Remote access programs

Would you like to know if the download of that file was actually successful or if the virus scan was successful but you don't have your computer at hand? Well, just make a phone call at home and ask your brother / sister, your mother or your father, right? How do you say? Have you already tried it at least ten times but no one answers you? Well, then try to be patient (just long enough to be able to personally check everything!) And get ready for the next time. You ask me how? Simple: using one  of the remote access programs  that I am about to suggest to you.

In case you have never heard of it, you should know that there are software that, once installed on the station to be "monitored", allow you to manage the computer in question from a distance, from any other PC. What follows is the creation of a kind of bridge on the Internet that allows you to remotely control the computer of your interest just as if you were standing in front of it.

How do you say? This interests you (and also a lot!) But not being very practical in terms of computer science and new technologies, do you fear that the operations to be carried out may be too complicated for you? But rest assured, you have nothing to worry about! The remote access programs that I am about to show you are in fact very easy to use (at least in most cases), you just need to have a minimum of attention and patience and you're done, you have my word. Enjoy the reading!

TeamViewer is one of the best software in the category. It is available for Windows, Mac and Linux (as well as for Android, iOS and Windows Phone to be able to manage the computer remotely even from mobile) and is characterized by a very accurate user interface and extreme ease of use that makes it also ideal for users who are unfamiliar with the PC. To use it, simply connect the computers of those who need to provide assistance remotely and those who need to receive support using the combinations of ID and password shown in the main window of the software.

TeamViewer is free, but its being free is limited to the personal sphere. If you intend to use TeamViewer professionally, you need to purchase a license. For further information, take a look at my article on how TeamViewer works .

Supreme

Supreme is an excellent remote access program available for all major software platforms: Windows and macOS , as regards the desktop and Android and iOS , as regards the mobile sector. It is free for personal use, extremely light and can be used without going through any installation or configuration procedures: it downloads, starts up and is immediately ready to use.

Furthermore, its operation is extremely intuitive: each computer is automatically associated with a combination of ID and password which, if entered in Supremo on another device (computer, smartphone or tablet), allows remote control of it. It should also be emphasized the availability of a free Contact Book that can be shared with other users and the possibility of installing the software as a Windows service , so that it can be used without being physically present in front of the machine to be controlled.

Having said that, to use Supremo on your computer, connect to its official website and click on the download button , in order to start the download. At the end of the download, start the executable obtained and you will immediately find yourself in front of the main Supremo window with, on the left, the combination of ID and password assigned to the PC in use (with the possibility of activating the Meeting function which, however, it is paid); on the right, instead, there is the field Connect to , to enter the ID of another PC and control it remotely.

At the top, there are the tabs to access the various sections of the application: Connection , to access the main Supremo screen with ID / password and field for connection to other PCs; Address book , with the contact address book (free, but which requires the creation of an account in order to be used and shared); Tools , to adjust settings related to security, network, etc. and License , to register the Supremo license codes.

To use Supremo from a smartphone or tablet, on the other hand, you simply need to install the official app for Android or iOS , open it, enter the ID of the computer to be controlled , press the Connect button and then type the password necessary to activate the remote control session. . In the mobile environment it is only possible to perform the control remotely, not to receive it.

As mentioned above, Supremo is free for personal use, while for commercial use and to take advantage of extra features, such as the one dedicated to meetings , detailed reports and the ability to customize the application with your own brand / logo , you can purchase the full version, starting from 5 euros / month per connection (with a free 21-day trial ). More info here .

Having said that, to use Supremo on your computer, connect to its official website and click on the download button , in order to start the download. At the end of the download, start the executable obtained and you will immediately find yourself in front of the main Supremo window with, on the left, the combination of ID and password assigned to the PC in use (with the possibility of activating the Meeting function which, however, it is paid); on the right, instead, there is the field Connect to , to enter the ID of another PC and control it remotely.

At the top, there are the tabs to access the various sections of the application: Connection , to access the main Supremo screen with ID / password and field for connection to other PCs; Address book , with the contact address book (free, but which requires the creation of an account in order to be used and shared); Tools , to adjust settings related to security, network, etc. and License , to register the Supremo license codes.

To use Supremo from a smartphone or tablet, on the other hand, you simply need to install the official app for Android or iOS , open it, enter the ID of the computer to be controlled , press the Connect button and then type the password necessary to activate the remote control session. . In the mobile environment it is only possible to perform the control remotely, not to receive it.

