Chrome Remote Desktop - now connect to PC and from Android smartphone
Hello, Habr.
Today, Google has unexpectedly released an update of its very interesting and useful technology for me - Chrome Remote Dektop, which, according to its name, provides remote access via the Internet to the desktop of the computer to other devices: PC, Android smartphone and, a little later, iOS. More precisely, the new - support for mobile devices, connection for PC was available before. Life tests with the use of a smartphone: under the cat.
The technology allows you to connect to a PC running Windows or MacOS. At hand, I just had a PC with my native Windows and a smartphone on Android with a screen of 4.7
First, we need a Chrome browser. In the search bar, enter
chrome.google.com/remotedesktop
The Chrome store page opens, where you will be prompted to install a browser extension.
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By the way, I recommend installing a plugin for the taskbar, where you can quickly launch both this application and other Google services.
After installation, we launch a new module in the browser (for example, from the Google panel mentioned above). On the page there will be a minimum of interface elements.
In the upper block “Remote Support”, you can allow access to your computer to another PC with Chrome Remote Desktop installed, or you can connect to it yourself. For this pin is used. It is enough to inform his friend, he will enter it in his browser - and everything is ready.
The second block “My computers” is more interesting for us, since it is he who helps to set up a connection to a PC from a smartphone.
Here is a list of computers that support Chrome Remote Desktop technology for the selected Google account. So it is, the PC-smartphone connection works only for within one Google account. This, of course, greatly limits the scope and usefulness of the whole technology. And when you need to connect to a PC of a stranger, it is better to use TeamViewer, whose client for Android already exists (although I’m not going to try it all). Resigned to the restriction, we allow connections for the PC on which we now configure Remote Desktop. You will need to specify a pin code. This completes the PC setup.
On the smartphone install the application of the same name from the Google Play Market. As it turned out, there are a lot of them.
We need, of course, from Google:
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.chromeremotedesktop&hl=en
Install, run, see the interface is even easier.
The screen for the selected Google account displays a list of computers on which Chrome Remote Desktop is installed. If the PC is online and available for connection, the icon is colored, otherwise it is gray. To connect to a PC, click on its name in the list. when you first connect, you will be asked for a pin code. You can "remember" it, so as not to enter later.
When connected, a full-screen PC screen is displayed on the smartphone screen.
At the top of the screen is the control panel, from where you can call the on-screen keyboard, hide this panel (after opening it, you can convince by clicking on the small icon at the top right of the screen) and bring up the menu. The menu contains three commands: send ctrl + alt + del. disconnect from the PC, call help. The latter is quite modest in terms of volume, but the application settings are few.
When connected to a PC, a message is displayed at the bottom of its screen indicating that it is active Remote Desktop.
For the work uses several gestures (they are described in the help). We move the cursor on the PC by sliding on the smartphone screen: we move our finger from left to right - and the cursor crawls on the PC in the same direction. If the PC screen does not fit into the smartphone screen, when you move the cursor, it will also scroll smoothly in the right direction. There is a mashtab function (pinch or spread two fingers). Left-click - clicking on the screen with your finger, right-clicking with the mouse - pressing two fingers. There is even pressing the middle key - three fingers. scrolling the screen - we carry two fingers across the screen. In general, it is easy to remember and quite convenient.
The application does not require a lot of power from a mobile device. On my HTC One with a quad-core processor at a frequency of 1.7 GHz Quallcomm Snapdragon 600, the application loaded a maximum of 2 cores, the frequency did not rise above 1.1 GHz. If there is no way to interact with the application, the processor is at the minimum frequency with one active core (my SoC can disable unused application processors). You can minimize the application, it will hang in the background, keeping the connection, and does not affect the operation of the smartphone.
Of course, for reliable operation, a sufficiently stable Internet connection is required. I tried to use medium power WiFi - it works fine, without a single pause or slowdown on a PC and a smartphone.
The benefits of the application when used in PC-PC mode are not obvious. There is TeamViewer, time-tested and me solution. Chrome Remote Desktop trebet chrome browser, a Google account. This uniquely limits the scope of application. In terms of functionality, the Google option is also far behind TeamViewer (at least at first and second glance)
In the version of "PC-Smartphone" solution also has a big limitation - only for devices under one Google account.
What is the plus? And the fact that if the above requirements are met, we already have a stable and convenient application in order to quickly connect to your PC from any place where there is Internet, to fully interact with the PC from your smartphone. Interestingly, Chrome browser and Remote Desktop application do not even have to be opened on the PC so that you can connect from your smartphone.
The application may appeal to users actively using Google services every day - we got another useful tool. Yes, there are many analogues on the market, plus here it is just in the use of a single ecosystem from a reputable company.
Variants of use can be invented different (below - my scenarios):
- PC control from a distance (for example, at home from a sofa, or during a presentation)
- Connecting to a PC from outside the house (help your loved one install a tricky program)
- Monitoring the process of doing something (automatic testing) on ​​a PC from another part of the office or dining room
I hope the product discussed in the article will be useful not only for me. write in the comments if you need such an application, how else can it be used.
