Probably every phone owner has encountered the need to connect it to a computer or laptop at one point. Regarding Samsung phones I can say that on the manufacturer’s website it is recommended to download and install to connect to a PC Samsung app Kies, in addition, some phones, even with the application installed, are controlled only when the cable is connected.
In this article we will talk about an application that allows you to control your phone via Wi-Fi - AirDroid. The application does not require the installation of additional programs on the computer, and is controlled from the browser. This means you can control your phone on any computer with a browser (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera) and connected to the same network as the phone.
Main functions
- transfer files between computer and Android device
- contact management
- SMS management (receive, send, delete)
- search install/uninstall applications
- photo management (viewing, deleting, setting background)
- manage video clips (requires Quick Time to view)
Working with the application
After launching AirDroid, the main screen of the program appears on the phone with instructions for connecting:
So, to connect, you need to turn on Wi-Fi on the device, and on your computer in the browser, type one of the addresses that the AirDroid application offers:
First option http://web.airdroid.com
or the second suggested address, in my case http://192.168.1.7:8888/
Once access is granted, a page with controls appears.
Conclusion
The developers have made the AirDriod application as easy to use as possible; the controls are simple and intuitive.
The AirDroid application will be useful for those people who need to frequently and different computers interact with your Android device, even when you don’t have a data cable at hand and there is no application installed on your computer to synchronize with your Android device.
The AirDroid application will also be appreciated by those who like to manage contacts, photos, videos, and files on the big screen.
Video review of the application
Programs for remote administration have always been popular. After all, it is very convenient to see what is being done on the computer while being in a completely different place. You can remotely help your friends solve some problems technical problems, check what the child is doing when he is alone at home, see how the download is progressing in a torrent client or encoding a large video.
Since smartphones and tablets appeared in home local networks, along with computers and laptops, it has become obvious that the latter are incredibly convenient to use for remote control. If the data transfer speed is high enough, then why not play a game installed on your computer while lying on the couch with your tablet? Or, say, not watching an interesting film? In addition, current mobile devices can cope well with the usual tasks that are assigned to remote access programs.
On Google Play you can find more than a dozen applications that can be used to organize remote control of computers running Windows, Mac and Linux. Among them are developments famous manufacturers Administration software and programs created specifically for mobile devices. There are not many free solutions among them. In this review, we tested four applications that allow you to work remotely on your computer from an Android smartphone or tablet.
⇡Microsoft Remote Desktop
- Developer - Microsoft Corporation
- Size - 4.4 MB
- Price - free
Microsoft's proprietary utility for remotely controlling a computer with Android was released quite recently - at the end of October. Using the application, you can control a computer that runs on Windows 7 or Windows 8. Since we are dealing with a “native” solution from the developer of a desktop operating system, there is no need to install any client on it.
But in order to be able to connect, you still need to make some changes to the system settings: go to "Control Panels" in the “System” section and select “Remote access settings”. After this, you need to allow remote connections to the computer (by the way, if the built-in firewall is disabled, Windows will not allow you to enable remote access, so first you will have to start the corresponding service).
For authorization, the Microsoft Remote Desktop Android application uses the system username and password. If you are going to log in as an administrator, you do not need to perform any additional actions on your computer. To allow access to other users, you need to click on the “Select users” button and add them to the list of remote desktop users. It is also worth keeping in mind that if you do not use a password to log in, you must add it in the “User Accounts” section, since the remote connection will not work without a password. ( Please note that remote connection with using Microsoft Remote Desktop is only possible on computers that support Remote Desktop Protocol - RDP. A list of systems that are compatible with this protocol is available at the link. — approx. edit . )
After completing this simple setup, you can download the Microsoft Remote Desktop application from Google Play and add a new connection.
Its settings indicate the IP address of the computer in local network or his name. You can also, if desired, specify a username and password to log in (for security reasons, you can not specify them right away, but enter them right before connecting).
If the connection is successful, local work with the computer will be blocked and a login window will appear on it. If you log in locally, the remote connection will be lost. Thus, when connecting remotely, you can see the desktop only on the screen of your mobile device.
Once connected, the remote desktop is displayed on the device screen. There are two controls available at the top of the screen: buttons for displaying the Android virtual keyboard and for navigating the screen.
If you need to use keys that are not on the Android keyboard, you can open the panel by touching the panel with the name of the connection additional settings. From it you can go to the virtual keyboard with the keys F1-F12, Esc, Home, Tab, End, Win, Ins, Enter and others - standard for a regular desktop pointing device. When connecting remotely to a Windows 8 device, pressing the virtual Win key switches between the desktop and the Start screen.