As mentioned above, Supremo is free for personal use, while for commercial use and to take advantage of extra features, such as the one dedicated to meetings , detailed reports and the ability to customize the application with your own brand / logo , you can purchase the full version, starting from 5 euros / month per connection (with a free 21-day trial ). More info here .

If you are looking for a professional solution to provide remote support to your customers, you should consider ISL Online . In case you have never heard of it, it is one of the main global players in the remote industry, partner of companies such as  IBM and  Samsung and service provider of Konica Minolta , Canon , Avast and in Italy Eni , who use it as the main platform for remote support, having often customized it in appearance and colors with their brands. It allows you to have it available in a single management panel accessible from the browser an excellent remote desktop software to remotely connect to any computer or mobile available (Android, iOS / iPadOS or Windows) easily and securely, providing quality assistance to its customers. It also allows unattended access , ideal for teleworking, for example, and easy connection from home to the office computer.

It is extremely simple to use, compatible with all major desktop and mobile operating systems and you can try it for free for 15 days , without obligation and without entering your credit card details: just register on this page . Then you can choose between various solutions in Cloud mode (SaaS) and in Private Cloud (MPC) suitable for all budgets and needs, with prices starting from 95 euros for 500 min / year, without hidden costs and with a undoubtedly excellent quality-price:

The license includes updates, mobile applications for remote support from portable devices, the ability to install ISL Online software on unlimited workstations and clients, and the ability to create unlimited users. More info here .

Once registered, to provide remote assistance to your customers, all you have to do is log in to ISL Online , go to the Remote Support tab and click on the button to start a new session . The ISL Light software , necessary to provide remote assistance, will be downloaded automatically (it is also available as an app for Android , iPhone / iPad and Windows Mobile ). Once the download is complete, start the executable file obtained and answer affirmatively to the on-screen warnings, in order to access the software. If you use the app regularly, I recommend that you download ISL Lightand install it on your computer. This way you will start your next session faster and easier.

Once this is done, log in to ISL Light, press on the option to start a new session (using the + button located at the top left) and the screen with the session code will appear , plus the button to invite the customer to participate . Once the invitation has been received, the customer will have to click on the appropriate link and will download the ISL Light Client software to receive assistance.

Once the connection is established, you can not only control the customer's device remotely, but also communicate with them via chat , call or video call , exchange files , record the session , add on-screen highlights and much more.

With support for Microsoft's Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and Secure Shell (SSH) technologies , you can remotely connect to unattended computers running on the remote network without using a VPN or making firewall changes - ideal for working from home connecting to your office computer easily and securely. You don't need any technical skills to do this and it really does it all in just a few clicks. Read more here .

For more information on how ISL Online works , I refer you to the guide that I have dedicated entirely to this solution and to the official website . To immediately download (and possibly also purchase) ISL Light, click here .

Iperius Remote

If you are looking for a remote access program that is easy to use, full of interesting features (e.g. unattended access, file exchange and chat) and compatible with all major operating systems for computers and mobile devices, I recommend take a look at Iperius Remote , which can be used for free for personal purposes (for professional use it requires the purchase of a license) and is available both for PC and Mac , and for Android and iOS / iPadOS mobile devices .

With the release of version 4 of Iperius Remote (in beta from the end of March 2021; to participate in the program you can contact the company ), the software has also improved its already excellent performance in terms of latency and responsiveness and introduced various functions. useful, including remote support for macOS , the ability to remotely control compatible mobile devices (e.g. from Windows / Mac to Android / iOS) and remote printing . 

The operation of the software is, as mentioned, super intuitive: just download the PC program from the official website (by clicking on the Free Download button ) and then start the executable file obtained. Thus you find yourself in front of the main screen where there are your ID and the button to allow remote connections; the field in which to enter the ID of the remote computer to connect to (if you want to log in to someone else's device remotely); the option to configure silent remote access(thanks to which you can install Iperius Remote as a service and accept any remote connections without user intervention; obviously after setting a specific password); buttons to access functions such as history , client list and statistics (available only in the paid version) and those to update the program , access settings and view help .

Once the connection with the remote computer has been established, at the top, a toolbar appears with buttons to call up the lock screen / change user / logout / change password / Windows task management ( Run ... button ), to adjust the quality video , activate or deactivate full screen mode , start a chat with the remote PC, exchange files with the computer you are controlling remotely, map the keyboard , select the monitor to work on and log out of the session .

From smartphone and tablet, use is just as simple: just download the Iperius Remote app from the Play Store or App Store and communicate or enter the ID for remote control.

