I'm often traveling and I can't bring my PC with me since I can't afford a laptop right now. I'm looking for a way to both turn my PC on and control it from my phone. I know of apps like TeamViewer, but I also need a way to turn my PC off to save on electricity costs when I'm not using it. I've considered SwitchBot to turn it on, but it doesn't allow me to control my PC from the home screen. What are my options?
5 Answers
I'm just curious—what do you need that you can't do on your phone? Seems like most things could be manageable, right?
You could also try putting your computer to sleep and using Wake on LAN for remote access, but it would need some setup like using an OpenWRT router to manage it.
You might want to look into using TeamViewer with unattended access, which can be super handy. A SwitchBot could work for powering it on, but honestly, a desktop left idle doesn't consume that much electricity. Just a heads-up, controlling your desktop from a phone can be tricky—it’s doable but not always the easiest experience.
If you’re using an iPhone, I recommend Tailscale for creating a VPN connection. I've had success with it, just make sure to set everything up for smooth access!
There are multiple remote access apps available, but just a warning—they can sometimes be a hassle because of the touchscreen controls.
Honestly, I'm just bored out of my mind! All my hobbies and favorite activities are tied to my PC.