Google is further expanding its lineup of software for remote access capabilities with the release of the Chrome Remote Desktop app for iOS devices.
The app allows users to remotely access and take control of their PCs, Macs and Chromebooks using iOS devices, namely iPhones, iPads or iPods.
Chrome Remote Desktop was initially launched for Android devices some months ago, with Google utilizing the built-in assets of Chrome to develop both secure ad-hoc connections for remote access functions and long-term connections for secure access to apps and files.
The app is used in combination with an extension for the Google Chrome web browser, which can be downloaded for free from the Google Chrome Web Store.
Gaining remote access is simple, with users only being required to set up the connection through their Chrome browsers in their computers. A code will be generated, which will be used to link the user's iOS device with the computer.
Once the setup is complete, the Chrome Remote Desktop app in the iOS device allows users to remotely access and control any computer that is online within the user's ecosystem of computers.
According to Google, one significant advantage to the remote access features provided by the Chrome browser and the corresponding iOS app is support for multi-platform devices. The app allows users to access remote access functions on PCs with Windows or Linux operating systems, with secure file access features available for PCs running Windows XP and above and Macs running OS X 10.6 and above.
As an alternative to the iOS app, Chromebook users can use remote access functions through the laptop as well.
The Chrome Remote Desktop app is free for download on the Apple App Store, with a size of only 9 MB.
Chrome Remote Desktop was first released for Android devices in the middle of April last year, with the promise that the iOS version was to be released within 2014.
"Since 2011, Chrome Remote Desktop has let you remotely access your machine from another laptop or computer in a free, easy and secure way. And now, with the release of the Chrome Remote Desktop app for Android, we're making it possible for you to do the same thing from your Android device," said Google Remotely Controlled Product Manager Husain Bengali.
The launch of Chrome Remote Desktop for mobile devices could be seen as Apple's response to rival company Amazon's Workspaces, which provides the same remote access features but it focused primarily for business users.