Today, Google has unexpectedly released an update of its very interesting and useful technology for me - Chrome Remote Dektop, which, according to its name, provides remote access via the Internet to the desktop of the computer to other devices: PC, Android smartphone and, a little later, iOS. More precisely, the new - support for mobile devices, connection for PC was available before. Life tests with the use of a smartphone: under the cat.
The technology allows you to connect to a PC running Windows or MacOS. At hand, I just had a PC with my native Windows and a smartphone on Android with a screen of 4.7
PC setup
First, we need a Chrome browser. In the search bar, enter
chrome.google.com/remotedesktop
The Chrome store page opens, where you will be prompted to install a browser extension.
')
By the way, I recommend installing a plugin for the taskbar, where you can quickly launch both this application and other Google services.
After installation, we launch a new module in the browser (for example, from the Google panel mentioned above). On the page there will be a minimum of interface elements.
In the upper block “Remote Support”, you can allow access to your computer to another PC with Chrome Remote Desktop installed, or you can connect to it yourself. For this pin is used. It is enough to inform his friend, he will enter it in his browser - and everything is ready.
The second block “My computers” is more interesting for us, since it is he who helps to set up a connection to a PC from a smartphone.
Here is a list of computers that support Chrome Remote Desktop technology for the selected Google account. So it is, the PC-smartphone connection works only for within one Google account. This, of course, greatly limits the scope and usefulness of the whole technology. And when you need to connect to a PC of a stranger, it is better to use TeamViewer, whose client for Android already exists (although I’m not going to try it all). Resigned to the restriction, we allow connections for the PC on which we now configure Remote Desktop. You will need to specify a pin code. This completes the PC setup.
Smartphone setup
On the smartphone install the application of the same name from the Google Play Market. As it turned out, there are a lot of them.
We need, of course, from Google:
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.chromeremotedesktop&hl=en
Install, run, see the interface is even easier.
The screen for the selected Google account displays a list of computers on which Chrome Remote Desktop is installed. If the PC is online and available for connection, the icon is colored, otherwise it is gray. To connect to a PC, click on its name in the list. when you first connect, you will be asked for a pin code. You can "remember" it, so as not to enter later.
Connecting to a PC from a smartphone
When connected, a full-screen PC screen is displayed on the smartphone screen.
At the top of the screen is the control panel, from where you can call the on-screen keyboard, hide this panel (after opening it, you can convince by clicking on the small icon at the top right of the screen) and bring up the menu. The menu contains three commands: send ctrl + alt + del. disconnect from the PC, call help. The latter is quite modest in terms of volume, but the application settings are few.
When connected to a PC, a message is displayed at the bottom of its screen indicating that it is active Remote Desktop.
PC control from a smartphone
For the work uses several gestures (they are described in the help). We move the cursor on the PC by sliding on the smartphone screen: we move our finger from left to right - and the cursor crawls on the PC in the same direction. If the PC screen does not fit into the smartphone screen, when you move the cursor, it will also scroll smoothly in the right direction. There is a mashtab function (pinch or spread two fingers). Left-click - clicking on the screen with your finger, right-clicking with the mouse - pressing two fingers. There is even pressing the middle key - three fingers. scrolling the screen - we carry two fingers across the screen. In general, it is easy to remember and quite convenient.
Resource intensity
The application does not require a lot of power from a mobile device. On my HTC One with a quad-core processor at a frequency of 1.7 GHz Quallcomm Snapdragon 600, the application loaded a maximum of 2 cores, the frequency did not rise above 1.1 GHz. If there is no way to interact with the application, the processor is at the minimum frequency with one active core (my SoC can disable unused application processors). You can minimize the application, it will hang in the background, keeping the connection, and does not affect the operation of the smartphone.
Of course, for reliable operation, a sufficiently stable Internet connection is required. I tried to use medium power WiFi - it works fine, without a single pause or slowdown on a PC and a smartphone.
Final thoughts
The benefits of the application when used in PC-PC mode are not obvious. There is TeamViewer, time-tested and me solution. Chrome Remote Desktop trebet chrome browser, a Google account. This uniquely limits the scope of application. In terms of functionality, the Google option is also far behind TeamViewer (at least at first and second glance)
In the version of "PC-Smartphone" solution also has a big limitation - only for devices under one Google account.
What is the plus? And the fact that if the above requirements are met, we already have a stable and convenient application in order to quickly connect to your PC from any place where there is Internet, to fully interact with the PC from your smartphone. Interestingly, Chrome browser and Remote Desktop application do not even have to be opened on the PC so that you can connect from your smartphone.
The application may appeal to users actively using Google services every day - we got another useful tool. Yes, there are many analogues on the market, plus here it is just in the use of a single ecosystem from a reputable company.
Variants of use can be invented different (below - my scenarios):
- PC control from a distance (for example, at home from a sofa, or during a presentation)
- Connecting to a PC from outside the house (help your loved one install a tricky program)
- Monitoring the process of doing something (automatic testing) on ​​a PC from another part of the office or dining room
I hope the product discussed in the article will be useful not only for me. write in the comments if you need such an application, how else can it be used.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/219783/
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