Can I control my Windows PC with my Android phone?

“Can I control my Windows PC with my Android phone when they are on LAN or WiFi?”

-Question from Quora

How to control PC from Android phone via WiFi [3 ways]

Of course, it is possible to control PC from Android phone via WiFi. This section introduces 3 easy ways. Let’s check them out.

Way 1. How to connect to your laptop from your Android phone via AnyViewer

AnyViewer is a remote control application for Windows and Android. It enables users to control their PCs remotely from their Android devices at any time, no matter whether the devices are on WiFi or over the internet.

★Pros and cons of AnyViewer

Pros:

It supports remote connections over the local network and the internet.

It allows one to remotely control an unattended computer.

It is easy to set up, without any specific configurations even if the two devices are across the internet.

It offers fast and smooth connections.

It supports multiple monitors.

Cons:

File transfer is not supported at present.

It is only compatible with Windows, Android, and iOS at present.

Part 1. Set up AnyViewer on the PC you want to control

Step 1. Download, install, and launch AnyViewer on the computer.

Step 1. Go to Log in, and then click Sign up. (If you already have signed up on its official website, you can log in directly.)

 Step 3. Fill in the signup information.

Step 4. Then you can see you successfully logged in to AnyViewer. Your device will automatically be assigned to the account you’ve logged in to. 

Part 2. Set up AnyViewer on your Android phone

Step 1. Download AnyViewer for Android on the Android device.

Step 2. Log into the account you’ve signed up for above.

Step 3. The devices that have been logged into the same account will be displayed on My devices list.

Step 4. Tap your target PC and tap One-click control to quickly connect to the PC.

Step 5. Then you can fully control the remote PC from the Android device. You can even run Windows apps on Android.

Way 2. Control a Windows laptop from an Android phone via RDP

The second method of how to control my PC from my Android phone via WiFi is to use RDP. RDP was developed by Microsoft and requires client and server software on both local and remote devices. Clients for most operating systems are available, and the server software is built into Windows 10 and 11.

★Pros and cons of RDP

Pros:

It is built into server computers and doesn’t need to download.

Its client software (installed on the device used to connect) is available for multiple operating systems, including Linux.

Cons:

It can only be used when the two devices are on LAN or WiFi.

It requires a complex configuration on the computer side.

You can only use RDP to control Windows Professional, Ultimate, Pro, and Enterprise editions; Home and Standard editions are not included.

Part 1. Prepare Windows Remote Desktop on your PC

Step 1. On your PC, enable the Windows Remote Desktop. Press Win + R, input “sysdm.cpl” and press Enter.

Step 2. Go to the Remote tab, and ensure that "Allow remote connections to this computer" is checked. And then click OK.

Step 3. Press Win + R gain, input “cmd” and press Enter to open Command Prompt. Then type in “ipconfig” and press Enter. Now you can see a group of IP addresses, of which the IPv4 address is the one you need.

Step 4. Then type “query user” to see the PC name.

Part 2. Remotely control the PC from an Android device

Step 1. Download Microsoft Remote Desktop from the Android app store. First, install it, and then run it. Tap the "+" icon to select desktop, and then wait for the app to search your local network for connected PCs. You must manually add the one you want to connect to if it does not appear automatically.

Step 2. A security dialog will appear when you first connect to a remote server. Make sure to check the Never ask for connections to this PC checkbox before tapping Connect. Enter your Windows login information to access the remote PC.

Step 3. There you go. You’re now connected remotely to the Windows laptop you wanted.

Way 3. Remotely access laptop from your Android phone via Unified Remote

The final method of how to connect PC with Android phone via WiFi is to use Unified Remote. Besides using WiFi, it also supports controlling PC from Android via Bluetooth.

★Pros and cons of Unified Remote

Pros:

Its server-side program widely supports Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Cons:

It doesn’t provide full control of the PC, you can only send specific commands to your PC.

 It doesn’t support long-distance remote connections.

 Its free version comes with ads.

Part 1. Set up Unified Remote on your PC

Step 1. Go to the Unified Remote website and follow the instructions to download the most recent server software.

Step 2. Run the setup package.

Step 3. Accept its installation by clicking on Install.

Part 2. Control PC from Android phone

Step 1. On your Android phone, download and launch the most recent version of Unified Remote.

Step 2. On the app’s first screen, you can select SIGN IN WITH GOOGLE or SKIP THIS STEP to avoid creating an account. The app will back up your configuration and remote settings if you choose to sign in with your Google account, so doing so is a smart move.

Step 3. You will see a list of devices to which you can connect. If you've previously completed the server setup without complications, the app automatically detects the computers connected to the LAN on which the server is running.

Step 4. Tap on the name of your PC, and you should get a notification telling you that your device is connected to it.

Step 5. Now you can control your PC from Android via WiFi.

Step 6. These are the installed default remotes that you can use as soon as you install the app. What each of them does is as follows:

• Basic Input is the virtual mouse. You can move the cursor on your computer desktop by moving your finger across the screen of your smartphone.
• File Manager displays a window of the computer's hard drives, allowing you to access the files and open or launch them on the computer.
• Keyboard is a standard QWERTY virtual keyboard with function keys.
• Media Remote contains media keys such as volume, previous and next track, and play/pause.
• Power contains power options, such as log off, restart, and shutdown computer from the Android phone.

The bottom line

This post primarily introduces 3 ways to control PC from Android phone via WiFi. Among the 3 options, we highly recommend AnyViewer for the following 3 reasons:

• ☺First, it can be used both on WiFi and across the internet.
• ☺Second, it provides full control of the remote PC from the Android phone.
• ☺Third, its server side is greatly compatible with all Windows versions.

If you’re looking for the best way to remotely control PC from Android phone via WiFi, give AnyViewer a try.