Whether it be a PC or laptop running Windows 10, it’s sometimes not always practical to carry it around with you. Something you do tend to have to hand almost constantly is your Android smartphone. Microsoft offers the ability to remotely control your Windows PC and here are the ways in which you can do that.
There are a few ways in which these remote apps work. Some of them connect via the remote desktop connection protocol that can operate over a data connection and offer a way to view the entire desktop via a remote device. Another protocol used is VNC, which is a similar method to RDP using a different protocol. Other methods will simply allow you to control the mouse and keyboard on your Android device but won’t actually allow you to display the remote display.
Chrome Remote Desktop
One of the most popular methods of accessing a remote machine is through the Chrome browser itself. You’ll need a Google account and be signed in on both the remote machine and the device you want to access from. You’ll be able to screen share, enter text, and have all the resources available as if you were sitting in front of the PC.
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TeamViewer
Most of heard of TeamViewer as it’s probably the most popular app for remote desktop sharing. It works by installing a host program on the remote PC and then using a client app to connect to the assigned ID. Again, it works flawlessly and allows you to even establish a secure connection to transfer files to the PC.
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Splashtop 2
While the offerings up to this point have been free to use, Splashtop 2 offers a paid package for an enhanced experience and is popular amongst those that want a better performance from the remote connection. There is a free version to test it out.
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Microsoft Remote Desktop
Microsoft offers its own official RDP app for accessing your PC remotely. It works as good as you’d expect and can save multiple sessions for quickly accessing your remote connections. You’ll need to make sure you set up appropriate port-forwarding if you want to access your home PC away from your local network.
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DroidMote
This app can provide a remote mouse in case you find yourself without a mouse, which is perfect for PC’s connected to a TV for example being used as a media PC. It works over WiFi and does what it says on the tin.
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VNC Viewer
This app sits right behind RDP as one of the most popular remote connection methods. It lets you see the screen of the remote PC and interact with it. There are not the enhanced features such as file transfer with VNC, but is the go-to app of choice for connected to remote PC’s that are off-site and outside of your local network.
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If you have any apps that you go to for connecting to your PC remotely then please drop us a comment below. These are just a snapshot of some of the many remote access apps available on Google Play so let us know your favorite.
