To remotely control windows pc from Android we can use the Unified Intents’ excellent app Unified Remote. This app acts as an interface between your Android smartphone and your PC, letting you do things such as pause or play videos and music, increase or decrease the volume, launch applications, manage files, control the mouse or keyboard, monitor performance, turn off, restart, or hibernate your computer, and lots using your smartphone.

Setting up Unified Remote

First, download and install the Unified Remote Server on your computer. It supports Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista and XP. There are packages for Linux and macOS as well. Once installed, the server will start automatically. There is no need for further configuration. Next, install the Unified Remote app on your phone. Away from Android, it is also available on iOS and Windows Phone.

open the app on your phone and it will automatically find and connect to your PC. Please note that your phone and computer should be connected to the same network for this to work. Though it is possible to connect to your system from another network, for example, from your mobile network to your home network, it is not recommended for security reasons.

Basic Mouse and Keyboard Usage

The most basic use of the Unified Remote app is to control your PC’s mouse and keyboard from your Android device. Go to Basic Input, where you will see the following screen:

Here we can use touch to simulate mouse movement. A single tap acts as a left click, while a double-finger tap counts as right click. Drag on the screen with two fingers to scroll. Pinch to zoom in and out is also supported.

To use the keyboard, tap on the keyboard icon on the bottom left of the screen. Here we type anything will be reflected on your PC.

Using Remotes

Along with mouse and keyboard control, we can also extend the functionality by adding Remotes. The app provides various remotes out of the box but we can always add more.  We can add them using the Add Remote (+) floating button on the bottom right, after which we will see the various types of remotes we can add.

How to Remotely Control Windows PC from Android

Let’s take a look at the different remotes available and the functionality.

• File Management

The File Manager remote is enabled in the app by default. If not, go to Add Remote > Utility > File Manager. Any file you open from here will open on your system in the default app on your PC. we can also perform basic file management tasks such as Copy, Paste, and Delete.

How to Remotely Control Windows PC from Android

• Controlling Music / Video Playback

Go to Add Remote > Media, and select the media player of your choice. Remember that most media player remotes, except for VLC are only available in the premium version. Still, the generic Media remote available in the free version lets we play, pause, increase / decrease volume and other basic operations with most media players.

How to Remotely Control Windows PC from Android

• Task Management

Add the remote by going to Add Remote > Utility > Task Manager. With this remote, we can see the programs running on your computer on your phone. we can select to close the window, quit the program, or kill the task, in case it isn’t responding.

How to Remotely Control Windows PC from Android

• Power Management

In power management, we can add two remotes. One is Power> Power remote, the other Utility > Monitor. The latter is available only in the premium version of the app. With the Power remote, we will find choices to Restart, Shut Down, Log Off, Lock, Hibernate and more for your system. In the Monitor remote, we will find options to turn your monitor On, Off, or put it on Standby. There are also options to manage multiple monitors.

A Note on Security

Unified Remote will automatically detect and take control of any system with Unified Remote Server installed on your network, without prompting for a password. This means that anyone on your network with the app installed on their phone will have unrestricted access to your system, and can possibly move around or delete files, turn off your system.

To solve this, on your computer, go to the system tray, right click on the Remote Server icon, and click on Manager.

How to Remotely Control Windows PC from Android

Once the manager interface opens up, go to Settings on the navigation panel on the left, and go to the Security tab.

How to Remotely Control Windows PC from Android

Here, Under the Authentication section, select “Use the same password for all users”, and enter in a strong password. While we are at it, we will enable encryption for our connections by ticking the Encrypt all network checkbox. Now click the Save button. It is now impossible for an intruder to remote control your PC, even if they are on the same network.

How to Remotely Control Windows PC from Android

On your phone, tap on the menu or swipe right from the left edge, and go to Servers. Tap on the appropriate server, and it will ask to enter the password. Enter it, and tap OK.

Paid vs. Free Version

Many basic remotes are available in the free app and are enough for most casual users, most advanced remotes are available in the paid version ($3.99). In our usage, the paid features such as advanced remotes, screen mirroring, extended keyboard (useful for sending keys such as Ctrl, Alt, etc.), voice commands, and the widgets. To sum things up, Unified Remote is the only working solution as of now, when it comes to remotely controlling your Windows PC from an Android smartphone.