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Do any of you remember TeamViewer? That desktop application that would let you control someone else's computer (if you had permission to do so)?

This, of course, brings me bad memories because I once gave a friend access to my computer to help me with a task, and he ended up turning my computer off. Not cool.

Well today, I'm going to talk to you about a similar software. One that would let you control your computer from absolutely anywhere.

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Getscreen 🖥

I can think of way too many times where an app like this could have come in handy; when I'm on my work computer but stored some important documents on my home laptop... when I was in school but left my homework in my home laptop... basically, whenever I'm careless.

Getscreen is an application that allows you to have remote access (i.e. from a distance) to any desktop (that you have permission for... obviously), from anywhere in the world.

The idea behind an app like this is that regardless of where you are, if you don't have immediate physical access to your computer, an app like Getscreen would let you access your machine remotely-- whether that's from a phone, a tablet, or another computer altogether.

You create a link, or connection of sorts, i.e. I download Getscreen on my main machine (my laptop, in this case), and only people with a specific URL will be able to access it remotely.

If you need a bit more reassurance before actually downloading this, you can check out their demo page to see it in action.

Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux-- once you download Getscreen, you'll have to go through all those permissions it will ask you for (which you have to accept if you want to be able to use your computer remotely). Once you do, you'll see a window similar to the image above. This is that "link" I mentioned earlier.

There are now two ways I can access my laptop remotely. I can either scan the QR code using my phone's camera (I'll attach a GIF below) which would let me control my laptop using my phone, or I can visit that URL (https://go.getscreen...) from, well, anywhere.

Accessing my laptop remotely using Getscreen

Once you're in, you can do most remote-friendly things you need to. Access documents, browsers, other applications, and so on. It's quite literally like having your computer with you, except, without you (if you understood that, then you already understand how this app works).

Regardless of if you have just one computer you need remote access to, or an entire business full of computers, you only download this app on the ones you intend to gain remote access to. On your phone, you only need that magic link or URL I showed you above.

Here's a few other things you should know:

There are various payment plans. The free option lets you download this software on max 2 computers, and only use them remotely for 15 minutes at a time (after that, you'll have to reconnect again). Also, you can only transfer up to 50MB files (so 5 iPhone pictures...).
There are higher tiers, $4/month, $19/month, and $99/month that let you access a whole lot more computers, have infinite-long connections, and transfer very heavy files. So it boils down to your needs (but regardless of which you choose, the first 3 months are free).
Getscreen provides a session history; so you can always go check when was the last time a connection was made, and from what device. If I check my current log, the latest entry would be my iPhone's IP address, and my city/country (this is good for your personal records, specially if you use Getscreen on multiple computers).
Your connections are private. There's heavy encryption involved, and Getscreen doesn't store your information on any intermediate servers. There are only direct connections: you and your remote computer.

Once this app gets its updates, it would be extremely convenient for customer service too. If your clients have an issue, all you'd require would be a new magic link that would let you see directly what the issue is.

Lastly, if you do decide to use Getscreen, note that you are not required to sign up (if you want to use the free version). But I think it's helpful because it lets you establish a permanent link. Like in the image above, every time I want to access my laptop from my smartphone, I won't need to have to scan a QR code each time-- I can simply visit Getscreen's website, log in, and click a button to connect.

Also, and this might be implied, but I have to mention it just in case: you can not connect to a machine if it's offline. Which is to say that if your laptop is at home, and turned off, you can't access it using this app. Obviously.

So there you have it! An application that lets you access your computer remotely, for free.