How can I help my kids (or parents!) when I’m not in the same location as they are?
A lot of parents are wanting to help their kids (or even their parents) while they’re at work. Is there anything that can help them do that?
Yes - there’s something called Remote Access applications that grant you permission and allow you to connect to another computer and actually ‘run’ that computer remotely from your own computer. So you can log into their machine and have control over it - allowing you to move the mouse, open and run applications, everything. You will actually see their desktop and can do everything just like it was your own. You can even transfer files to their computer with a lot of the applications.
How can that help me help them? How would it work?
It works best with a combination of using your phone & the Remote Access application. You can be talking with them over the phone and discussing the issues they are having, while you look at their desktop and help fix the issues. You can also explain the things you are doing as a learning experience.
Is it secure and safe to use?
Yes, there are several well known and secure remote access applications that provide security and encryption. And you must provide approval each time for someone to remote access into your computer, so you will control who has access and when.
What are some Remote Access applications people can use?
1. Any Desk:
A good one that we recommend at My Smart Grandkids to help our customers remotely is called Any Desk. It’s really easy to install and really easy to use - for both the person needing the help and the person who needs to remotely connect into the computer.
2. Other options:
Remote PC and GoToMyPC are two other options that work well.
With a lot of these, you can even access a computer from your phone or tablet!
How much does it cost?
Some are free - some cost money. Different applications may have different features available - you can look at their websites and see the features and pricing, but for the 3 we mentioned:
AnyDesk is free for personal use. This is why it’s a great one for us to recommend to our customers - it’s really easy for them to install and it doesn’t cost them anything. It works really well too. In today’s times where we can’t physically go into our customers homes or senior communities, being able to offer support remotely is amazing. This will be the same for parents who are trying to help their children when they can’t physically be with them.
Remote PC has special pricing of $2.95 for the first year for 2 computers, then it’s $29.50 per year after that.
GoToMyPC costs $35 per month per computer you need to access. You would install GoToMyPC onto the computer you want to access and then you can log into that computer at any time by going to gotomypc.com and logging into your account.
Again, on their websites, you can read over the features of each application and see which one fits with your needs.
Any Desk: https://anydesk.com/en
Remote PC: https://www.remotepc.com/
GoToMyPC: https://get.gotomypc.com/