TeamViewer is one of the most used remote control software in the world. If you have never heard of it, it is a program through which you can control a computer remotely – comfortably using your mouse and keyboard – via the Internet. Its operation is quite simple. Once installed on the PC, the software provides the user with a combination of ID and password which, if communicated to another TeamViewer user, allow the latter to take control of the system and control it remotely.
Among the main advantages of TeamViewer, in addition to the aforementioned ease of use, there are compatibility and price. The program is available for Windows, macOS, Linux and for all major smartphone and tablet models. As for the price, the software is available in a free basic version (which can be used only for personal purposes) and in a paid version intended for business users, with prices starting from 29.90 euros / month.
What do you say? Would you like to know more? Well, then take five minutes of free time and find out how TeamViewer works in more detail! All you have to do is sit down comfortably and carefully read the procedures and information you will find in the next chapters. Having said that, I would say to start immediately! I just have to wish you a good reading and, above all, a good job!
Index
- How TeamViewer for computers works
- How TeamViewer works for smartphones and tablets
- How TeamViewer Meeting works
- How TeamViewer Pilot works
How TeamViewer for computers works
To download TeamViewer on your PC, connect to the program’s website and click on the Download button at the top. So choose the icon for the operating system on which you want to use the software and wait for the download to complete.
If you are using a Windows PC , then open the .exe file you just downloaded and choose whether to start the program without installation ( Start only ) or to install it on your computer. Installation is recommended if you want to use the software often or want to remotely access an unattended PC.
There are two installation options to choose from: Install with default settings and Install and configure silent access to this device . This last option allows you to immediately configure a static password for remote access to the computer without direct authorization from the user operating on the PC to be controlled. However, you can also choose the first option, as you can set a static login password even at a later time. Then choose the item I want to use the free version for personal use .
If you have decided not to install TeamViewer, instead, press the Yes button in the Windows User Account Control box. When you start TeamViewer for the first time, you will have to accept the terms of use (otherwise you will not be able to access the main screen and use the program).
If you are using a Mac , on the other hand, after downloading and running the .dmg file , double-click on the Install TeamViewer icon inside the archive and press the Open button . Once this is done, accept the TeamViewer terms of use and click the Continue and OK buttons . On the installation screen, press the Continue and Install buttons , type the Mac password and press the Install software item . At the end of the installation, press the Close and Move buttons .
When the program starts on Mac, choose the item I want to use the free version for personal use and click on the Continue and Finish buttons . Then follow the instructions on the TeamViewer screen to grant it access to the Mac features (it’s a matter of putting a few ticks in System Preferences ). Finally, press the Close button to complete the installation and configuration procedure of TeamViewer on Mac.
At this point you should be in front of the TeamViewer main screen, where the operations to be performed are the same on all operating systems.
In the center of the window you will find your ID and your password : the only information you will need to communicate to other TeamViewer users to ensure that they can control your computer remotely. On the left, however, there is the menu to start the different TeamViewer functions and also the possibility to create and access your free account on TeamViewer (not essential if you use it sporadically) useful for saving the login credentials of all your PCs and access them at any time without having to type your ID and password ( Easy access ).
If you want to know, therefore, how easy access of TeamViewer works , you must first create your free account for the service, by clicking on the Login item in the top left and pressing on the item Subscribe . Then type in your email address and a secure password to associate with the TeamViewer account and press the Next and End buttons . Once the operation is complete, remember to confirm your identity by clicking on the verification link that you will receive via email.
Now, to enable easy access, all you have to do is click on the Remote Control side tab and put a check mark next to the Allow easy access box . To remotely access a computer assigned in the account, all you need to do is go to the Computers & Contacts tab , select the name of the PC and press the Remote Control button .
If you are not using a TeamViewer account or you just want to log into a PC remotely without using the Easy Login feature, all you have to do is follow the directions below.
- If you want to have your PC controlled remotely, start TeamViewer, make sure the Internet connection is active and communicate your ID and password to your partner ( Allow remote control ). Within a few seconds you should see the mouse cursor move “by itself”, a sign that the other person has managed to access the system and is remote control.
- If you want to control another person’s PC remotely, open TeamViewer, make sure that the Internet connection is active, check that there is a check mark next to Remote Control (in the Remote Computer Control section ) and type in the ID of the computer to be controlled remotely in the Partner ID field . When the operation is completed, press the Connect button , type the password of the computer to be controlled remotely and that’s it. Of course, for everything to go well, the computer to be monitored must have an active Internet connection and a running copy of TeamViewer.
An important thing to underline is that the controlled computer and the “controller” computer must not be of the same type: it is possible to control a Mac from a Windows PC and vice versa, there are no problems.
Once the connection with the remote PC is established, you can control the latter using your computer’s mouse and keyboard: it will be just like using a PC physically placed in front of you. The only difference will be represented by the presence of a toolbar at the top of the screen, it is the TeamViewer toolbar which contains all the most advanced functions of the program.
