Being tech-savvy is a gift and a curse. When you know how to fix computers, you become “the computer person” for everyone you know. However, you can’t always troubleshoot in person.
If you’re using the same platform as the person you’re helping—both on Windows or both on macOS—providing remote tech support is very simple, and you won’t need to install any extra software. Helping someone on a different platform gets a bit trickier, but we’ll give you the right tools for the job.
Quick Assist: Windows 10 to Windows 10
Windows has two remote assistance tools built in to the operating system: Quick Assist, which is new in Windows 10, and Windows Remote Assistance, which is available on Windows 7, 8, and 10. If both you and your friend are using Windows 10, you’ll want to use Quick Assist. As its name suggests, it’s quicker and easier than its older cousin.
Open the Start menu and search for Quick Assist, or launch the app from the Windows Accessories folder in the Start menu.
In the window that appears, click the Assist Another Person button under Give Assistance. Sign in with your Microsoft account (you need a Microsoft account to help, but your friend or relative does not), and you’ll be given a six-digit code that expires in 10 minutes.
If you aren’t on the phone with the other person already, give them a call—walking them through the process is much easier over the phone than email. Have them launch Quick Assist, and under the Get Assistance section, type the six-digit code you give them from your screen.
After entering the code, they will be prompted to give you permission to access their screen. You’ll then be able to use their computer as if you were sitting in front of it. You can even use the Remote Reboot option to reboot their computer and automatically re-initiate the Quick Assist connection. After all, half of computer problems are fixed by turning it off and on again.
Windows Remote Assistance: Windows to Windows
If your friend or family member is still using Windows 7 or 8, you will need to use the older Remote Assistance tool. The tool is similar to Quick Assistant, but it’s far clunkier to use. They should head to the Control Panel and search for Invite Someone to Connect to Your PC. They will need to send you a file over email that initiates the connection, then tell you the password that appears (preferably over the phone) so you can access their machine.
They may also be able to select Easy Connect, which only requires them giving you a password, but it might be grayed out in certain circumstances.
Mac to Mac
Mac users can provide remote help using the Messages app. This feature launched in OS X 10.10 Mavericks, so anyone with a relatively recent, up-to-date Mac should be able to take advantage. You will both need to be signed in to Messages with your Apple ID as well.
Open the Messages app on your Mac and select the conversation with the friend or relative you want to help; if it doesn’t exist, start a new conversation. Your conversation should have the blue bubbles, indicating that you’re both using iMessage. Click the “i” button in the upper right-hand corner of the window, then click Share.
From here, you can ask the other person to share their screen with you. (If you run into problems, they can also go to this menu and invite you to view their screen.) On older versions of macOS, you can right-click on the conversation and choose Ask to Share Screen as well.
They will receive a pop-up asking for permission to share their screen with you. Make sure they have the Control My Screen option selected and click Accept. From there, you can control their computer and walk them through whatever problem they’re having.
If you’re trying to remotely troubleshoot a problem on a Mac you own—say, one your child uses for online learning—you can use Apple’s built-in VNC client.
Troubleshooting Between Windows and Mac
Unfortunately, neither Windows nor macOS’ built-in options let you share screens with someone from the opposite platform. So you will need to find something else.
Plenty of video chat apps, including Zoom, Skype, and others let participants share their screen with the click of a button. They don’t, however, let you control the other person’s screen. In many cases, this may be fine, since you can just tell the other person what to click on as you walk them through the troubleshooting process.
Chrome Remote Desktop
If you absolutely need to control someone else’s screen, your best bet is Chrome Remote Desktop, which doesn’t come with the security issues that remote access tools like TeamViewer have had in the past few years.
To use Chrome Remote Desktop, you must both launch Google Chrome and head to the Remote Desktop site, then click Share My Screen (yes, even though you aren’t sharing your screen). Next, the other person will have to click the blue download arrow under Share This Screen.
This will download a small helper app they’ll need to install on their PC. Once it installs successfully, they should click the Generate Code button that will appear on their screen-sharing page. That will produce a 12-digit access code you’ll need to gain access to their computer.
On your PC, from the Remote Desktop site, type in that code under Connect to Another Computer. Your friend will then need to grant you permission, after which you can control their computer and help them solve their problem.
If this process seems a bit more convoluted, it is, but that’s par for the course when you have to install another piece of software (especially one that requires Chrome). However, in our experience, it’s the best option available, especially once you get through those first few steps. Future remote sessions should be much easier to initiate.