From the advanced settings panel, you can also disable multi-touch gestures and switch to navigation mode using a regular cursor.
To end the session remote connection Just double tap the back button on your Android device.
⇡ “Teamviewer - remote access”
- Developer - Teamviewer
- Size - 11 MB
- Price: Free for non-commercial use
Thanks to its free status (for non-commercial use) and simplicity, Teamviewer has long been one of the most popular remote administration solutions. With the advent of the era of mobile devices, applications were created to control computers running Android, iOS and Windows Phone.
To control your computer from a mobile device, you will need to install a PC client and an Android application. TeamViewer can connect to Windows, Mac and Linux computers.
If you do not plan to connect to other devices from your computer, it is most convenient to use TeamViewer QuickSupport. This module does not require installation or administrator rights. After launching it, a unique computer identifier (9 digits) is generated, as well as a four-digit password. The password can be updated if necessary.
Once this module is running, you can open the mobile application. Mobile Teamviewer can operate in two modes: remote control and file transfer. In both cases, you will need to enter an ID and password on the screen of your smartphone or tablet to connect to the computer.
If a remote connection was requested, then after a successful connection, the computer desktop will appear on the device screen. It will also be visible on the computer monitor screen, but the resolution will be changed in accordance with the screen settings of the mobile device.
To provide comfortable work With remote desktop, the creators of TeamViewer have developed a whole system of controls. Tips for using your fingers to navigate are shown before you connect, and can also be shown at any time during a remote work session. Thus, using your fingers you can scroll, imitate clicks of the right and left mouse buttons, move the cursor and individual objects.
Panel TeamViewer control located at the bottom of the screen. With its help, you can quickly end a session, send a remote computer to reboot, or block it. In addition, for the duration of a remote connection session, you can prohibit local work with the computer. If you have problems displaying the remote desktop, you can try reducing the resolution, data transfer quality, and also hiding the display of wallpaper in the settings mobile client. These options can be selected for an individual connection or globally.
The control panel also allows you to quickly display virtual keyboard. In addition to the Android keyboard, you can also work with additional keys: enable Ctrl, Alt, Shift, use the F1-F12 keys and others.
In file transfer mode you can see file system remote computer and copy files from PC to mobile device or vice versa.
The TeamViewer mobile client remembers the IDs of the computers to which the connection was made, but if there are many remote PCs, it is more convenient to use the “Computers and Contacts” section to manage them. To do this, you will need to create a Teamviewer account (you can do this from either a mobile device or a computer). Then you can create groups in it and add identifiers (and, if desired, passwords) of computers to which you need to connect.
- Developer: Splashtop
- Size - 18 MB
- Price - free (expanded functionality - $1.99 per month)
Splashtop Remote is another one free application, with the help of which from an Android device You can control a computer running Windows, Mac and Linux. It uses a slightly different distribution model than Teamviewer. The program is free for non-commercial use, but to use some additional features It is suggested to buy the extension. Paid options include: access to remote computer via the Internet (can be managed for free only over a local network) and tools for convenient creation annotations on the screen. Also demon paid version has a limit on the number of computers you can connect to - up to five.
A Splashtop account is required to use the app. You can create it as in mobile application, and in the Splashtop Streamer desktop client. To connect, as you might guess, you need to log in on both devices using your account. After this, the mobile client will detect computers that are available for connection, and you can open a remote control session.
In the mobile client settings you can even enable automatic connection at startup. In this case, the list of available computers will not be displayed and the application will connect to the device for which the last remote connection session was performed.
By default, you do not need to enter any additional passwords, but if you are concerned about unauthorized access, you can enable the password request for the current account in the desktop client settings Windows entries. In addition, it is proposed to use a security code, that is, simply put, a password that will need to be entered each time to connect.
Some security settings, which in other solutions are available in mobile applications, are offered in Splashtop to be configured in the desktop client. For example, you can disable showing the desktop on the screen local computer during a remote communication session. You can also block the use of the keyboard and mouse, initiate a logout account upon completion of remote work.
One of the features of Splashtop is the transfer of HD video with sound to a mobile device. Thanks to this, you can, for example, watch a movie on your tablet that is running on your computer, or play remotely computer game. At the user's request, during a remote communication session, Splashtop can transmit sound only to a mobile device (it will not be heard locally), not transmit sound (it will be heard locally), or broadcast it both there and there.
