ToDesk Remote Operation Guide: Multi-Monitor Switching, File Transfer and Keyboard/Mouse Mapping

The basic flow: 1) Both ends download and install ToDesk from the official site todeskremote.com; 2) Ask the other party for the Device Code and Temporary Password shown on their computer; 3) On your own ToDesk main screen, enter the other party's device code, click Connect, then fill in the temporary password to start remote control. Note that since version 4.3.3.0, the controlling end that initiates the connection must sign in to an account first (users outside mainland China can register and sign in with an email). The party being connected to does not need to sign in; they only need to provide the code and password.

The device code usually appears near the top of the ToDesk main window in the This Device or Device Code field. It is a string of digits, with the temporary password right next to it, and this code is the identifier used when someone connects to you. If you want to connect to someone else, you enter their code in the connection input box on the main screen. If you want someone to connect to you, you give them this code plus your temporary password. If the whole interface is blank or no code appears, the local ToDesk service may not have started yet; confirm the program has opened properly and, if needed, restart the software and check again.

Using ToDesk remotely also requires a password. Entering only the other party's device code will not connect you. During the connection the system asks you to fill in the other party's temporary password (which by default updates after each connection) or a fixed password the other party has set in advance, and you need both to succeed at remote control. So ask the other party to give you both items: the device code plus the temporary password. This two-factor verification is exactly what stops a stranger from breaking in with the code alone.

ToDesk has built-in file transfer. During a remote control session, you can usually use the File Transfer entry on the toolbar, or simply drag and drop files onto the remote window to send them. Files you send usually land in a designated receiving folder on the other party's computer (often the ToDesk download or received-files folder, or a location you choose), and the actual path depends on what you select during transfer or the software default receiving folder. Before sending, it is best to confirm the receiving path on the other end, and after the transfer ask the other party to check the file in that folder.

The core of unattended access is setting a fixed password (security password) on the controlled computer. Once set, even with no one at the computer to accept manually, you can connect anytime using the device code plus this fixed password, which is exactly what unattended access is for. The setting is usually found in the ToDesk security or unattended access settings. After enabling it, set a sufficiently strong fixed password. A reminder: unattended access means anyone who knows the code plus the password can connect anytime, so the password must be complex and never leaked, and you can turn this feature off when you do not need it.

Yes. ToDesk works across all platforms, and a phone (Android or iOS) can remotely control a Windows computer at home. How to do it: 1) On the computer, install ToDesk from todeskremote.com and keep it open (if you want to connect while away, set up the unattended fixed password first); 2) On the phone, install the official ToDesk app from the App Store or your app store (iOS requires iOS 13.0 or higher); 3) On the phone, enter the computer's device code, then fill in the temporary or fixed password to connect. The new controlling end requires account sign-in, and users outside mainland China can register and sign in with an email.

ToDesk supports controlling an Android phone from a computer (the number of Android devices you can control also depends on your version; the free version does not include Android control, which requires the Professional version or above, and the controllable Android count differs by version). As for controlling an iPhone from a computer, because iOS imposes strict limits on remote operation, most remote control software can usually only do screen sharing or viewing on an iPhone and cannot fully control it the way Android allows. So controlling Android from a computer is more feasible (a paid version is required), while fully controlling an iPhone from a computer is constrained by the system; please rely on the official documentation and your own testing for what is actually possible.

Check the common causes in order: 1) Confirm the device code and password are entered correctly and whether the temporary password has expired and updated; 2) Check whether both networks are stable, or whether the official servers are temporarily having issues; 3) Confirm the controlled end's ToDesk is open and the local ToDesk Service is running (on Windows you can check in services.msc); 4) Cross-border connections over the ordinary line are slower, and a 3 to 4 second pause on the first connection is normal initialization, so wait a moment; 5) If it still does not work, try a different connection method or contact official support.

To stay reachable remotely after a restart, two things matter: 1) Have ToDesk launch automatically on startup (you can usually enable launch on startup in the software settings so it stands by in the background after a restart); 2) Set an unattended access fixed password, so without anyone at the computer to accept manually you can connect anytime using the device code plus the fixed password. With both combined, once the controlled computer restarts and finishes signing in, ToDesk is ready in the background and you can connect back remotely. Be sure to make the unattended access password strong enough.

The ToDesk device code is your computer's street address, fixed and unchanging, used to let the other party find and specify that you are the one to connect to. The temporary password is the key, which by default updates after each connection and is used for verification. To let someone connect to your computer, you must give both: first the device code so they can enter it to locate you, then the temporary password so they can pass verification, neither one optional. Precisely because the code alone without the password cannot get in, do not casually leak both together to people you do not trust.

Being in Hong Kong and using ToDesk to remotely control the company computer in Taiwan does connect; devices inside and outside mainland China can interconnect, and cross-border connection itself works. But whether it lags depends on the line: the free version only uses the ordinary line for cross-border, where latency and lag are usually quite noticeable, and on top of that the free version has had speed limits and reduced quotas added since 2024, so high-motion images lag even more. For stable low latency, you need to separately purchase the paid Global Node feature (one end must be outside mainland China, both accounts purchase the plugin separately, and the controlled end must upgrade to V4.6.1.0 or higher). If you only handle documents and use it occasionally at low frequency, the free version is usually just about enough.

