The benefit of owning a great laptop is that you can take it anywhere. But what if you want to remote into that laptop or desktop computer and access it when you don't physically have it on hand? Windows 11 makes that easy on its Pro version thanks to its built-in remote desktop feature. Things are a bit more complicated on Windows 11 Home, but there are some ways to still get the remote desktop experience.
How to use Remote Desktop on Windows 11 Pro
If you're running the Windows 11 Pro, you can easily remote into another computer thanks to a built-in remote desktop feature. You'll just need to configure it. As with most things, this is done through the settings app. This process actually has two parts: setting up your system for a remote desktop session and accessing your system via a remote desktop.
Set up your PC for Remote Desktop
We're going to begin by setting up your PC for Remote Desktop. Usually, it's off by default, so we need to enable it first.
- Open the Windows 11 Settings app with Windows Key + I.
- Choose System.
- Choose Remote Desktop.
- Turn the switch for Remote Desktop to On.
- Choose Confirm. Note your PC's name.
- By default, you're going to be signed in with the admin account when in a remote session. If you don't want this, proceed to the next step.
- Click Remote Desktop Users, then Add to add another account.
- Type the name of the account you want to add, then choose Check Names > OK.
Note that for a more secure experience, you can press the down arrow under Remote Desktop and choose Require devices to use Network Level Authentication to connect. This is a security setting that can help prevent false remote desktop connections.
Get into your PC with Remote Desktop
Now, you can remote into another PC with the Microsoft Remote Desktop application. We suggest using the version from the Microsoft Store, but it's also available on iOS and Android, so you can access your PC on those devices. In the steps below, we're using the Windows app, but the steps should be the same for all versions of the app.
How to use the Microsoft Remote Desktop application
- Click the (+) Add button on the top of the app.
- Choose PCs.
- Enter the name of the PC you're connecting to (as noted earlier).
- Enter the use account information from your main PC by pressing the plus (+) and then Save.
- If you want, give your PC a nickname under Display name.
- Press Save at the bottom of the app.
- You should see your PC appear in the list. Click the icon to connect to it.
When you're ready to disconnect, click the three dots at the top and choose Disconnect. If you want to make this experience full-screen, tap the three-dot icon again and choose Full Screen. Otherwise, you can choose a windowed experience.
How to use the built-in Remote Desktop Connection application
Though the built-in Microsoft Remote Desktop application is good enough for most needs, if you're the more technical type, you can use the Remote Desktop Connection application that's built into Windows 11 Pro. Here's how:
- Search for Remote Desktop and click the top result for Remote Desktop Connection.
- In the app, type the name of your computer in the Computer field, as noted earlier.
- Then, in User name, type in your account.
- You'll see other tabs at the top of the app, but things should still be configured for optional settings by default. For now, just choose Connect. You can tweak additional settings by jumping to the end of this section.
- Enter your password in the pop-up prompt.
- If you get a pop-up prompt about identity verification, you can ignore it. Just click Yes.
- You'll now be connected to the remote desktop session. It should launch full screen by default, but if it doesn't, you can simply end the session and follow the steps below for more.
If you're looking for additional settings, you can end your remote desktop session by closing the window. From there, relaunch the Remote Desktop Connection app. Under Display, you can choose to keep your display either small or large or drag the slider all the way to the right for full screen. Under Local Resources, you can choose Remote Audio and then Settings to configure where the audio plays and records from. You can also choose access to printers and your keyboards from here, too.
How to use Remote Desktop on other versions of Windows
Remote Desktop isn't available on Windows 11 Home. You'll have to upgrade to use the feature, but there is a workaround. Chrome Remote Desktop lets you access your PC on any device as long as it has a Chromium-based web browser installed.
Set up your PC for Chrome Remote Desktop
In this section, we're going to set up remote access using Chrome. Here's what to do:
- Open any Chromium-based web browser and go to remotedesktop,google.com.
- Sign in with a Google account or create one.
- Choose Access my computer.
- Choose Remote Access in the sidebar.
- Click Download under Setup remote access.
- Launch the downloaded chromeremotedesktop.msi file, and follow the steps on your screen.
- Go back to remotedesktop.google.com.
- Under Remote Access, choose Turn on and give your PC a name.
- Enter a PIN to protect your PC (it should be a 6-digit number). Then, press Start.
- In the pop-up box, choose Yes.
Access your PC with Chrome Remote Desktop
Your PC is now ready to be streamed over Google's servers to any other web browser or PC, Mac, iPhone, and any device with internet connectivity. To do this, you'll have to open a web browser on the system of choice.
- Visit the Chrome Remote Desktop website.
- Sign in with the same Google account you used earlier on your Chromebook.
- Choose Access my computer.
- Click on the name of the PC you added earlier.
- Enter your PIN.
You'll get a new window open with your PC's screen, like if you had your PC in front of you. If you click on the arrow icon on the right side of your screen, you can choose options to scale to fit the screen, enable smooth scaling, and change frames. At any time, you can choose Disconnect.
Access your PC remotely with TeamViewer
While Microsoft Remote Desktop and Chrome Remote Desktop are the best ways for you to access your PC remotely, there's a final option we have to mention. TeamViewer is a third-party app that works similarly to Microsoft Remote Desktop, but it'll let you access your PC on any other device regardless of the network.
The app is free to use as long as it's not for commercial reasons. Otherwise, you can try the 14-day trial and then contact sales for more.
Set up your PC for remote access with TeamViewer
- Sign up for a TeamViewer account and set an encryption key.
- Download the TeamViewer Full Host Client on your main PC that you want remote access to.
- Launch the downloaded file and follow the steps on your screen.
- Once the app launches, agree to the license agreements and choose Continue.
- Search for TeamVIewer Host in your Start Menu and launch the app.
- Choose Connect with TeamView ID and note down the number and password.
Access your PC remotely with the TeamViewer client
- On the TeamViewer download page, choose the device you're on and download the TeamViewer Full Client.
- Launch the file and choose Default Installation.
- Sign in to your TeamViewer account.
- Choose Home in the sidebar
- Under Connect with ID, enter the ID from earlier.
- Choose Connect and enter the password.
You'll instantly be connected, and you'll see your PC's screen on your secondary device. If you want, you can start File Transfers using the Files icon in the menu bar. You also can choose View to change the screen resolution and refresh the screen. To go full screen, click the Enter Full Screen icon to the far right. When you're done, click the red End Session icon. Just be sure to choose to Keep Current on your host PC when the session ends to keep the same key. Otherwise, you'll have to generate a new key each time.
Final thoughts
And those are the top ways you can remote into your PC. It's a really simple and straightforward process, and it can be very convenient, too. We hope you found this guide helpful, but it's just one of many that we've put together You might also be interested in how to upgrade drivers in Windows 11, how to find the specs for your Windows 11 PC, and even how to install a VPN on Windows.