Fix: Chrome Remote Desktop not Working

Google, following the footsteps of other tech giants, have released a utility named “Chrome Remote Desktop”. This is like all other remote desktop applications where you have to pair two computers using a PIN and then initiate the sharing. Innovation in the utility is that you don’t have to download a full application. Instead, this utility is available in Extensions store in Chrome and makes you download a mini Chrome application. Google also released a web version of the utility recently.

However, several users faced issues where they were unable to connect to the other computer using the remote desktop application. This usually occurred in the chrome application. Either the utility failed to load at all or some clicks or scrolls were not recognized in the application. In this solution, we will go through all the possible causes and the remedies to fix them.

What causes Chrome Remote Desktop not to Work?

After doing our extensive survey and gathering reports from the people, we came to the conclusion that this issue occurred due to several different reasons. Here are some of them listed and all of them might not apply in your case:

Before you move on to the solutions, make sure that you are logged in as an administrator on your computer. Furthermore, you should also have a stable and open internet connection. Remote Desktop in Chrome won’t work if you have a laggy connection or don’t have enough bandwidth. If you are experiencing issues where your actions are having delays, consider changing your network and try again.

Solution 1: Disabling ‘Some devices can connect without a PIN’ Feature

Remote Desktop in Chrome has a nifty feature where you can access your computer from a mobile application remotely. This allows users to access their work or home computer on the go without any additional hassle. To do this, you have to enable the feature of “Some devices can connect without a PIN”. This feature seems to be bugged or causes issues in a bizarre manner. In this solution, we will disable the feature and try connecting again.

1. Navigate to Chrome Remote Desktop’s official website from your host computer. Now, locate the heading of This device.
2. Click on the option of View/edit in front of the line “This computer is configured to allow one or more clients to connect without entering a PIN.”

3. Now click on the option of Delete All. This will remove all saved devices which can access the computer without a pin code.

4. Now navigate back to the remote desktop application and click on Share underneath the heading of Remote Assistance.

5. Now, a new window will pop up consisting of the PIN code which will be used to connect to other devices. Enter the code and see if the remote desktop works properly.

Solution 2: Granting Permissions

Another cause why the users have issues using Remote Desktop in Chrome is that not enough permissions are granted to the application. Whenever a utility or application tries to give the control of the computer to another entity, Windows automatically requires that you provide permissions.

If you haven’t seen the permissions window, it is likely that it is at the background of your current window. This was the case for several users where they accidentally ignored the window.

Solution 3: Using the Web Application

On top of a standalone Chrome application for Remote Desktop connections, Google has also launched a website which works through an extension. Even though the application is currently in a beta stage, it provides way better experience than the normal Chrome application. It has the same functionality; the only difference is the medium of the utility (a Chrome app in one case and an extension in another one). Here is the method on how to use the web application for connections.

1. Navigate to the official Chrome Remote Desktop website. Now click on the download button in the tab of Set up remote access.

2. A new window will pop up navigating you to the extensions store. Click on the Add to Chrome.

3. A small popup will open asking you for confirmation. Click on Add extension

4. After the extension is installed on your computer, navigate back to the website or click the new extension icon which will be present near your bookmarks in Chrome.
5. Now you can click on Remote Support and access your or some other computer using the same PIN terminology.

Solution 4: Reinstalling Chrome

If all the above methods are not working, we can try reinstalling Google Chrome completely. We came across some cases where the browser was not working as expected because of corrupt installation files. Make sure that you have your Google Account credentials at hand as you will be required to input them again.

1. Press Windows + R, type “appwiz.cpl” in the dialogue box and press Enter.
2. Once in the application manager, locate Google Chrome, right-click on it and select Uninstall.

3. Now press Windows + R and type “%appdata%” in the address and press Enter.
4. Once in the Application data, search for Google > Chrome. Delete the Chrome folder from the directory.

5. Now navigate to the official Google Chrome website and download the latest version to an accessible location.

6. Run the executable and install Chrome. Now try accessing the Remote Desktop utility and see if the issue is resolved.