Using a remote connection to your PC always sounds like something only a tech-savvy person could pull off. However, that is not the reality, Google Remote Desktop makes it dead easy for you to remotely log in to your computer when you’re afar.

The applications for connecting to a PC remotely are endless, you can connect seamlessly to your parents’ computer if and when they need your help in something technical.

Though the Remote Desktop feature is available for Windows 11 Pro users, Windows 11 home users are left hanging. Fortunately, you don’t need any sort of special setup or even technical know-how to set up Chrome Remote Desktop.

Download and Set up Google Remote Access app

You would first need to download the Google Remote Access app on the computer you wish to access remotely.

To do so, head to the remotedesktop.google using your preferred browser. Then, sign in to your account if you are not logged in.

Once logged in, click on the ‘Download’ button present on the webpage. This will open a separate browser window on your screen and redirect you to ‘Chrome Web Store’.

Now, on the newly opened window, click on the ‘Add to Chrome’ button to add the extension in your Chrome browser. This will bring up a prompt on your screen.

Then, from the prompt, click on the ‘Add extension’ button to download and install the extension. Once installed, you will receive a notification for the same in the top right corner of your screen.

Once the file has been downloaded, head back to the Chrome Remote Desktop web page and click on the ‘Accept & Install’ button to install the software on your computer. This will bring up a prompt on your screen.

After that, click on the ‘Yes’ button from the prompt. This will initiate the installation process on your computer.

Next, an UAC (User Account Control) screen will appear on your screen. If you are not logged in with an admin account, enter the credentials for one. Otherwise, click on the ‘Yes’ button to proceed ahead.

After that wait for a few seconds and let the process run in the background to finish the installation.

As soon as the installation completes, a Chrome window will open on your screen. Then, enter the PC name in the designated field and click on the ‘Next’ button to proceed ahead.

Now, enter a 6-digit pin twice and then click on the ‘Start’ button.

Your device will take a moment to register and then your device would be ready to be connected remotely.

Use a Secondary Device to Connect Remotely with your Home Computer

Once you have set up your home device (the computer you wish to connect remotely), you must know how to access it when and if the need arrives.

To connect with your home computer, head to the remotedesktop.google.com using any browser. Then, sign in to your Gmail account if you are not logged in.

Once you are logged in, make sure the ‘Remote Access’ tab is selected on the left sidebar.

After that, you will be able to see all the linked devices with that particular email address under the ‘Remote devices’ section on the webpage. Then, click on the device name you wish to connect remotely.

Next, enter the pin which you had used at the time of setting up your home device to connect with the device.

Chrome Remote Desktop might take a moment to connect to your PC. Once connected, you will be able to see the currently opened screen of your home device in the browser tab of the device you are using to connect.

Tweak Session Settings to your Preference

There are a plethora of options that you can tweak according to your preference in order to customize the remote session that might help you navigate and use it better.

To tweak session settings, make sure you are connected to the remote device first as shown in this guide above. Then, click on the little chevron present on the right edge of your screen to reveal the settings tab.

Then, first and foremost, to view the remote connection in fullscreen, click on the checkbox preceding the ‘Full-screen’ option.

Moreover, if you wish to resize the remote resolution to your current viewing screen resolution or disable smooth scaling to improve the resolution (it is turned on by default) click on their individual checkboxes preceding the option to turn them on or off.

To configure shortcut controls for the session, scroll down to the ‘Input Control’ section. Then, click on the ‘Configure keyboard shortcuts’ option. This will open an overlay pane on your screen.

On the overlay pane, under the ‘Modifier key:’ section, the currently set modifier key will be displayed; you would need to press this key before you can use any of the displayed shortcuts on your screen. To change the key, click on the ‘Change’ button and then press the modifier key of your choice on the keyboard to confirm and set the key.

If you wish to access the session settings quickly using a keyboard shortcut, click on the checkbox preceding the ‘press and hold left shift to access options’. Then, if you are using virtual machines on your remote computer or testing a graphic intensive application, click on the checkbox preceding the ‘Relative mouse mode’ option.

In case you wish to project the remote connection display to a secondary screen, locate the ‘Displays’ section. Then, click on the drop-down menu and select the connected display.

If you wish to send a file to the remote PC or download a file to your computer, locate the ‘File transfer’ section on the panel. Then to send a file, click on the ‘Upload file’ option or press the U key after pressing the modifier key for keyboard shortcuts and select a file to send using the explorer on your computer. Similarly, click on the ‘Download a file’ option or press the D key after pressing the modifier key and locate a file using the file explorer to get a file from the remote computer.

You can also turn on stats such as bandwidth, bitrate, frame quality, current protocol in use, codec, host delay, network delay by clicking on the checkbox preceding the ‘Stats for nerds’ option situated under the ‘Support’ section.

In case you wish to pin the session settings pane permanently, click on the ‘pin’ icon present on the top of the overlay panel.

To disconnect the remote connection, click on the ‘Disconnect’ button present on the overlay settings pane.

Adjust Remote Device Properties

You can also change the remote device name, check its current status, and also choose to remove any particular device linked with your account.

If you wish to change the remote device name, head to the ‘Chrome Remote Desktop’ main screen and then click on the ‘Pencil’ icon. Next, enter the new name for the device as per your preference. Next, click on the ‘Save’ button to confirm and save.

In case you wish to delete a specific remote device, locate the device under the ‘Remote devices’ section and click on the ‘trash bin’ icon to delete the device. This will bring up a prompt on your screen.

From the prompt, click on the ‘OK’ button to remove the device.

So, folks, this is all about the Chrome Remote Desktop. Now, you do not need a pro-grade OS or technical know-how to connect with your devices remotely.