An iPhone and an iPod Touch can be used to remotely control a Windows computer (or even Mac and Linux) thanks to some programs that allow you to see the desktop on the iPhone. Controlling a computer from the phone is extremely useful when you are away from home or on a leisure or business trip because it allows the person to be able, for example, to read documents or use programs that could not otherwise be available.
With an iPhone you can connect to the Windows computer and see the files, programs and resources exactly as you would if you were sitting in front of the PC, only in a smaller screen.
This remote desktop feature becomes optimal if you own an iPad that has a bigger screen.
Using an iPhone to control your Windows computer is really easy, free and gives you the feeling and satisfaction of being a computer wizard.
There are 5 different ways to control your pc from the touchscreen of an iPhone, iPod or iPad.
The first two provide that the iPhone is connected to the same network to which the computer is connected, be it a corporate or home network.
The fourth, easier method, instead allows you to control a computer from anywhere.
1) The first method to control Windows from iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch is the old classic Microsoft Remote Desktop or RDP which only works on the same LAN.
The remote desktop is a function integrated in Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 in the Professional or Ultimate or Server versions and cannot be done in the Home version.
To enable remote control on a machine, right-click on My Computer, go to Properties, advanced settings, remote connection and finally allow remote assistance to the computer.
If the Iphone connects to the internet using the same network (and therefore the same router) that the computer uses, it will have an IP address of the type 192.168.0.3 while the pc may have something like 192.168.0.2.
On the iPhone you must download and install the free application Microsoft Desktop Remote official app for RDP connections on Windows PC from iPhone and iPad
The remote desktop uses the default port 3389 so you may need to set up Port Forwarding on the router.
Among the information to be entered at the beginning, you must also enter the username and password used for logging on to Windows.
The display settings can be changed in the RDP options
Now you can access anything on the desktop from the iPhone or iPod Touch by controlling the mouse with your finger and the keyboard with the touchscreen.
During the remote session, the machine you are connected to shows the login screen.
Another app is RDP Lite which is found on the Apple Store on iTunes.
After its installation, go to the Menu, Change connections and then enter the IP address of the Windows computer you want to check.
2) If you are unable or unable to use the Remote Desktop, always from the same network, you can use an external program called VNC that works on Windows and Mac.
You need to install a free and opensource software called HippoVNC Server on your computer.
After installation you must specify a password in the program settings.
Once active, HippoVNC shows the notification on the area near the clock and, by placing the pointer on the icon, the IP address used by the computer should appear, which must subsequently be written on the iPhone or iPod.
I highly recommend giving all permissions to firewalls for passing the program over the internet.
The application to download to control the computer from the iPhone is HippoRemote Lite always free and available in the Apple Store or iTunes.
Once installed, just press on Add Connections, enter the IP address of the computer, the password entered before and wait for the connection to be established.
3) With remote Mouse you can transform the touchscreen of an iPhone or iPad touch into a wireless or wifi mouse.
On the pc to be controlled, the server program must be downloaded.
4) To control the computer from iPhone or iPad via the internet, being in any place, with any connection, just download and install the extremely easy and powerful TeamViewer .
With TeamViewer you can control a PC remotely as if you were in front of it, from another computer or from an iPhone or iPod.
Teamviewer can be downloaded for both Windows and Mac, Linux and iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, from its homepage.
After installing it on the computer, you get an identification number of the computer or, by registering, you can create a unique access password.
From the iPhone just enter these credentials to create the connection and have full access to the computer desktop.
Alternatively, you can also install nothing on your PC and take advantage of the Chrome Remote Desktop application for iPhone and iPad
The advantage of Teamviewer and Chrome Remote Desktop is that they do not require network configurations and allow connection from anywhere in the world.
The Remote Desktop and VNC programs instead allow a faster connection because they use the internal network, without going over the internet.