Yes, ToDesk supports remote connections between devices in mainland China and overseas, and cross-border connection itself is fine. What to note is the experience: the free version only uses the ordinary line for cross-border, where latency and lag are quite noticeable. For stable low latency, you need to separately purchase the paid Global Node feature, with these activation conditions: either the controlling or controlled end is outside mainland China, both accounts purchase the Global Node plugin separately, and the controlled end software is upgraded to V4.6.1.0 or higher. In addition, an overseas mobile number (such as a Singapore number) cannot be bound for registration, so it is best to register and sign in with an international email such as Gmail or Outlook.

It very likely will be affected. There are two points with ToDesk here: first, the free version has been widely reported through community testing as throttled since 2024, so high-motion images lag and controls feel unresponsive; second, for cross-border the free version only uses the ordinary line, where latency is already higher. With the two combined, the free experience of controlling a computer in China from Malaysia tends to lag. To improve it you need to pay: upgrade the version to raise the high-definition frame rate, and purchase the Global Node feature to use the optimized line (one end outside mainland China, both purchasing the plugin, and the controlled end V4.6.1.0 or higher). The free version is acceptable for low-frequency document work, but for high-frequency or high-definition needs paying is recommended.

First, rest assured: someone merely knowing your device code cannot get in; they must also have the temporary password or a fixed password you have set. The so-called security password or fixed password is usually set in the ToDesk security settings. It replaces the temporary password that changes each time and makes it convenient for you to connect for your own unattended access. Key points: use a password that is complex enough and unguessable, and do not set it to a birthday or simple digits. When you do not need unattended access, do not set a fixed password and use the temporary password that refreshes each time instead, which is more secure.

Unattended access is one of the core features ToDesk publicly advertises, and the free version can generally use basic unattended access (set a fixed password for the controlled computer, then connect anytime with the code plus the fixed password). Membership is mainly about gaining higher-definition frame rates, more devices, privacy screen, Global Node, and other premium capabilities, rather than simply whether unattended access is possible. If you just want to connect back to your own machine while away from the computer, the free version's unattended access is usually enough; please rely on the official pricing page for the exact version benefits.

After you set a fixed unattended password in ToDesk, anyone who has both your device code and this fixed password can connect at any time even when you are away from the computer - that is exactly what unattended access is designed for. So whether it is safe depends on how you manage this password: (1) make it complex enough that others cannot guess it; (2) never leak it together with the device code; (3) turn off unattended access and switch to a temporary password that refreshes each time when you no longer need it; (4) regularly check the device list for unfamiliar connections. Do these and unattended access is safe to use.

Generally you do not need an extra VPN. ToDesk supports global connections, cross-border remote control between Vietnam and China is usable on its own, and it uses its own routes when it detects a cross-border session. On the free version, cross-border traffic only uses ordinary routes, so latency is higher and it lags more; for stable low latency you should buy the official paid global node feature (one side must be overseas, both sides buy the add-on, and the controlled side upgrades to V4.6.1.0 or above) rather than relying on a VPN. Also, a Vietnamese phone number cannot be bound for registration, so we recommend registering and logging in with an international email such as Gmail or Outlook.

Yes, ToDesk supports global connections; both Cambodia and Taiwan can use it and connect to each other. Note two things: (1) on the free version, cross-border traffic only uses ordinary routes, with noticeable latency and stutter, so for stable low latency you need to buy the paid global node (one side overseas, both sides buy the add-on, controlled side V4.6.1.0 or above); (2) overseas phone numbers cannot be bound for registration, and the controlling side that initiates the connection must log in on the new version, so we recommend registering and logging in directly with an international email such as Gmail or Outlook to bypass the phone-number limit.

Both causes are possible for ToDesk remote lag and latency. On one hand, the free version has hard caps on quality and frame rate (image only up to Smooth/low-definition, frame rate capped at 30, and community testing since 2024 found added throttling), and cross-border use only takes ordinary routes, so it lags easily; on the other hand, an unstable network or insufficient bandwidth also causes persistent stutter. First self-check: upgrade to the latest version, close other network-hungry apps, improve the network; a 3-4 second stutter on the first connection is normal initialization. If you want 60-plus frames, ultra-clear Original, or cross-border low latency, these all require payment (an HD membership plus the global node).

The free-version remote control of ToDesk has a quota limit, and it has tightened year by year. The free version has a monthly connection-count plus total-duration quota: from June 2024 it was up to 300 times and 120 hours per month; from March 2025 it was cut again to up to 200 times and 80 hours per month. The quota counts for both the controlling and controlled sides; once used up, the free version cannot keep connecting and must wait for the reset at midnight on the 1st of next month, or upgrade to a paid plan. It is not a forced disconnect after each session, but rather a failure to connect once the month's cumulative count or duration is used up.

This message means your free connection quota for the month is used up. The free version has a monthly cap (from 2025 it is up to 200 connections and 80 hours), this count is recorded for both the controlling and controlled sides, and once the cap is reached you cannot connect again. Two solutions: (1) wait for free until the quota auto-resets at midnight on the 1st of next month and keep using it; (2) if you use it heavily and cannot wait, upgrade to a paid plan (such as Professional, averaging about ¥13/mo on annual billing, or the Gaming and Performance plans) to remove the quota limit. You can still use it without paying; you just wait for next month's reset.