Chrome Remote Desktop, or how to use your PC from Android

Already added users. Press Create to finish.

To use the PC with the cell phone or get remote access, there are good applications on Google Play. Some like TeamViewer or AnyDesk make things much easier, not only to access a PC remotely with a simple code, but also to give remote assistance just as simple. Others like Unified Remote or RD Client (official Microsoft app to use Windows from Android), although with their advantages, require additional configuration in the router when the cell phone and PC are not on the same network.

Chrome Remote Desktop is another remote access and control application created by Google, which once configured (something quite simple), you will not have to touch the PC again to access it from your cell phone, not even to authorize access, such as It happens with some of the tools mentioned before. And unlike utilities like Real VNC , you don’t need to create an account, because it is based on the same Google account that you already have (gmail.com).

Another advantage is that it is based on the Google Chrome browser on the PC. You will not have to install additional programs, but only a Chrome extension. The process to manage the PC with the phone is as follows:

Contents

How to install Chrome Remote Desktop

1. From the Chrome browser on your PC, enter the official Remote Access website with the Google account that is associated with your Android device.

2. Where it says “Configure remote access”, tap on the blue circle to add the Chrome Remote Desktop application to Chrome. In the window that will open, tap on the blue button “Add to Chrome”.

3. Back in the remote access window you will see the option to indicate a name for the PC, which is how it will appear in the Android application from which you will access the PC. Click on “Next”.

4. Enter a six-digit PIN code, which you must enter in the mobile app every time you want to access the computer (although you can disable this later). Click on “Start”. In the “You want to allow this application to make changes to your device” window, click Yes.

5. Install the Android application from the Play Store, or its APK from here.

6. In the left side menu, verify that the same Gmail account as in step 1 is selected.

7. On the app screen you should see the name that you configured for your PC in step 3. Tap on it, enter the PIN code configured in step 4. You can check the box “Do not ask for a PIN again when connecting to this host from this device », so that it does not ask for your PIN every time you enter from that particular cell phone.

Use

Once on your computer, you just have to move the cursor to the desired position and touch to make a left click. Tap with two fingers to right click. You can use your finger as a cursor, sliding the top panel and tapping on the figure of the PC mouse. From that same panel you can force the keyboard to appear anywhere or Ctrl + Alt + Del . The option “Adjust desktop size” I assume that you should adapt the PC screen to the cell phone, similar to Microsof RD Client, but in my case it has no effect when activating it.

On your PC you will have a permanent warning on the screen “You are currently sharing your desktop with [email protected]” which cannot be removed unless you disable remote access.

If you want to receive remote help or support from a family member or friend with this tool, in step 1 you must click on the ” Remote Assistance ” tab , where, after installing the extension as indicated, you can generate a code that you must provide to that person, to be entered from the same file.

The remote access service failed to start

chrome 2 remote desktop

The old version of the Chrome Remote Desktop extension, along with a Spanish language version of Windows, generated an error or problem with the message The remote access service could not be started right after putting the PIN and after trying to enable connections remote in said extension.

Problem The remote access service could not be started

Google Help indicates that this error is generated because the Windows user does not have administrator privileges.

That is true but it is a problem of the application itself, not on your part. Surely you do have administrator privileges, but the drawback is that this application only recognizes as users with administrator privileges those who are defined in Windows under the group of “Administrators”.

In Windows in Spanish such a group does not exist. There is only the Administrators group (group where are the designated users with computer administrator privileges) and therein lies the problem.

Solution

The solution is to create the Administrators group on your Windows and put the main Windows administrator user and the other administrators under this group.

In Windows 7 what you should do is type in the search box for the “Computer Management” start button and choose such option. On the new screen on the left choose Users and Groups and then Groups.

Right-click on that option and choose New Group.

windows computer management

On the new screen in Group Name type Administrators. Below press the Add button. On the new screen, in the blank box, type the name of the user you want to add as administrator.

First type Administrator and then click on the Check Names button. Finally press the OK button to add it.

create windows administrator

Then, do the same but this time type the name of the administrator user you are going to add. In my case, I write Santiago. Tap on Check names and then on Accept.

On the previous screen, with the users added, click on the Create button to create the group and that’s it.

Already added users. Press Create to finish. Already added users. Press Create to finish.

Already added users. Press Create to finish.

With this you will no longer have that message of Unable to start the remote access service and you can control Android PC.

This solution does not work in Windows 7 Starter, Windows 7 Home Basic or Windows 7 Home Premium.

conclusion

Chrome Remote Desktop is a software to view and control the PC from the cell phone, whether the two computers are under the same network or not, without having to have a public IP or open ports on the router. The fluency is good, it works with the same Google account that you already have, without the need to enter codes and although it is quite easy and quick to configure.

5 APPS to control Android from PC

How to use the keyboard and mouse of your PC on Android

How to control a cell phone from another

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