The TeamViewer toolbar is structured in tabs: in the one called Operations you will find the buttons to interrupt the remote control session, lock / stop the remote controlled PC and add a new participant to the remote assistance session; in the one called View you can adjust all the settings relating to the size and quality of the remote desktop; in the Communicate tab you will find the tools to chat and make video conferences with your interlocutor, while in the File & extra tab you will find the tools to transfer files to and from the remote computer, take a snapshot of his screen or record what happens on the desktop; the Description tab instead, it allows you to see the hardware characteristics of the PC you connected to and other useful information.
All tools are extremely simple to use. The one for file transfer , for example, appears as a panel divided into two columns: the left one that allows you to navigate between the folders of your PC and the right one that allows you to navigate the folders of the remote PC. Once you have selected the files of your interest, just click on the Send and Receive buttons and the data is copied from one computer to another. Easier than that?
Once your remote assistance session is finished, to close TeamViewer, all you have to do is click on the “X” contained in the Program Operations tab (top left).
You should also know that TeamViewer works even with the PC turned off . Or rather, you can make sure to turn on the PC remotely so as to access it easily. Like? Thanks to Wake-On-LAN (WoL) : this is a feature that “wakes up” the PC (turning it on) thanks to a remote input (in this case the input is sent by TeamViewer). Of course you need to make sure that your PC or Mac supports this feature and that you have created a TeamViewer account.
If you want to know more, I suggest you refer to my tutorial on how to turn on the PC remotely to enable WoL on your computer and configure TeamViewer through the appropriate functionality in its settings panel.
How TeamViewer works for smartphones and tablets
Would you like to remotely control your PC while you are away from home? Then find out now how TeamViewer works on smartphones and tablets thanks to the TeamViewer Remote Control app .
As pointed out at the beginning of this tutorial, it is available for all the main operating systems of the mobile world and thanks to the convenient gestures specifically designed for the touch screens of smartphones and tablets, it allows you to control any PC remotely in an extremely easy and fast way. .
If you want to know how TeamViewer works on Android , tap this link from your device and press the Install button (you can also download TeamViewer from alternative stores ). If, on the other hand, you want to know how TeamViewer works on iPhone or iPad , reach this link from your Apple device, press the Get button and unlock the download and installation via Face ID, Touch ID or Apple ID password. .
The application interface is as intuitive as that of the desktop counterpart: in the Connect tab you can type the ID and password of the computer to be controlled remotely or transfer files; in Computer you can find the list of your computers (after logging in to your TeamViewer account), while in the Chat tabs you will find tools for chatting with users of remote computers.
Once the connection with the remote PC has been established, you will be shown a screen with gestures, that is, with the gestures to be used to guide the computer via the touch-screen of your smartphone / tablet. For example, by “tapping” one of the items on the screen you can click on the remote computer, by swiping with two fingers you can scroll through the items on the remote-controlled PC desktop and so on.
Another tool that will allow you to interact with the remote PC is the toolbar at the bottom of the screen: by pressing on the keyboard icon you can call up the virtual keypad of your smartphone / tablet to write on the remote computer, by pressing on the icon of the lightning you can block the computer, while pressing the gear icon you can adjust the settings related to the quality of the remote desktop. At the end of the remote control session, to close TeamViewer, presses on the “X” located at the bottom left.
How TeamViewer Meeting works
TeamViewer Meeting is a tool of this famous software to make video conferences up to 10 participants in complete security thanks to the end-to-end 256-bit encryption and integrated tools that allow screen sharing.
To use TeamViewer Meeting on a PC , you just need to have the TeamViewer software and select the Meeting tab : you can download and configure it by following the instructions I gave you in the previous chapter . To use it, however, on smartphones and tablets, you need to download the appropriate app for Android (also available on alternative stores ) or iOS / iPadOS .
Now, to create a Meeting , on the main screen, press the Start button (from PC) or Start Meeting / Start meeting (from smartphone and tablet). At this point, configure your microphone and your webcam / camera and press the Start a meeting / Start button . On the frame of the screen that opens, there will be an ID , preceded by the letter “m” . This is the ID to communicate to everyone you want to join the meeting.
To join a meeting, instead, in the Meeting ID field , type the ID that was provided to you and press the Join button twice in a row. Once you have joined a meeting, you can decide to enable / disable your microphone or video, share your screen or open the chat screen via the toolbar at the bottom. To leave the meeting, use the appropriate key on the handset (on PC) or the X icon (on smartphones and tablets).
How TeamViewer Pilot works
TeamViewer Pilot , now called TeamViewer Assistant AR , is a feature that allows you to provide support remotely via augmented reality devices. For example, imagine that an engineer has to provide technical assistance to a company located in another country and, given the urgency, immediate intervention is required. In this case, through the Assistant AR functionality, an operator can provide visual guidance to the technician for prompt resolution.
To use TeamViewer AR Assistant , you can use a simple Android smartphone or iPhone , or the smart glasses . In addition, it is necessary to purchase a Lite or Professional license with prices starting from 25.90 euros / month . If you want to know more about how TeamViewer Assistant AR works, you can refer to the official website , where there are also contact forms to talk to a consultant.