As a Chrome Enterprise administrator, you can remotely connect to and troubleshoot ChromeOS devices, including kiosk devices, by starting a Chrome Remote Desktop session from the Google Admin console.
There are 2 types of remote connections available in the Admin console. How you remotely connect to a device depends on whether or not the device is actively being used.
- Remote support—You can remotely support an active device to troubleshoot, grab logs, or perform maintenance with user consent. Users can see the screen during a remote support session.
- Remote access—On devices with ChromeOS version 127 or later, you can remotely access a device as long as no user is signed in. This can be helpful if you need to troubleshoot the device but no user is currently available to sign in. Only you, and not users, can see the screen during a remote access session. Once you're done, users can sign in and use their device as usual.
Start a remote session to a device
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Sign in with an administrator account to the Google Admin console.
If you aren’t using an administrator account, you can’t access the Admin console.
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- Click the serial number of device that you want to remotely access.
- On the left, click Remote Desktop.
Note: For active user or managed guest session devices, the user needs to accept the connection request. - Remotely connect to the device. Click Start shared session or Start private session.
- To open the remote session in a new window, click Start session.
Transfer files
In ChromeOS kiosk devices, you can transfer files to and from the remote host if you have enabled the Chrome Remote Desktop File Transfer policy.
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Sign in with an administrator account to the Google Admin console.
If you aren’t using an administrator account, you can’t access the Admin console.
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Go to Menu
Devices > Chrome > Settings > Device settings.
Requires having the Mobile Device Management administrator privilege.
- To apply the setting to all devices, leave the top organizational unit selected. Otherwise, select a child organizational unit.
- Go to Kiosk settings.
- Click Allow remote access admins to transfer files to/from the host.
- Select Enable Chrome Remote Desktop File Transfer.
- Click Save.
You can now access file transfer under the File transfer section in the Chrome Remote Desktop options panel.
Considerations
- If you're a Chrome Education Upgrade customer, make sure you turn on Chrome Remote Desktop in your Admin console. For details, see Turn Chrome Remote Desktop on or off for users.
- For remote access, you need to enable DeviceAllowEnterpriseRemoteAccessConnections.
- To connect remotely to a device, it must be online and running the following versions:
- ChromeOS version 78 or later for kiosk devices
- ChromeOS version 96 or later for user and managed guest sessions devices
- ChromeOS version 127 or later for remote access
- On a kiosk, when you start a remote support session:
- If there was user activity on the device within the last 5 minutes:
- You see a privacy warning:
Device is in use. - If there’s new user activity while you are connected to the device, your remote session continues and you remain connected to the device.
- You see a privacy warning:
- If there was no user activity on the device within the last 5 minutes:
- You see no privacy warning.
- If there’s new user activity while you are connected to the device, your remote session terminates automatically and you are disconnected from the device.
- If there was user activity on the device within the last 5 minutes:
- For user and managed guest sessions, when you start a remote support session, users see a remote connection request. They must accept the request before the remote support session can continue.
- For remote access sessions on devices without any users signed in:
- If the user returns to the device after the remote access session has ended—Before the user signs in, they see a message letting them know that their admin remotely connected to their device and performed some maintenance while they were away.
- If the user returns to the device while the remote access session is in-progress—The user can’t interact with the device and has to wait until the remote access session ends. They see a message letting them know that their admin is currently remotely connected and performing maintenance. The only action the user can take is to shut down the device using the power button, ending the current remote access session. When the remote access session ends, the user has full control of the device and can continue to sign in and use the device as usual.
- All remote connection sessions are logged in the Admin audit log under ChromeOS Device Command.
- Delegated admins that have the Start Remote Desktop privilege can remotely connect to a user's device but cannot make changes within the device details. For details, see Delegate administrator roles in Chrome.