May 23, 2017 - The best remote access solution for Mac and iOS. Accessing a Mac remotely allows you to run desktop applications, have. Dec 24, 2018 - List of the Top Remote Desktop Software in 2019. VNC Connect, Windows, Mac, Linux, Raspberry Pi, iOS, Android, Windows & Linux based.
Mobile devices like the have come a long way in terms of features and usability. You can get actual work done with a the right apps on a touchscreen, but there are still times you need access to a desktop environment. However, you don’t have to put the iPad down to do that any more. In fact, there are plenty of remote desktop apps for the iPad, at least one of which will fulfill your needs for a mobile, touch-friendly remote desktop app. Since you clearly have an iPad and know what remote desktop is already, here are the best remote desktop apps for iPad. PocketCloud The free app comes from Wyse, which is a long-time big shot in the area of remote desktop and thin clients. You can really tell these folks know what they’re doing, too.
PocketCloud is snappy and easy to set up. It ties into your account so you don’t have to make yet another login. The app connects quickly and is tuned for maximum performance. That means the default settings will scale back on the eye candy like high quality fonts and desktop wallpaper. However, you can crank that stuff up if you’ve got the bandwidth. Cursor control in PocketCloud is one of its strong suits.
You can either tap and drag normally, or activate the Touch Pointer. With this mode enabled, you get a pointer that remains stationary so you can pan the screen around it.
Grabbing the handle on the pointer also lets you move it in a more normal way. Tapping the handle is a click, and the expanded options for the Touch Pointer include common functions like right-click, keyboard access, and scrolling. A premium subscription for $23.99 a year adds features like file transfer and video streaming. The free edition is still a great experience on PCs and Macs.
TeamViewer A good spur-of-the-moment remote desktop tool is. You don’t need an account, and the desktop client can be run without installing on Windows, and also works on Macs. The iPad version of this app is free for non-commercial use, and works pretty well with a little tweaking. Like other apps, TeamViewer automatically adjusts the connection for speed. It actually changes the resolution of the remote computer, but you can turn that feature off.
The touch controls are a bit confusing — it uses 2-finger dragging to scroll, and the zoom control actually zooms the desktop app you are in, not the iPad’s view. Mouse control is more straightforward. Just tap and drag anywhere to move the cursor, a tap is a click, and a long-press is right click. Zooming works as expected in this mode. TeamViewer handles multiple monitors well, and the app is fast. It doesn’t have extra file browser functionality or cloud storage, but it gets the job done. Splashtop 2 This app comes with a $0.99 initial buy-in, but it includes a lot of solid features.
Works on PCs and Macs (up to 5 devices). There are two control modes — trackpad and pointer. Trackpad uses more gestures, which can be very efficient if you get acclimated to them. The pointer mode just lets you tap and drag anywhere to move the pointer around. Both modes use standard pinch-zooming, but pointer mode is better for precise work (like spreadsheets). Splashtop again optimizes the desktop resolution for the iPad, but it’s easy to turn that off, and the app remembers your preferences for each computer. This app also has fast monitor switching and a persistent keyboard toggle that comes in handy.
The on-screen UI is kept to a minimum with the toolbar hidden by default.