Control your Windows PC
from your Android

Windows host (PC): Windows 10 or Windows 11. The listener application is approximately 40 MB and runs only when you launch it—it does not install background services or startup entries.

Android client: Android 8.0 (Oreo) or later, a minimum of 2 GB RAM, and an active Wi-Fi connection. The app is available on Google Play and Uptodown.

Both devices must be connected to the same local network (Wi-Fi or LAN) for a successful connection.

Your PC's local IP address is displayed directly in the RemotePC Windows listener once it is running—no manual lookup is required in most cases.

If you need to find it manually, open a Command Prompt and run ipconfig. Look for the IPv4 Address listed under your active network adapter (typically beginning with 192.168. or 10.).

Alternatively, you can navigate to Settings → Network & Internet → Wi-Fi → Hardware properties on Windows 11 to view the IP address without using the command line.

The Android app also supports automatic device discovery, which can detect the PC on your network without requiring manual IP entry.

The app requests only the minimum permissions necessary to operate. No permissions are requested speculatively or for future use.

Network access: Required to establish a direct connection to your PC over your local Wi-Fi network and transmit input commands in real time. No data is sent to external servers.

Storage access: Only invoked when you explicitly initiate a file transfer. The app never scans, indexes, or reads your files autonomously.

You remain in full control of what the app can access at all times. Permissions can be reviewed or revoked through your device's standard app settings.

For a full breakdown of each permission, read this article

This is an expected false positive, not an indication that anything is wrong with the application.

Remote control software by nature performs actions—simulating input, capturing the screen, communicating over the network—that automated security heuristics associate with malware. Windows Defender and SmartScreen flag these behaviors regardless of intent.

Additionally, the installer is not code-signed. Code signing certificates cost up to $350 per year, which is not viable for a free, zero-monetisation application. Skipping code signing keeps RemotePC free for everyone.

Key facts that distinguish RemotePC from malware:

• The listener is entirely dormant until you launch it—there are no background processes or startup entries
• No telemetry, analytics, or hidden data collection of any kind
• No cloud communication—all traffic is confined to your local network

To proceed past the SmartScreen warning, click More info → Run anyway. You can also verify the installer independently via the linked VirusTotal scan report.

Read the full explanation

No. Access is constrained by design at multiple levels.

Only devices on your local network (Wi-Fi or LAN) can attempt a connection at all. Even then, a connecting device must know your PC's specific IP address and port. The Windows listener also includes explicit controls to block individual local devices from connecting.

By default, RemotePC is not exposed to the internet. No external device can reach your PC unless you deliberately configure advanced networking, such as port forwarding on your router—something that requires intentional action on your part.

This local-first architecture is a deliberate security choice, not a limitation. It eliminates an entire class of remote attack vectors that cloud-based solutions must actively defend against.

No. RemotePC collects no personal data, usage metrics, crash telemetry, or device information. There are no accounts to create, no registration required, and no third-party analytics or tracking SDKs embedded in the application.

All communication occurs directly between your Android device and your Windows PC over your local network. Nothing is routed through external servers—there are no external servers.

Privacy is not an opt-in feature. It is the default and only mode of operation.

RemotePC is designed for local network use only. Both devices must be on the same Wi-Fi or LAN segment for a connection to be established.

Internet access is not required and is not used. This is an intentional architectural decision—it eliminates latency introduced by cloud relay servers, removes any dependency on external infrastructure, and ensures your data never leaves your home network.

Remote access over the internet is technically possible through advanced router configuration (such as port forwarding or a personal VPN tunnel), but this is outside the scope of RemotePC's supported setup and introduces additional security considerations that you should research independently.

RemotePC communicates directly between your devices over the local network. A VPN, when active on either device, can redirect or intercept network traffic in a way that breaks this direct local connection.

VPN clients often route all traffic through a remote server, effectively taking your device off the local network from a connectivity standpoint. This prevents RemotePC from locating or reaching the other device.

If you experience connection issues, try disabling any active VPN on both your Android device and your Windows PC, then attempt to reconnect.

Read full explanation

Performance is primarily determined by the quality of your local network. A few things to check:

• Wi-Fi signal strength: Both devices should have a strong, stable connection to the router. Distance, walls, and interference all affect performance. If possible, position devices closer to the router or use a 5 GHz band.
• Network congestion: Heavy simultaneous use of the network (streaming, downloads, video calls) can reduce available bandwidth and increase latency.
• VPN interference: An active VPN on either device can significantly degrade local network performance. Disable it and test again.
• PC performance: Screen streaming is resource-intensive. Ensure the Windows host is not under heavy CPU or GPU load from other applications.

For most home networks, input control (trackpad, keyboard, media keys) operates with effectively zero perceptible latency. Screen streaming performance varies more with network conditions.

This is a Windows security restriction, not a RemotePC design choice. Because the RemotePC listener runs with administrator privileges, Windows prevents it from participating in drag and drop operations initiated by non-elevated processes—such as File Explorer, which runs at standard user level.

Windows deliberately blocks drag and drop across processes with different privilege levels as a security measure. There is no straightforward workaround that preserves RemotePC's required level of system access, so drag and drop remains unsupported for the time being.

Read more about this limitation

The RemotePC Android app currently supports 10 languages, with additional languages planned for future releases.

Language preference is typically detected automatically from your device's system settings. If you would like to see a specific language added, you are welcome to submit a request via the GitHub issue tracker or by contacting support directly.

RemotePC is completely free. There are no paid tiers, no premium features gated behind a subscription, and no in-app purchases.

The application has no monetisation model. It does not display advertisements, sell data, or offer upgrades. The full feature set is available to every user at no cost.

There are a couple of ways to get in touch:

• GitHub Issues: The preferred channel for both bug reports and feature requests. Providing reproduction steps, your Android version, and a description of the expected vs actual behaviour helps resolve issues faster.
• Contact form / email: Reach the team directly via the contact form or at support@remotepc.tech.

You can also view the public Trello roadmap to see what is planned or currently in progress.

Open a GitHub issue