Chrome Remote Desktop is one of the most popular remote desktop applications available for free. It’s quick to set up, easy to use and provides a stable connection between remote computers.
Chrome Remote Desktop is more than enough if all you need is connecting to your own devices now and then, or helping out a family member or a friend with a quick computer fix.
But what if you’re starting out an IT support business of your own and need to assist a larger number of remote users outside your network? Will Chrome Remote Desktop suffice?
Let’s dive in and consider some of the key pros and cons of using Chrome Remote Desktop.
Pros
- It’s free. Like any other proprietary remote desktop service, Chrome Remote Desktop comes free of charge. You don’t have to spend a single dollar on a commercial tool if your needs are limited to accessing your own devices on-the-go or remoting into a friend’s computer.
- It’s quick to set up. You don’t have to be tech savvy to run Chrome Remote Desktop on your computer. If you have Chrome browser installed on it, then you’re almost all set.
Cons
- No built-in chat. Built-in text chat is one of the key features of a great remote desktop application, as you’ll obviously need to exchange messages with the remote user in real time to avoid any miscommunication. Sure, you can use Google Hangouts for that, but that’s far from being convenient.
- Chrome browser is required. If you’re not a fan of Google Chrome, which is believed to be quite resource-consuming, then Chrome Remote Desktop isn’t for you, as it doesn’t work with any other browsers. Besides that, you’ll need a Google account to use the application.
- No [drag-and-drop] file transfer. There are many situations where you might need to send a file to the remote computer. While many third-party remote desktop tools, such as FixMe.IT, provide an intuitive file transfer capability by allowing you to drag and drop or copy and paste files or folders, Chrome Remote Desktop fails to do the same.
- Inability to reboot the remote machine and automatically reconnect. This is another vital feature to have when it comes to supporting users remotely. It allows you to restart the remote computer even in the user’s absence and automatically reconnect without having to end the active session. Read this post to learn more about the benefits of using remote reboot.
- No multi-monitor support. In fact, Chrome Remote Desktop does allow to view multiple remote monitors on your screen. The bad news is that all of the remote monitors of the machine you’re connected to will be crammed into your display, and you won’t be able to conveniently navigate between them.
- No multi-session handling. Chrome Remote Desktop simply can’t handle dozens of simultaneous connections with different network settings, which makes it unsuitable for viewing/controlling multiple devices. Techinline’s FixMe.IT, in turn, allows you to run an unlimited number of concurrent remote desktop sessions and easily switch between them in the process. Besides that, FixMe.IT lets you open multiple remote desktop windows and even transfer files between different remote machines.
Conclusion
Whether it’s accessing your own devices on-the-go or sharing your screen with a friend or family member, Chrome Remote Desktop is a great tool that’s free and easy to use. However, if your goal is to deliver high-quality remote tech support, you’d better consider third-party applications such as FixMe.IT. Chrome Remote Desktop is simply not that feature-rich to serve as a full-blown business tool.
Visit our website to learn more about the FixMe.IT remote desktop application and its features. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn to get all the latest product and blog updates as they happen.
Learn More About FixMe.IT
You can use a computer or mobile device to access files and applications on another computer over the Internet with Chrome Remote Desktop. Chrome Remote Desktop is available on the web on your computer. You will need to download the Chrome Remote Desktop app to use your mobile device for remote access. You can set up remote access to your Mac, Windows, or Linux computer. You may have to enter your computer password to give Chrome Remote Desktop access. You may also be prompted to change security settings in Preferences. Learn more about how to use Chrome Remote Desktop on Linux. To use Chrome Remote Desktop on your Chromebook, learn how to share your computer with someone else.Set up remote access to your computer
Share your computer with someone else
You can give others remote access to your computer. They’ll have full access to your apps, files, emails, documents and history.
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- In the address bar at the top, enter remotedesktop.google.com/support, and press Enter.
- Under “Get Support, “ click Download .
- Follow the onscreen directions to download and install Chrome Remote Desktop.
- Under “Get Support,” select Generate Code.
- Copy the code and send to the person you want to have access to your computer.
- When that person enters your access code on the site, you will see a dialog with their e-mail address. Select Share to allow them full access to your computer.
- To end a sharing session, click Stop Sharing.
The access code will only work one time. If you are sharing your computer, you will be asked to confirm that you want to continue to share your computer every 30 minutes.
Access a computer remotely
Important: Make sure you're using the latest version of the Chrome Remote Desktop app.
- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Chrome Remote Desktop app . If you don’t have it, download it from Google Play.
- Tap the computer you want to access from the list. If a computer is dimmed, it’s offline or unavailable.
- You can control the computer in two different modes. To switch between modes, tap the icon in the toolbar.
- To do actions with a virtual mouse pointer, tap Trackpad mode .
- To do actions with taps, tap Touch mode .
For your security, all remote desktop sessions are fully encrypted.
Use gestures while using a computer remotely
- Scroll up or down: Swipe with two fingers.
- Click and drag: Drag with a finger.
- Zoom: Pinch and stretch with two fingers.
- Show keyboard: Swipe up with three fingers.
- Show the toolbar app: Swipe down with three fingers.
- Move the mouse: Swipe anywhere on the screen [only in Trackpad mode].
- Left click: Tap the screen.
- Right click: Tap the screen with two fingers [only in Trackpad mode].
- Middle click: Tap the screen with three fingers [only in Trackpad mode].
Remove a computer from your list
- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Chrome Remote Desktop app .
- Touch and hold the computer you want to remove.
- Tap Delete.
- Tap Ok.
Troubleshooting tips
If you're having problems, try these tips:
- If the page won't open, check your device’s connection.
- If the computer being accessed is on a work or school network, it might not let you give others access. For more information, contact your administrator.
- Make sure you're using the latest version of the Chrome Remote Desktop App .
If you have any other issues, report them in the Chrome Help Forum.
Improve Chrome Remote Desktop
To learn how to improve Chrome Remote Desktop, Google collects and stores some anonymized data about network delays and how long your session lasted.
To learn more about Chrome Remote Desktop, view our Chrome Privacy Notice and Google Privacy Policy.