I'm surprised that one cannot remotely control an iPad over the Internet. I can control my elderly mom's iMac remotely via Screen Sharing initiated from Messages. I'd like to get her an iPad (for reasons I won't get into) but I want to be able to remotely control it over the Internet too when she needs help. I'm surprised that functionality is not built into iOS — or am I missing something? Are there third-party solutions to allow my Mac to control and iPad over the Internet? Thanks.
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All iPads Remote Control iPad over the Internet
- Thread starter larryleveen
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There is only one way to (partly) control an iPad without a Jailbreak: Switch Control
To make use of it, all devices must be connected to the same network so it only works if you do it from your mom‘s remote controlled iMac.
support.apple.com
To make use of it, all devices must be connected to the same network so it only works if you do it from your mom‘s remote controlled iMac.
Use Switch Control on your device to control another Apple device - Apple Support
With Use Other Devices for Switch Control, you can control your other Apple devices remotely on the same Wi-Fi network without adjusting any switch connections. This enables you to navigate your Mac or Apple TV with the same switch setup that you use to control your iPhone.
Right, that's why I specified remote control over the Internet and not Wifi.There is only one way to (partly) control an iPad without a Jailbreak: Switch Control
To make use of it, all devices must be connected to the same network so it only works if you do it from your mom‘s remote controlled iMac.
Use Switch Control on your device to control another Apple device - Apple Support
With Use Other Devices for Switch Control, you can control your other Apple devices remotely on the same Wi-Fi network without adjusting any switch connections. This enables you to navigate your Mac or Apple TV with the same switch setup that you use to control your iPhone.
And that‘s why I referred to the iMac you mentioned. This is the only way to remote control an iPad over the internet - with a Mac as a bridge.
You remote access the iMac over the internet and from there you have access to the iPad (provided they are in the same network).
With an application like TeamViewer you can access the iMac without any interaction on your mom‘s side.
Other than that, it doesn‘t work at all (without a Jailbreak).
You remote access the iMac over the internet and from there you have access to the iPad (provided they are in the same network).
With an application like TeamViewer you can access the iMac without any interaction on your mom‘s side.
Other than that, it doesn‘t work at all (without a Jailbreak).
Requiring the iMac to be involved might be a show-stopper unless TeamViewer has a rock-solid wake-on-LAN function.
Sounds like I might just have to get her a Mac laptop instead of an iPad if a full-blown MacOS device is needed to remote in without the iMac being involved. That might sound odd, but it's due to the layout of her house and her declining mobility.
Sounds like I might just have to get her a Mac laptop instead of an iPad if a full-blown MacOS device is needed to remote in without the iMac being involved. That might sound odd, but it's due to the layout of her house and her declining mobility.
WOL will only work with a static public IP or DNS configured in the router and with proper port forwarding to the iMac so that the magic-package can be sent.
Although she probably wants to stay on iPadOS/macOS I’ll mention anyway that Android tablets can indeed be remote controlled without any other device involved. Again via TeamViewer Host.
Both are probably not viable solutions for you. A shame Apple doesn't allow this functionality for their non-Mac devices.
Although she probably wants to stay on iPadOS/macOS I’ll mention anyway that Android tablets can indeed be remote controlled without any other device involved. Again via TeamViewer Host.
Both are probably not viable solutions for you. A shame Apple doesn't allow this functionality for their non-Mac devices.
Oddly, she already has an Android tablet. Seems I was mistakenly thinking that an all-Apple ecosystem might be easier to remote control, but perhaps not. That's ironic to me. I agree it's a shame Apple doesn't allow such functionality across their non-Mac devices.
Practically speaking, iPadOS has zero user accessible remote control functions. Apple support personnel has access to internal tools that CAN remotely control your device (I saw it happening when doing a troubleshooting session with Apple before), and clients are built in iOS, but no one else can really use it. So, for all intents and purposes, you cannot remotely control iPad over the internet in any meaningful way.
With your permission they can see your device, but don't think that they can control it. There is a big red arrow they use to point to to things but it is up to you to enter text, click, etc.
Only people inside Apple truly know if those tools can actually control or not. Yes, they can and have used those tools to guide me during a troubleshooting session, but the rest is really anyones guess.
I have used Splashtop SOS to remotely view a family members iPad. There is no way to remotely control one however. The Splashtop solution does help if the family member is able to turn on screen recording so that you can view what is happening on their iPad. It's not as good as full remote control, but better than nothing. It is not free however.
This is such a missed opportunity for Apple — there are lots of folks, young, old, and in-between who use iPads and need remote tech help. Many seniors are particularly tech-ignorant because they didn't grow up with or evolve with tech the way I did (and I'm feeling more and more behind, anyway). There are so many useful things modern tech can do just for mobility/accessibility for seniors, but it is _so underutilized_. #sigh