Access a computer remotely with Teamviewer HD for iPad

If you're the person that others look to for technical support, you'll know that you often get calls when you're away from a computer. The Teamviewer HD app for iPad gives the ability to offer technical support from the iPad.

Installation is simple (as will all apps) and it's only a 19MB download.

Starting for the first time shows a four-slide introduction to the app and explains how to start Teamviewer on a remote computer and get the ID and password. Tap done when you've read it to start the full interface. This slide show only works in portrait orientation but the app can be used in either orientation once connected to a remote computer.

Much like the desktop version of Teamviewer, the first thing you will see is text boxes for the ID and password from the other computer. There are a few other screens available using the icons at the bottom of the screen. These include a list of recent connections and remote files. The home screen remembers the details from the last session.

It is possible to create a test connection if you are unsure whether you can communicate with Teamviewer through your network. Tap on the Establish a test connection button to see the instructions. We got an error message saying that all the demo computers were in use but it did at least prove that the connection worked.

Connection to our test computer worked flawlessly. Before the Windows desktop appears a single page of instructions appears. The mouse pointer is moved around by dragging with a single finger. Tap once for a left-click and twice for a right-click. Double tap and hold to drag and drop. The mouse wheel is simulated by dragging with two fingers.

Tap on the green continue button to see the full Windows desktop. Even with the high-resolution screen on the iPad, most desktops will look quite small so we were very pleased to see that pinching will zoom in.

There are controls at the bottom of the screen including showing the onscreen keyboard. An extra toolbar appears at the top of the screen to activate buttons that are not shown on the iPad keyboard such as the Windows Key.

Controlling the remote computer is not as easy as when using another computer but this isn't really a fault of Teamviewer but the limitations of using a tablet. It certainly gives enough control to adjust settings. In fact the zoom and panning around the screen feels more intuative than a desktop or laptop computer, so it is better in some respects.

It is also worth pointing out that tapping the Home button will end the session.

Options include the ability to remove the wallpaper from the remote computer to improve performance and it is possible to save passwords if you expect to be working with that computer again.