When connecting remotely, the screen resolution on the computer does not change, and - unless otherwise specified in the client settings - you can continue to work on the local PC. To control the desktop of an Android computer, there are a number of gestures (tips on how to use them are offered for beginners), as well as a touchpad.
You can control cursor settings by changing sensitivity and movement speed. On mobile device You can view your computer desktop in its original resolution or scale it to fit a small screen.
- Developer: Wyse Technology Inc.
- Size - 11 MB
- Price: Free (with some restrictions)
Another free solution, with which you can remotely access your computer desktop, is PocketCloud. However, it is not suitable for Linux users - the desktop version only supports computers with Mac or Windows. The mobile client is free for use with only one computer. To remove this limitation, as well as to get some additional features, you need to purchase PocketCloud Remote Desktop Pro.
One of strengths applications - the ability to select the connection type. By default, the simplest method is used, which does not require any technical knowledge from the user - through Google App Engine. In this case, you'll need to enter your Google account information in both the desktop client and the mobile app. After this, the computer will appear in the list of available devices on mobile screen- and you can start a connection session to it.
For advanced users, PocketCloud offers two more remote connection options - via RDP protocol, which is used in Windows, as well as through the popular VNC system. In both cases, you will need to enter the IP address of the computer you want to connect to.
After connecting, the following appears on the screen of your mobile device near the cursor: special element navigation - wheel with various functions. It is convenient to use if you need to click right click mouse, zoom in on a specific area of the screen, scroll, or display the virtual keyboard.
The mobile client settings provide a number of settings to improve the quality of image transmission. So, you can disable menu animation, themes, wallpapers, and high-quality fonts.
⇡ Conclusion
Almost all developers of applications for remote computer control provide their programs free of charge for non-commercial use. And we must admit that for ordinary tasks the proposed functions are quite sufficient. Each of the applications is attractive in some way: to work with Microsoft Remote Desktop you do not need to install additional software on your computer, Splashtop Remote provides audio transmission to a mobile device, PocketCloud is interesting because it offers several connection options. Finally, Teamviewer looks the most attractive, since it has a separate mode for transferring files, can work both on a local network and via the Internet, and does not impose restrictions on the number of computers to which you can connect.
A modern user owns more than one multimedia device. Most often, in addition to a computer, it is a phone or tablet. Sometimes you just don’t want to move to the computer from a comfortable sofa to complete some tasks. Or there is a need for files from your home PC, but there is no way to get to it. At such moments, the “Remote Access” function will come to the rescue. Since Android remains the most common operating system for mobile devices, we will consider it.
The remote access function is also available on AndroidRemote control of a tablet, phone or computer will require you to:
- Multimedia device with Android operating system.
- Stationary Personal Computer or laptop.
- A little time.
First of all, you should decide on the goals of subsequent actions. After reading this material, you will be able to remotely control your Android device from your computer and vice versa, control your PC from your tablet or smartphone. Also on new level Such mundane tasks as searching for a lost phone, copying documents or folders to and from it, working with calls and SMS will come up.
Step 1 - Google to help
First, provide yourself with access to the Play Market, an online application store for Android. To do this, you will need to create a Google account, or use an existing one. You just need to go through a simple registration procedure on the site - and you're done.
Let's try to do without third-party programs for now and use directly the capabilities of the Android operating system. To do this, in the “Location” section, allow device detection (check the boxes next to “Google Search” and “ Wireless network"). Now, by going to the store website Google applications play under your avatar, in the settings (gear image) you will see the item “Android Remote Control”. Click it and enjoy!
This option for accessing a smartphone from a computer is not amazing in its functionality. Can you make your phone ring sound signal call, erase all data on it or look at its approximate location on the map.
Step 2 - Selecting Third Party Software
Universal programs
The most popular solution is Teamviewer.
The features of this program include, first of all, cross-platform. It doesn’t matter whether you have Linux, Windows or Macintosh - everything will work the same, namely perfectly! To work, you will need applications of the same name on each device and the Internet. Easy registration, stability, speed and free distribution have become the main features of this program. Each device is given a number and password, by entering which you can connect. The scope of application is practically unlimited - you can do everything on a tablet that you can do on a PC, and vice versa.
Remote control of an Android device from computer
The most functional solution is AirDroid.
This is due to being free, simple and functional. When you first launch, you will be asked to register. It is better to do this without limiting the functionality of the program. In any case, the main window will be displayed with two addresses and a QR code.