Iperius Remote is, as mentioned above, free for personal use, while for those who want to make a more intensive use (the total connection time may be limited in the free version) or professional use (eg for companies that make remote support for customers or who need to equip their employees with smart working software to work remotely ) licenses are available starting at just over 8 euros / month .

The paid version of the software gives access to many professional functions, such as the shared address book of all remote computers; the administrative area from the Web; the ability to create unlimited users with different permissions and to set multiple access passwords ; multiple connections ; the ability to use unlimited devices ; access to connection time statistics and personalize the software with your company logo. More info here .

RealVNC is a very complete remote access program available in various versions: one free and two paid. The free one can only be used for personal purposes and allows basic remote assistance on Windows, Mac and Linux. The paid one, on the other hand, can also be used for commercial purposes and includes many additional functions, such as connection encryption, file transfer, text chat, printing and much more.

It is quite simple to use, although not as suitable for novice users as other more basic solutions like TeamViewer. It is also available for mobile devices.

To immediately download (and possibly also purchase) RealVNC on your computer click here .

UltraVNC

UltraVNC is one of the most popular free remote access programs available for PC. It is not as intuitive as TeamViewer and other software but it has tons of advanced features that make it ideal for remote assistance professionals.

It supports file transfer from one computer to another, remote access to Windows, text chat and much more. It is compatible with all versions of Windows and there is also a version available in Java that works via a browser that works on Mac computers and Linux.

To download UltraVNC to your computer now, click here .

LogMeIn is another great solution for remote computer control. It is compatible with Windows and Mac and is very easy to set up. A wizard that starts from the software website, helps the user to create a free account, install the client on their computer and start the first work sessions with the program. It supports the encrypted connection and the wake on lan function that allows you to remotely wake up computers that are in a suspended state.

It can be used not only by computers but also by portable devices, such as iPad, which allows you to control computers remotely even on the move. All you need is an active Internet connection. It is free of charge but it is possible to download and use a trial version at no cost. For more info on how this software works, read my guide on how to remotely connect to another PC .

To immediately download (and possibly also purchase) LogMeIn on your computer click here .

ShowMyPC

ShowMyPC is another of the remote access programs that I think it is worth pointing out to you. It is available exclusively for Windows systems and makes ease of use its main feature. Once downloaded on the computer, it is sufficient to start it and communicate your identification number to whoever is on the other side (if assistance is required) or type in the appropriate field the identification number of the PC that must be remotely controlled.

It does not include many advanced features but perhaps this is one of the main advantages of this little free software.

To immediately download ShowMyPC to your computer  click here .

Ammyy Admin

Ammyy Admin is the perfect solution for those looking for simple and essential remote access programs that are easily used not only by those who must provide remote assistance but above all by those who must receive it. It works without installation and in a very linear way: the user who has to receive assistance must communicate the ID of his computer to the user who has to provide assistance so that the two computers can get in touch.

It supports full screen mode and allows you to adjust the connection quality. It is only available for Windows and is completely free for personal use. It is also available in some paid variants including extra features which, however, are not indispensable if you do not have special needs.

To immediately download (and possibly also purchase) Ammyy Admin on your computer click here .

VNC screens

In an article dedicated to what are the best remote access programs it is practically impossible not to mention Screens VNC , at least not as regards the macOS and OS X side explicitly. Screens VNC must be installed on the Mac and started in order to access to your computer from another terminal connected to the Internet. Once this is done, to be able to view anything on the Mac, just log in with the appropriate client and that's it. The software is paid but can be tried at no cost for a limited period.

The connection is secure, it also works from Windows or Linux and there is also an ad hoc app for iPhone and iPad that allows you to manage your computer remotely from mobile. There are keyboard shortcuts that allow you to manage the main functions quickly and easily. And if the Mac is connected to multiple monitors, Screens VNC allows you to select the one you prefer and change it with one click.

To immediately download (and possibly also purchase) Screens VNC on your computer click here .

Chrome Remote Desktop

As its name clearly suggests, Chrome Remote Desktop is an add-on for the Chrome Web browser that allows you to control a computer remotely using the "Big G" browser as a remote assistance tool rather than a third-party solution. Therefore, it is not really a software for remote access but given its functions and its extreme simplicity of use, it still deserves to be included in an article on the subject.

It is very simple to use even if slightly limited, precisely because it is intended only for Chrome users. It is sufficiently stable and safe and proves to be the ideal solution for the less experienced and for those who prefer to avoid wasting too much time in various configurations. For more information on Google Chrome and the program download and installation procedure, check out my post on how to install Google Chrome .