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Google releases Chrome Remote Desktop for iOS to access your computer from your iPhone/iPad

Google today released its Chrome Remote Desktop app for iOS after a release on Android devices last year.

The app, available for both iPhone and iPad, allows users to remotely access their computer via the Chrome Remote Desktop app available in the Chrome Web Store.

To get things started, you’ll just have to download and run through a setup for the Chrome Remote Desktop app on your Mac or PC and then open the new Chrome Remote Desktop app for iOS to establish a connection:

On each of your computers, set up remote access using the Chrome Remote Desktop app from Chrome Web Store… On your iOS device, open the app and tap on any of your online computers to connect.

Here’s a look at the experience on the larger iPad screen:

Google first released the app for Android devices in April of last year and before that had its Chrome Remote desktop app for remotely accessing Macs and PCs from other desktop computers. 

The app is available now through the App Store for free and works for remotely accessing both PCs and Macs.

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Comments

  1. Hadrian McQuaig - 10 years ago

    Does this traverse firewalls for you like the long-lost LogMeIn used to do before they got all greedy? Or is there some firewall setup if you want to use it beyond the local subnet?

  2. standardpull - 10 years ago

    Google is promoting this “free service” because it wants to build a stronger dossier about you. This gives Google the capability to geo-locate all your devices.

    • spiralynth - 10 years ago

      Exactly why I use virtually zero Google products.

      – All Google created and related apps deleted from all of my iDevices, including Songza, which I actually liked
      – Never used Chrome, Nest, Android anything, etc. and never will
      – Years ago, shut down all of my gMail accounts
      – Trashed my two Dropcam cams when Google acquired them last year
      – No longer using Google search on any of my personal devices or computers. Only place I currently have it is on my corporate laptop

      I will have absolutely nothing to do with this company and will continue to vigilantly avoid anything with which it’s even remotely associated.

      • poldev - 10 years ago

        Now, that seems pretty ridiculous indeed…
        And whose products do you use? It’s not like everyone else is any different from google…

  3. mpias3785 - 10 years ago

    I’m using RealVNC but have yet to get it to work on anything other than WiFi. Is this any better?

    • marsontherocks - 10 years ago

      Just use teamviewer…

      • mpias3785 - 10 years ago

        Thanks, I checked out the site, downloaded both the OS X and iOS versions and will give them a try later tonight. It looks good from just the cursory glance I gave it.

      • Ondrej Tucek - 10 years ago

        Team viewer is working great, using it for many yrs. But How to remotely WAKE my MAC on WIFI (ethernet cable) at home still on the same modem??

      • Johan Gunverth - 10 years ago

        To wake a sleeping Mac on WiFi, you need Bonjour Sleep Proxy, which is built in on later revisions of Airport software/hardware. Teamviewer does not support this as far as I know, but other software does. Remote Desktop for example.
        I usually wake my WiFi-connected machines with Back to my Mac. Click on “Connect…” and they wake up after a few seconds.

  4. It doesn’t have the ability to wake up the computer like Splashtop app, soo is useless for me.

  5. Don MacDonal - 10 years ago

    IOS Remote operates fine except – I cannot see the PC”s desktop on my Iphone. Help!!!

    • marsontherocks - 10 years ago

      What exactly are you saying? Are you using the Apple Remote app for iOS that is used to control iTunes on your Mac? It’s not the same my friend ;)

  6. Steve Dosan - 10 years ago

    In addition to chrome RDP, you may use R-HUB iOS app (http://www.rhubcom.com) for all your web conferencing and remote support needs.

Author

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jordan Kahn

Jordan writes about all things Apple as Senior Editor of 9to5Mac, & contributes to 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, & Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s Logic Pros series.


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