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Chrome Remote Desktop Setup: Windows/MacOS/Linux

By 5 Comments

by Robby Payne
Filed under:

chromeremotedesktopChrome Remote Desktop has been around since the early days of Chrome. Even before Chrome OS existed, Chrome Remote Desktop was a shining example of how powerful the Chrome apps could be.

For those who’ve never heard of it or never used it, we wanted to quickly showcase how simple setup is for a very robust remote desktop experience from a Mac, Windows or Linux device. It is also a great way to assist friends, relatives or co-workers with their devices from anywhere.




First things first, you need Chrome Remote Desktop on both machines you choose to utilize: both the Chromebook and Windows/MacOS/Linux machine. Run over to the Chrome Web Store and download it.

Again, this needs to exist on both machines you want to connect. Now that you’ve downloaded it, the setup is pretty simple. First, go to the Windows, Linux, or MacOS device you want to remote into.

  • Open the app
  • Sign in with your Google Account
  • Accept app permissions
  • Under My Computers, select ‘Get Started’
  • ….more steps…installing some stuff…

Now your device is all set up. The next step is actually remoting in with your Chromebook, Android, or iOS device. This is even more simple.




  • Install and open the Chrome Remote Desktop App
  • Under My Computers, select ‘Get Started’
  • Select the device you just set up in the above steps
  • Begin your remote desktop session

That’s it! You are now in your computer remotely and ready to roll.  

  • Jérôme Willing

    I am eagerly awaiting the possibility to controll my Chromebook from my phone.

  • Mike T.

    The last time I checked into installing this on Linux, there was quite a few extra steps to installing and it wasn’t an “official” method yet, just a work-around. But, this is a simple way to log into my Windows machine at home from my Chromebook. I use it all the time since I much prefer to carry around my Chromebook instead of my Windows laptop. Thanks for all your informative articles.

    • Once Written Twice Shy

      Yeah, I’ve had it set up on Ubuntu at some point, such that it survived reboot, but not recently, and it ain’t cookbook. Would be a boon were it so: it’s quite good for accessing Mac or Windows from each other, from iOS, or from Android, for this of us Chromebook-deprived.

  • Robert M. Papillion

    CRD has a “Remote Assistance” section and a “My Computers” section. Last time I checked, CRD doesn’t allow a Chrome OS to be added to the “My Computers” list. This is, as I understand, because CRD was written under the paradigm that a Chrome OS device can only be a “client” device. This is unfortunate because only devices in the “My Computers” list can be remotely accessed without a PIN and without timing out. Interestingly, if this philosophy were to change, and you were allowed to remotely access a Chrome OS device in your “My Computers” list, then you could use CRD from your non-Chrome OS (e.g. MS Windows) device to remotely run Android apps installed on your Chrome OS device. Google probably won’t let that happen.

  • CRD works on Ubuntu but it won’t let me add to the list of computers, I have to type in the code. It worked about a year ago, so I’m not sure what happened.