How to use Remote Desktop on Windows 11
2 min read · 7 steps · Updated 2 October 2026
On the PC you want to reach, open Settings, System, Remote Desktop, switch Remote Desktop on and note the PC name. On the other PC, search for Remote Desktop Connection, enter that name and click Connect. The PC you connect to needs Windows 11 Pro. Home edition cannot be controlled this way.
Remote Desktop shows the screen of one PC on another device and lets you work on it as if you sat in front of it. It is built into Windows, with one catch: the PC that is controlled must run the Pro edition. The device you connect from can be any PC, Mac, phone or tablet.
These steps are for Windows 11. The pictures are simplified diagrams of the Settings window, not screenshots, so colours and spacing on your PC look a little different.
Step by step
Check the edition
On the PC you want to reach, open Settings, System, About and look at Edition under Windows specifications. It must say Windows 11 Pro (or Enterprise or Education).
Turn on Remote Desktop
Open Start, Settings, System, Remote Desktop. Switch Remote Desktop on and click Confirm.
Note the PC name
It is shown on the same page under PC name. You need it on the other device.
Check who may connect
Administrators of the PC can connect straight away. Under Remote Desktop users you can add other accounts. The account needs a password.
Connect from another Windows PC
In the search box on the taskbar, type Remote Desktop Connection and open it. Enter the PC name and click Connect. Sign in with the user name and password of an account on the remote PC.
Connect from a Mac, iPhone or Android device
On a Mac or iPhone, install the free Windows app from the App Store. On Android, install Microsoft's remote desktop app from the Play Store. Add the PC by its name, select it and wait for the connection.
End the session
Close the Remote Desktop window. The remote PC stays locked at its sign-in screen while you are connected and afterwards.
Good to know
By name, the connection works inside the same network, for example at home. From outside you need a VPN into that network. Do not open the Remote Desktop port on your router to the internet: it is one of the most attacked services there is.
The remote PC must be switched on and awake. Set it not to go to sleep when plugged in, under Settings, System, Power & battery.
For helping a relative with a Home edition PC, use Quick Assist, which is built into every Windows 11: search for Quick Assist on both PCs and follow the code it gives.
A VPN into a work network: how to set up a VPN connection on Windows 11. Between Macs: how to share your Mac screen with another Mac.
In short: Windows 11 Pro on the PC to reach, Settings, System, Remote Desktop on, note the PC name. Other device: Remote Desktop Connection or the Windows app, enter the name, sign in.
- Microsoft Support: How to use Remote Desktop
Rules and prices change. Check the official source before you act.