Chrome Remote Desktop Portal on your computer, sign in to your Google account if you haven’t already, then click Access My Computer . Click “Enable” in the “Remote Access Setup” section and follow the simple instructions. You will need to enter your computer’s name to identify it and a PIN to control access.
Then leave Chrome running on your computer while you travel. Whenever you need access, open the Chrome Remote Desktop app on your phone, and once you’re signed in to your Google account, your available computers should be listed at the top of the Remote Access tab. Click on any of them to connect.
Teamweaver
Like Chrome Remote Desktop, TeamViewer is a powerful remote desktop access tool that also has mobile apps available for Android and iOS . All of this is free for personal, non-commercial use. Again, you’ll first need to do some setup on the computer you’re connecting to before you can use your phone.
Head over to the TeamViewer website to get the desktop client for Windows or macOS, then run the installer and follow the instructions to get everything set up (including a free TeamViewer account if you don’t already have one). In the client, click the Home icon in the toolbar on the left, then write down the Connect with ID details on the right.
Leave your computer and TeamViewer on while you’re away, and then you can use the TeamViewer mobile app to connect: you’ll need to log into your TeamViewer account, confirm that your phone is a trusted device using the link sent by email, and then use the ID and password details you recorded in TeamViewer on your desktop. You’ll see separate Remote Control and File Transfer options, so select the one you need.
Zoho Assist
Finally, we have Zoho Assist. Like TeamViewer, it’s aimed primarily at businesses and professionals, but if you don’t need a lot of extra bells and whistles—you just need to access your computer from your phone every now and then—then there’s a free plan available for personal users. .
The first step in setup is to go to the Zoho Assist website, register for a Zoho account, and launch the desktop web interface. If you then go to the Offline Access tab and click Add Device , you will be able to install the required software. for Windows or macOS and start your session.
All you need to do is install the Zoho Assist app for Android or iOS . As long as you’re signed in using the same Zoho account, the app should automatically recognize the session you started on your computer and be able to connect to it – switch to the Offline Access button and then click Connect next to your computer . you want to access to see it on your phone screen.