If your Android device and computer are on the same Wi-Fi network, you can go to the second address (simply copy it to your PC browser) and access your smartphone or tablet. Or, using the camera, scan the code directly from the PC screen - and get the same result. You will be taken to the control panel of your Android device.
If your mobile device is not connected to the same Wi-Fi networks(especially convenient if it is not nearby at all), then follow the first link in the program - the address web.airdroid.com. This is where your newly created login and password will come in handy. With these simple manipulations, you will get remote control of your Android device, wherever it is.
Using this program, you can on your computer:
- Work with calls and address book.
- and MMS messages.
- Install applications from your phone memory or PC.
- Transfer files and folders between devices (both ways).
- Use your smartphone as a webcam.
As mentioned above, the program is completely free, but has some limitations. For example, when connecting outside of one Wi-Fi, network data transfer is limited to one hundred megabytes, and location determination and camera activation are also unavailable. As often happens, the paid version will help you get around the restrictions - only $2 per month or $20 per year. Looking at the impressive list of advantages, functionality and friendly interface, we can say that this software worth the money.
An interesting solution for conservatives and users who are afraid of getting confused in the interface. You simply get your Android screen on your computer desktop. You can perform the same actions that are available on a mobile device by creating a VNC server. A “must have” program for copying contacts or SMS. Working with personal information requires authentication.
A simple program that creates a virtual desktop for your Android device in your browser. Suitable for transferring files between devices, listening to music and videos. Has a slightly confusing interface.
Remote control of a computer from an Android device
An interesting application that completely emulates the desktop of your PC. It has a lot of settings and a nice interface. Does remote access Android devices to your computer are fast and enjoyable. Disadvantages include noticeable braking at weak devices and the lack of any tools for working with screen resolution.
In the February issue of the magazine, I described how to get the most out of voice control by telephone. But when you are at the computer all day, and not alone, or the environment is too noisy, then it is not entirely convenient to command out loud, and sometimes you can cause the disapproval of others. So today we’ll talk about how to control your phone/tablet without leaving your computer.
To control a smartphone from a computer, in the modern world you don’t need anything other than the smartphone itself, a Wi-Fi connection and a couple of tens of megabytes of paid Internet traffic to download and install the necessary utilities. The only question is which software to use and which solutions are right for you. In this article I will talk about several applications for smart management, touching not only on “regular software”, but also on ADB-based solutions.
INFO
Manipulations with devices, traditionally for my articles, are carried out on the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 2013, so the methods on other smartphones may differ. In this regard, proprietary utilities from device manufacturers will not be mentioned in order to describe universal management methods.Solutions out of the box
On the device itself, you can view the entire history of received files, pictures and text from the clipboard. For the particularly paranoid, all messages can be encrypted. Watch the video of the application in action on the author’s channel. Trial period is 30 days, after which one-time activation full version will cost 4 dollars.
The question of how to control a computer through a phone arises in the minds of many users. It’s so convenient, for example, to lie in bed, listening to music from a PC, and switch songs, make it quieter or louder, without getting up from your seat. Or, let's say you left the house and you urgently need to do something on your computer or just turn it off, and you only have your phone at hand. This method is also suitable for helping a friend; you can see everything that is happening on his monitor and take part in controlling the PC. In general, this task has many goals.
Controlling a computer via a phone or tablet can be easily implemented if you have a device with Android control. In this article I will show you the simplest and most accessible implementation method.
How to control a computer via an Android phone/tablet
In order to remotely access a PC via a phone or tablet, you should make sure that you have the following things at your disposal:
- Android device with Internet access;
- computer with internet access ( operating system does not matter);
- browser installed on the computer.
Before controlling your computer via your phone, download and install it on your Android application"Remote Desktop". Download links are below.
Then open the Google Chrome browser on your computer and log in using Gmail account, go to and download the browser add-on.
Then in Google browser Chrome, go to chrome://apps/ and open the Remote Desktop add-on you just installed.
A window will appear where you need to click the “Get Started” button.
Then click the “Allow remote connections” button.
The download of the host will begin. Download it and install it on your computer as a regular program. After that, click “Ok” in Google Chrome.
Then, in the window that opens, enter your PIN code twice. Come up with something complicated, because knowing this code can give you access to your computer. Then click the “Ok” button.
Now go to your Android device and run it from earlier installed application"Remote Desktop". There you will see your computer name. Touch it.
The connection will occur, and then enter the PIN code that you came up with on your computer on Android. Click the "Connect" button.
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