Connect to a device
Start a session, take control, copy and paste, and move files both ways - from a computer or a phone.
Start a session
- Sign in at connect.smilecorp.co.uk or in the Smile Connect app.
- Find the device under Your devices (or Shared with you) and click Connect.
- Wait for it to be accepted at the device. Then you’ll see its screen.
If the PC has more than one screen, choose which one under Screen to view.
Take control
Click Request control. The person at the device has to allow it - unless it’s one of your trusted devices set to allow control automatically.
If someone at the PC moves its mouse while you’re in control, they win: your mouse pauses for a moment so you don’t fight over the pointer.
While you’re connected
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Special keys | Keys your own keyboard can’t send, like Esc, Tab, the arrows, Win, Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V |
| Files | Send files to the PC - they’re saved in its Downloads\Smile Connect folder (Download/Smile Connect on a phone). Or press Get files from the PC (or phone): a file picker opens on it, you choose the files there, and your browser downloads them |
| Clipboard | Send text to the PC and paste it there, or copy what the PC copied - see below |
| Chat | Message the person at the device |
| Picture size | Fit, Actual size or Stretch |
| View only | Look without sending any clicks or keys |
| Picture quality | Auto, or pick smoother or sharper |
| Full screen | Fill your screen with theirs |
| End | Finish the session |
Files and the clipboard only work while you have control. Use the arrow at the top to hide the controls, and the tab that’s left to bring them back.
Copy and paste
Open Clipboard in the toolbar:
- Send text to the PC: press Paste from this device (or long-press the box and paste), then Paste on PC. It goes onto the PC’s (or phone’s) clipboard and is pasted where the cursor is.
- Copy from the PC or phone: copy something on it (Ctrl+C on a PC, or long-press and Copy on a phone). It shows under Copied on the PC - press Copy to this device. Get the PC’s clipboard fetches whatever is on it already.
On a computer, pasting while you’re in control does the same thing by itself.
From a phone or tablet
Tap and drag on the screen to use it. Under View options > Touch control you can choose:
- Touchpad - your finger moves the pointer like a laptop touchpad, and a tap clicks where the pointer is.
- Direct - a tap clicks exactly where you tap.
Scroll with two fingers, and tap Keyboard to type. There’s a Keyboard key in the bottom row too, so you can type with the top controls hidden - hiding or showing them doesn’t close the keyboard.
Connecting to a phone
When the device is an Android phone, the key row has Back, Home and Recents instead of PC keys. Tap and swipe on its screen as you would on the phone itself, use your mouse wheel (or two fingers) to scroll, and use Keyboard to type into it.
If the connection drops
The website tries to reconnect by itself. If you’d already been accepted, the device takes you back without asking again for up to 3 minutes - and gives you control back if you had it.
Forgotten sessions
If nothing happens in a session for 30 minutes, Smile Connect asks Are you still there? Click I’m still here within a minute, or the session ends.
On the Free and Starter plans each session also has a time limit, shown in the corner - see Smile Connect plans.