Access another computer with Chrome Remote Desktop

You can use a computer or mobile device to access files and applications on another computer over the Internet with Chrome Remote Desktop.

Set up remote access

Windows

Download the Chrome Remote Desktop app.
On your computer, open Chrome.
In the address bar at the top, type chrome://apps, and press Enter.
Click Chrome Remote Desktop .
Under "My Computers," click Get started.
Click Enable remote connections.
Enter a PIN and re-type the PIN. Click OK.
Click Yes to install the Chrome Remote Desktop service.
Confirm the Google Account and enter the PIN again to continue.

The computer you allowed should show up under "My Computers."

Mac

Download the Chrome Remote Desktop app.
On your computer, open Chrome.
In the address bar at the top, type chrome://apps, and press Enter.
Click Chrome Remote Desktop .
Under "My Computers," click Get started.
Click Enable remote connections. Then, follow the onscreen instructions.
Chrome will download a .dmg file. Click Save.
Once the file downloads, open it.
Follow the on-screen prompts to finish installation. Then, return to Chrome.
To turn remote access on for your computer, click OK.
Enter a PIN and re-type the PIN, then click OK.
When a box appears, unlock the panel and confirm your account and PIN again.
The "Remote connections for this computer have been enabled" message will appear. Click OK to dismiss it.

The computer you allowed should show up under "My Computers."

Linux

Step 1: Download and set up Chrome Remote Desktop

Download the Chrome Remote Desktop app.

Step 2: Install the Debian package for the host components

Download the 64-bit Debian Package here.

Step 3: Create a virtual desktop session

If you have Ubuntu 12.04, skip to Step 4.

Look in /usr/share/xsessions/ for the .desktop file for your preferred desktop environment.
- For example, Cinnamon has a file named "cinnamon.desktop" with the following command: gnome-session --session=cinnamon
Create a file called .chrome-remote-desktop-session in your home directory with the following content:
- exec /usr/sbin/lightdm-session "<YOUR_EXEC_COMMAND>"
Replace <YOUR_EXEC_COMMAND> with the command at the end of your .desktop file:
- In the example for Cinnamon, the correct command is exec /usr/sbin/lightdm-session 'gnome-session --session=cinnamon'
- Unity desktops require some additional code. The full command is DESKTOP_SESSION=ubuntu XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=Unity XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/$(id -u) exec /usr/sbin/lightdm-session 'gnome-session --session=ubuntu'
Save the file called ".chrome-remote-desktop-session".

Step 4: Allow remote connections

On your computer, open Chrome.
In the address bar at the top, type chrome://apps, and press Enter.
Click Chrome Remote Desktop .
Under "My Computers," click Get started.
Click Enable remote connections.
Enter a PIN and re-type the PIN. Then click OK.
Dismiss the confirmation dialog.

Chromebook

Open the Chrome Remote Desktop app.
Click Add to Chrome.
Confirm by clicking Add app.

Share your computer with someone else

You can give others 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, type chrome://apps, and press Enter.
Click Chrome Remote Desktop .
Click Get started.
To create an access code, click Share.
Send the code to the person you want to let use your computer.
When the other person enters the access code, they’ll see your email address and have full control of your computer.
To end a sharing session, click Stop sharing.

Access a computer remotely

Important: For your security, all remote desktop sessions are fully encrypted.

On your iPhone or iPad, open the Chrome Remote Desktop app .
- If you don't have it, on the browser, go to remotedesktop.google.com/access.
  - Tip: For a better user experience, hide the address bar. Follow the instructions on the page to add the Chrome Remote Desktop to your home screen.
To find the “Remote Access” page, tap Menu Remote Access .
Tap the computer you want to access from the list.
- If a computer is dimmed, it’s offline or unavailable.
Enter the PIN.
To continue, tap the Arrow .
Control the computer with a virtual trackpad.
- If your remote device runs on Windows, you can choose a different input mode.

Add Chrome Remote Desktop to your home screen

When you add Chrome Remote Desktop to your home screen, it makes the app accessible from your home screen and it hides the address bar. This is the only way to view your remote desktop in full-screen.

Next to the address bar, tap Share.
Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen .

Change input modes

By default, trackpad mode is turned on. To control the remote device, use a virtual trackpad. If your remote device runs on Windows, you can choose touch input modes.

To switch between modes:

On the edge of the screen, to open the session menu, tap the Arrow.
In “Input controls,” tap Configure touch input.

Tip: If your remote device is a Mac or Linux, this option won’t be available.

Use gestures in trackpad mode

Move the mouse: Swipe anywhere on the screen.
Click: Tap the screen.
Right-click: Tap the screen with 2 fingers.
Middle-click: Tap the screen with 3 fingers.
Zoom: Pinch and stretch with 2 fingers.
Scroll: Swipe with 2 fingers.
Touch and hold, then drag: Press and hold with a finger until a gray circle appears, then drag.

Use gestures in touch mode

For remote devices running Windows, touch input modes are supported:

Direct touch mode: The remote device can detect all touch inputs. The desktop stays zoomed out to fit the window.
Touch mode with two-finger pan and zoom: Control the desktop position and scale using 2 fingers. The remote device handles one-finger touch inputs.
Touch mode with three-finger pan and zoom: Control the desktop position and scale using 3 fingers. The remote device handles one- or 2-finger touch inputs.

Learn how to use touch gestures for Windows.

Stop a remote session

When you’re finished with remote access, close the application or the tab to stop your session.

You can also select Options Disconnect.

Remove a computer from your list

On your iPhone or iPad, open the Chrome Remote Desktop app .
Next to the computer you want to remove, tap Delete .

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 Google Privacy Policy.

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