Set up a Computer for Remote Access. Open the Google Chrome browser on the PC or Mac you want to access remotely from your Chromebook. Open this page and click Add to Chrome.
Chrome Remote Desktop is a free remote desktop program from Google that runs as an extension that's paired with the Chrome web browser.
With Chrome Remote Desktop, you can set up any computer running the Chrome browser to be a host computer that you can connect to at any time, whether the user is logged in or not, for full unattended access.
Google recommends using Chrome for both the client and host, but you might still have luck going between browsers (e.g., using Firefox to remote into a computer that has Chrome set up).
More About Chrome Remote Desktop
- Windows, Mac, and Linux computers can install Chrome Remote Desktop
- Works from Android devices that install the app through Google Play
- iOS users can install the mobile app from iTunes
- Both spontaneous support and unattended access are supported
- Clipboard syncing can be enabled
- Key mapping is supported
- You can upload and download files between your computer and the remote one
- Ctrl+Alt+Del, PrtScr, and F11 can be sent to the remote computer with the press of a menu button
- Lets you pick between full-screen, scale to fit, and resize to fit display options when connected to the remote computer
Chrome Remote Desktop: Pros & Cons
A number of other free remote access tools are more robust but Chrome Remote Desktop is certainly easy to get going with:
Pros:
- Quick install
- Works between operating systems
- Supports multiple monitors
- Updates often
- Works even when the host user is logged off
Cons:
- Requires a particular web browser
- Unable to print remote files to a local printer
- No chat capability
How to Use Chrome Remote Desktop
Like all remote access programs, Chrome Remote Desktop works where there's a client and host that are paired together. The client connects to the host to control the computer.
Here's what the host needs to do (the computer that will be connected to and controlled remotely):
Visit Chrome Remote Desktop from the Chrome web browser.
Select GET STARTED, and log in to your Google account if asked to.
Use the download button to install the extension in Chrome.
Choose ACCEPT & INSTALL on the Ready to install screen.
Accept any installation prompts and wait for Chrome Remote Desktop Host to finish installing. You'll know it's done when the web page no longer shows the 'CANCEL' button.
Choose a name for that computer on the Chrome Remote Desktop page, and then select NEXT.
Choose a PIN that'll be used to connect to the host. It can be any string of numbers at least six digits long.
Select START and confirm or allow any pop up messages. The computer will be registered to the Google account you signed in with, and you'll know it's completed when you see Online just below the computer name.
If you want to use Chrome Remote Desktop for unattended access to a friend's computer, you'll need to log in once with your credentials on their computer to set it up. You won't need to stay logged in after the initial installation—you can log out completely and the program will still run in the background as an extension.
Here's what the client should do to connect to the host to remotely control it:
Open Chrome and visit Chrome Remote Desktop.
Open the Remote Access tab at the top of that page, and login to your Google account if you need to. This needs to be the same Google account that was used when setting up remote access like described above.
Select a host computer from the Remote devices section.
If this section shows a device under This device, then you probably shouldn't log in to that computer since it's your own, which can cause some really weird visual problems.
Enter the PIN created on the host computer to start the remote session.
When the client connects to the host computer, a message displays on the host that says 'Your desktop is currently shared with <email address>,' so Chrome Remote Desktop doesn't log in discreetly like some remote access programs.
The client can also install the Chrome Remote Desktop extension to enable copy/paste functionality between the two computers.
Another way to use Chrome Remote Desktop is through temporary access codes. If you need someone else to connect to your computer, even someone who didn't set up the access in the first place, this is the route you want to go.
Open the Remote Support tab on this page and choose Get Support to get a one-time access code that you can share with the person who will connect to your computer. You'll be asked to install the Chrome Remote Desktop extension if it's not already on your computer.
All they need to do is enter the code in the Give Support section of the same page on their computer. They can log in under any Google account to control your computer, so long as they enter the correct code.
Thoughts on Chrome Remote Desktop
We really like how easy it is to use Chrome Remote Desktop. Once installed, the menu is easily accessible with all the important actions you can take, but otherwise its hidden from view to make room for the screen.
Because Chrome Remote Desktop is run entirely from the browser, it's great that nearly all operating systems can use it. This means you're hardly limited to who you can provide support to.
Also, given that Chrome Remote Desktop is installed in the background, the remote user can shut down Chrome and even log off their account, and you can still access the computer (given you have the user's password).
In fact, the client can reboot the remote computer and then log back in once it's fully powered back on, all from Chrome Remote Desktop.
While it's too bad that there isn't a chat function built-in, you can always use a third-party tool to communicate while you're connected to the other computer. Lots of mobile messaging apps can be used from computers, too.
Your Chromebook is great at many tasks, but it can't run your favorite Mac or Windows apps. Fortunately, it's easy to remotely access any Windows or Mac computer from your Chromebook and use all of its apps in a Window.
To perform a remote session, each connected system needs to have the Chrome browser, and each browser must be signed into the same Google account. After that the set-up process is a cake walk. Simply install a plug-in in each machine's Chrome browser, follow a few prompts, and you'll be able to access your primary PC from your Chromebook, even if the Chrome browser is closed on the remote system.
Set up a Computer for Remote Access
1. Open the Google Chrome browser on the PC or Mac you want to access remotely from your Chromebook.
2. Open this page and click Add to Chrome.
3. Click Add app.
4. Open Chrome Remote Desktop from the apps view.
5. Select the Google account you use on the Chromebook.
6. Select Allow to confirm that you are granting the Chrome Remote Desktop app access to several settings and features.
7. Select Continue in the dialogue box that explains you must grant extended permissions on this PC or Mac in order to access it remotely.
8. Select “Get started” under My Computers.
9. Click Enable remote connections.
10. Click Accept and Install. PC users, if you do not see this window, feel free to skip to step 18.
11. Open the downloaded file 'chromeremotedesktop.dmg.'
12. Open Chrome Remote Desktop Host.
13. Click Install.
14. Enter your password and click Install Software.
15. Click Close.
16. Click OK.
17. Click OK.
18. Enter your new PIN number twice and click OK.
19. Enter your system password and click OK.
20. Click OK in the dialogue box that confirms remote access to your computer has been enabled.
The PC/MAC you’re working on now appears in the My Computers section of the Chrome Remote Access desktop. You can change the name of the PC by clicking the Pencil icon to the right.
Access a Remote Desktop from your Chromebook
1. Launch the Chrome Remote Desktop app from your start menu. If the app is not installed, follow the steps above to install it.
2. Select Allow Access to confirm that you are granting the Chrome Remote Desktop app access to several settings and features.Now systems connected to Remote Desktop app appear under My Computers.
3. Select the system you want to access remotely.
4. Enter the PIN you assigned to the computer to access it remotely and select Connect.
The desktop of the remote computer appears on the screen.
At the top left corner of the screen, you'll find the name of the system you’re connected to and a menu button that opens a list of commands, including CTRL+ALT+DEL and performing screenshots.
You can navigate the remote computer as you would were you in front of it. Note that the Chrome Remote Desktop app will playback audio from the remote computer on the local system. So if you want to listen to audio tracks or watch movies on the remote device and listen in on your Chromebook. You can also copy and paste text between the remote and local computers.
Trying to figure out Google Cloud Print? Check out our walkthrough on how to print from a Chromebook.
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