74 PCWorld JUNE 2022REVIEWS CHROME REMOTE DESKTOP
Chrome Remote DesktopPROS- Free with Google account and Chrome browser
(on any OS). - Easy to install.
- Permanent remote access.
CONS - No chat function.
- No multiple-display support.
BOTTOM LINE
Fast and free, Chrome Remote Desktop is available
on any operating system that supports the Chrome
browser, including, of course, Chrome OS. It
supports both unattended access and one-off screen
sharing, but lacks a chat function and support for
multiple displays.
Free
I’ve been doing this since the days of DSL
and dial-up, so everything seems fast now.
Google never answered my query to confirm
this, but judging by the performance on the
local network, data was not flowing
exclusively through Google’s CDR portal but
rather seeking the shortest path through the
local switches.
The only issue I encountered—an
exceedingly minor one—occurred after I was
controlling a 5K iMac from a 1080 PC. Upon
arriving back at the iMac, fonts and details
were fuzzy. I had to reset the display scaling to
recapture their former clarity.
This being a Google product, I’m also
compelled to mention the company’s privacy
policy—which is basically that you have none.
That’s the flip side of so many “free” products,and Chrome Remote
Desktop is no
exception.FAST AND
FREE
Still, there’s simply no
getting around
Chrome Remote
Desktop’s ease of
setup and use, speed,
basic feature set, and
cross-platform
availability. That’s not
to mention the fact that
there are no limitations
on sessions, session length, and so forth. All in
all, this is good stuff from the tech giant in
Mountain View (and soon San Jose), Calif.Controlling a Windows 11 desktop from macOS. Any OS that Chrome
supports is game for Chrome Remote Desktop.