3 Options to Remote Shutdown PC from Android & iPhone

Can I remote control my PC from Android?

“Can I remote control my PC (Windows 10) from Android and then turn off the PC with my Android phone?”

-Question from Reddit

It’s greatly convenient for users to be able to remotely control their PCs from their phones, for example, remotely access their PCs from iPhone or Android phones. How do you achieve this? There are 3 options.

How to remote shutdown PC from Android & iPhone [3 options]

This section primarily introduces the detailed steps of 3 methods of remote shutdown PC from Android & iPhone.

Option 1. Remotely shutdown PC via AnyViewer [Android & iPhone]

The first method we recommend for remote shutdown PC from Android or iPhone is to use the free remote desktop software AnyViewer. It supports iOS and Android devices, enabling remote access to your Windows PC from an iPhone, iPad, or Android device.

Here we’ll take the Android phone as an example. Please note that the process of accessing PC from iPhone is pretty much the same. Let’s see how to remote shutdown Windows 10 from Android or iPhone via AnyViewer.

Part 1. Prepare AnyViewer on your Windows PC

Step 1. Download, install, and launch AnyViewer on your PC.

Step 2. 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. Remotely control PC from 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 Shut down to quickly turn off the PC.

Tips: You can also click Remote control to fully control the remote PC from the Android device.

Option 2. Remotely shutdown PC via Windows Remote Desktop [Android & iPhone]

Many of you may have heard of Windows Remote Desktop before. It is also a remote desktop software allowing you to remotely access PC from Android and then remotely shutdown PC from Android. The following tutorial works for iPhone/iPad as well.

But you need to note the following 2 things:

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 PC from Android device

Step 1. From the app store, download Microsoft Remote Desktop to your Android device. Install it, then run it. Select desktop by tapping the "+" icon in the upper right corner, then hold on while the app searches your local network for connected PCs. You must manually add the one you want to connect to if it doesn't automatically appear.

Step 2. You'll probably see a security dialog the first time you start a remote connection about the certificate not being verified. Make sure the Never ask again for connections to this PC checkbox is selected before tapping Connect. Then, you'll need to enter your Windows login information to access the remote PC.

Step 3. There you go. You’re now connected remotely to the Windows PC you wanted. You can turn it off by clicking Start > Power > Shut down.

Option 3. Remotely shutdown PC via Shutdown Start Remote [Android]

The final option is to use the free remote shutdown and start tool Shutdown Start Remote. But please note the following 3 things before using this tool:

Part 1. Prepare Shutdown Start Remote on your PC

Step 1. From the Shutdown Remote website, download the server. Don't start it yet. The server runs using JRE, just like a Windows executable, so there is no need for installation.

Step 2. To run the server file from step 1, the Jave Runtime Environment (JRE) must be installed and verified. If JRE isn't already installed, install it.

Step 3. Start the server from step 1, if not already activated.

Step 4. Verify that the server is activated. You should see a clock with button options on your PC screen.

Part 2. Remotely shut down PC from Android device

Step 1. Install the Android app on your phone from the app store.

Step 2. Start the app. Tap the Start Search button on the home screen if your Android and Windows devices are connected via Bluetooth or the same WiFi network.

Step 3. You will be able to see your computer in the results of the scan as long as the desktop application is active on your system. Click the name of your computer.

Step 4. Next, set the timer. If you want to shut down your system immediately, set the timer to 00:00. Now, tap on the Shutdow” button.

Step 5. You might see a confirmation message, tap on the OK to continue.

Step 6. The desktop application starts to shut down as soon as you tap the button. Windows notifies you that the system will shut down in one minute because it is a remote shutdown.

The bottom line

This post primarily introduces 3 methods of remote shutdown PC from Android. Also, we made a brief comparison of the 3 tools. You can choose according to your own preference. All the 3 methods offer you free services. Let’s see a brief comparison to help you make a better choice.

Both Windows Remote Desktop and Shutdown Start Remote have a relatively complex setup process compared with AnyViewer. And both Windows Remote Desktop and Shutdown Start Remote require the PC and Android device to be on the same WiFi network. Besides, Shutdown Start Remote has some on-screen ads that may affect the user experience.

The comparison has highlighted the advantages of AnyViewer. It is easy to set up. It doesn't require the PC and the Android device to be on the same WiFi network. It has no on-screen ads. It can shut down the PC directly, no need to connect to the PC first. In conclusion, you’re advised to choose AnyViewer.