Securely access your computer remotely from an iOS device via Chrome

Chrome Remote Desktop app for iOS is now available, making it easy to securely access your desktop computer remotely from an iOS device. Google has finally delivered its promise to let iOS device owners use the Chrome Remote Desktop. Android folks have been able to use the feature last April. The feature is pretty handy and works just as advertised. The app is free and available for download at iTunes. The steps to get it all connected are easy as A, B and C. I have the steps below to get you going.

Step A:

Install the Chrome Remote Desktop app on every computer you want to access remotely and every computer you’d like to connect from.

1. Visit the Chrome Remote Desktop app page in the Chrome Web Store.
2. In the upper-right corner of the window, click the blue + Free button to download Chrome Remote Desktop.
3. Click Add in the confirmation dialog.

Once the app has been added, the Chrome Remote Desktop icon will appear in the App Launcher

When you open Chrome Remote Desktop app for the first time, you’ll be asked to authorize it. This will allow the app to do the following:

• See your email address
• See your Chrome Remote Desktop computers
• Receive and send chat messages (this is how we get the two computers to “talk” to each other)

Step B:

To enable the computer you want to access remotely, you’ll need to use a Google Account. If you don’t have one,sign up now.

1. Open a new tab in Google Chrome
2. Under the Chrome search bar, click Apps  
3. Open the Chrome Remote Desktop app.
4. If the Get Started button appears in the “My Computers” box, click it to display remote connection options.
5. Click Enable remote connections.
6. Install the Chrome Remote Host Service:

Step C: [Windows Users]:

Applies only to Chrome on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 or higher

1. Enter a PIN and re-type the PIN. Click OK.
2. Click Yes to install the Chrome Remote Host Service. The host service will download and install automatically.
3. A confirmation box will appear. Confirm the Google Account and enter the PIN again to continue.

The computer you enabled should show up under “My Computers.”

Note: Windows User Account Control might appear and ask you for permission to install. If you don’t have administration privileges on the computer, please contact your system administrator to finish installation.

Step C: [Mac Users]:

1. Chrome will start the download of an installation .dmg. Click Save.
2. Click chromeremotedesktop.dmg in the Download bar to mount the installer.
3. Switch to your Finder, and locate the “Chrome Remote Desktop” window with the “Chrome Remote Desktop.mpkg” installer package.
4. Double-click the Chrome Remote Desktop.mpkg file to run the installer.
5. Follow the on-screen prompts to finish installation.
6. When the installation is complete, return to Chrome and click OK in the on-screen dialog to enable your computer for remote access.
7. Enter a PIN and re-type the PIN, then click OK.
8. A System Preference dialog appears, unlock the panel and confirm your account and PIN again.
9. The “Remote connections for this computer have been enabled” message will appear. Click OK to dismiss it.
10. The computer you enabled should show up under “My Computers”.