Every now and then, you might get stuck trying to do something on your laptop. Whether you're trying something new and you're not sure or what you're doing or something just isn't working like it used to, it can be hard to figure things out sometimes. To help with that, Windows 11 comes with a Quick Assist app, which lets you get help easily from a friend or family member.

Quick Assist should be included with Windows 11 by default, though you can download the app here if you need to. Aside from that, the only thing you need a someone willing to help you, but they don't have to be next to you. Both you and your helper will need the app.

How to get help with the Quick Assist app

If you're the person in need of assistance, you can get help by following these steps:

1. Open the Start menu and search for Quick Assist.
2. Under Get help enter the code given to you by the person helping you.
3. When prompted, click Allow to share your screen.
4. Once you start sharing your screen, you'll see a window at the top indicating you're sharing your screen. There will also be a yellow border around the screen.
5. Click the message bubble if you need to send a message to the person helping you. You can see a proper chat-like experience with your message history.
6. If you need the other person to take control of your PC, they'll need to request control on their end (explained below).
7. Click Allow to let the other person take control.
8. When you're done, you can click Leave or close the window to stop sharing your screen.

As the person getting help, the process is fairly straightforward. If you're the person giving assistance, you have a few more things you need to do.

How to give help with the Quick Assist app

If you're trying to help someone using the Quick Assist app on Windows 11, here's what you need to do:

1. Open Quick Assist.
2. Click Help someone.
3. Enter your Microsoft account e-mail and click Next.
4. When the code appears on the screen, share it with the person you're helping.
5. Wait for the other user to allow screen sharing.
6. Once you see the other person's display, you have a few tools at your disposal:
   • Request control: Ask the other user to let you control their PC using your mouse and keyboard. The other user needs to approve the request.
   • Laser pointer: Use your mouse to highlight an area or button on the other person's screen.
   • Annotation: Use your mouse or touch to draw on the other person's screen.
   • Chat: Send and receive messages from the user you're helping.
   • Select monitor: If the person sharing their screen has multiple monitors, you can switch between the screen you want to focus on.
   • View actual size: See the other person's display at full resolution, even if it's higher than your own.
   • Reconnect: Reconnect to the previous session if the other computer was restarted.
   • Restart & reconnect (while taking control): Restart the remote computer and automatically reconnect afterward.
   • Task Manager (while taking control): Open Task Manager on the remote computer.
7. Once you take control of the other PC, you can interact with it as you normally would interact with your own PC. Note: Keyboard shortcuts that use the Windows key or Ctrl + Alt + Delete won't work.
8. Once you're finished helping the other person, click Leave or close the Quick Assist app

Final thoughts

That's about all you need to know to get or give help to a friend using the Quick Assist app. Whether you're someone who needs help often or the IT support in your family, the Quick Assist app can be an extremely useful tool, and it's one I've personally used quite a bit.