The machine is at home and you are not
Remote desktop is the tool everyone reaches for and often the wrong one. Dragging a mouse cursor around a desktop over a mobile connection is miserable. If the task is restarting a service, fetching a file or running a command, there are tools that do it in seconds without ever drawing a screen.
Pick the right tool first
| What you need to do | The right tool | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Click something in a graphical app | Remote desktop | No alternative |
| Run a command or restart a service | SSH | Instant, works on any connection |
| Get a file off the machine | File sync or SFTP | No screen to fight |
| Help somebody else with their computer | Attended remote support | They can see what you are doing |
| Send a link or clipboard to the desktop | A phone to desktop bridge | Faster than any of the above |
| Check the machine is alive | SSH or a status page | Seconds rather than a session |
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The apps
The official Windows remote desktop client. The best experience by a distance if the target is Windows, especially with a Bluetooth mouse.
Cross platform, light, and it holds up on a poor connection better than most. Works through a home router with no configuration.
The one to install on the machine of the person you are helping, because it asks their permission and shows them what is happening.
An alternative remote support tool, useful when the others are blocked on a corporate network.
File access, notifications and messages from a phone in a browser. Solves the file half of the problem without a desktop session.
The most polished SSH client on Android, with proper key management and a keyboard that does not fight you.
Open source, small and dependable. Has been the fallback SSH client for over a decade.
Termius. Syncs hosts and keys across devices, which matters when the phone is the third machine you use.
A full terminal environment on the phone, so the SSH client, the file tools and the scripts all live in one place.
Runs a server on the phone instead, for reaching into it from a computer. The reverse of everything else here and occasionally exactly what you need.
Shared clipboard, notification mirroring, file sending and a remote input pad, all over your own network with nothing in the middle.
The simpler version of that idea: push a link or a file to the desktop and it opens there.
The VPN that makes the rest possible. A tunnel back to the home network turns every one of these into a local connection.
For the different case where the machine is reachable but the network you are on is not trustworthy.
Making a session usable
- Carry a Bluetooth mouse if you do this often Touch emulation of a mouse is the single worst part of remote desktop, and a cheap mouse removes it entirely.
- Drop the colour depth and resolution A responsive session at lower quality beats a beautiful one that lags half a second behind your finger.
- Set the desktop resolution to match the phone Scrolling around a screen larger than the one you are holding is what makes people give up.
- Use a keyboard shortcut list Most clients have a toolbar for the keys a touchscreen lacks. Learn where the Escape and Tab keys are before you need them.
- Prefer SSH when the task allows it Restarting a service takes three seconds in a terminal and two minutes in a remote desktop session.
Ask what the task actually is. Half of them are an SSH command, and the other half deserve a Bluetooth mouse.
Frequently asked questions
Can I reach a computer behind a home router?
With a service that brokers the connection, yes, with no configuration. With a direct protocol you need either port forwarding, which is worth avoiding, or a VPN into the home network, which is the better answer.
Is remote desktop secure over public WiFi?
The modern protocols are encrypted. The weak point is a password on an exposed service, which is why a VPN in front of it is worth the setup.
Why is the session so slow?
Latency rather than bandwidth. Lowering the resolution and colour depth helps; moving closer to the router at the other end helps more.
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