How To Shut Down a PC with Your iPhone

With the help of certain apps, you can use your iPhone as a remote control for your PC. So, when you forget to turn off your computer manually, you can command your iPhone to do it for you.

This is useful if you want to save power or put your device to sleep mode, but you’re heading out and don’t have time to do it manually. When you connect your devices, you will be able to turn off your computer from any room in the home or even your backyard, depending on the strength of your Wi-Fi signal.

How to Turn Off PC with iPhone

To control your computer with an iPhone, you need to connect them first. For this, you will have to download apps that connect devices that share the same network. You can do this in a few steps.

1. Go to the Remote Off website on your PC.
   
2. Click ‘Download Off Helper’.
   
3. Once it downloads, run it and install it. It shouldn’t be complicated as there is nothing to configure.
   
4. On your iPhone, download Off Remote. There is a free version and a paid If you don’t mind the adverts and you only need to occasionally shut down your PC, the free version is more than enough.
   
5. Make sure that your computer and your iPhone are connected to the same network (your home Wi-Fi network for example). If the devices don’t share a network, they will not be able to interact.
   
6. If you have the Remote Off/Off Remote apps running on both your devices, your iPhone will find your computer in the ‘Visible Computers’ section to the left.
   
7. Select your computer.
   
8. You should see these commands: Shut Down, Lock, Restart, Sleep, Hibernate. Choose one.
   

   

9. There will be a countdown of a few seconds before the app executes the command. There is also an option to disable the countdown.
   

With this simple set up, you will have a convenient way to control all the computers in your home network and turn them off if needed.

Apps for Other Remote Functions

Besides using it to power off your computer, you can also use your iPhone as a PC remote for various other commands. Here are some other useful apps that can extend the functionality of your iPhone.

Remote Mouse

Remote Mouse is a great app that turns your iPhone into a portable wireless mouse and keyboard for your Windows or Mac. It also supports different players and plug-ins.

With this app, you can turn the volume up or down on iTunes, VLC, or Windows Media Player. If you are giving a presentation, you can use your iPhone to change slides because the app is compatible with PowerPoint, too.

In addition, you can also use this app to remotely shut down or restart your computer. So if you want to have some more features other than simply controlling your computer’s power settings, this app should make you happy.

Get RemoteMouse

TeamViewer

Here is another powerful app that transforms the screen of your computer to fit the palm of your hand. It supports both Windows and Mac systems. You can control all the options of your computer remotely and have access to all your documents and the apps installed on your desktop. The interface looks smooth and is easy to navigate.

TeamViewer lets you move files both ways. So if you need something from your computer quickly, just reach it with TeamViewer and send it to your phone. And if you want to move a file from your phone to your computer, you can do it wirelessly in a matter of seconds. On top of all that, you can play audio and video content from your computer on your iPhone.

Get TeamViewer

VNC Viewer

• VNC Viewer is similar to TeamViewer in that it allows you to log into your computer from your phone and get your whole desktop interface. You can then take control of your mouse or keyboard and make your iPhone a proxy device. This can help you when you need to check something on your computer or get quick access to some files.

• This program uses encryption to protect your session from malicious attacks. Because of this, you will have to use your computer password to gain access to your desktop. While this adds a few steps to the process, at least you won’t have to worry about the safety of your data.

Get VNC Viewer

Chrome Remote Desktop

If you are looking for a similar app developed by Google, get Chrome Remote Desktop. It doesn’t differ much from the other picks as it lets you access your computer from your iPhone. You just have to install the app on both of your devices, configure the connection, and you can get to your desktop at any time.

The unique thing about Chrome Remote Desktop is the smoothness of scrolling and zooming. If you want an effortless experience while navigating your desktop, this app is the real deal.

Get Chrome Remote Desktop

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I do if I need to shut down multiple PCs?

If you have an entire system of PCs that you need to shut down, you can still use the methods above but it’s much simpler to do it from another PC.

Doing this will allow you to shut down several PCs at one time as long as you’re on the same network. You can even send a message to let the user know their computer is about to turn off.

Using the Win+R keyboard shortcut and type “services.msc” then hit enter. Double-click on “Remote Registry” and change “Disabled” to “Automatic” under Start Up Type. You will need to do this for each PC on the network.

• You may need to access the Firewall on your computer and set permissions for this to take effect. Type “Firewall” into the search bar, click “Allow a program or feature through Windows Firewall,” and click “Change Settings.” Locate Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and click the checkbox to apply it.

Head back to your PC and open the command prompt. Type “shutdown /i” (without the quotation marks). Add the names of the computers on the network you’d like to shut down.

Share Your Picks

What app(s) do you use to gain remote access to your computer from your iPhone? Share your picks in the comments below!