想象一下：您结束一天的工作回到家，想边看书边听自己喜欢的音乐。你打开你的电脑，启动你最喜欢的媒体播放器，加载你的音乐播放列表(music playlist)，然后躺在床上，手里拿着书。你开始阅读，但只过了几秒钟，你就意识到音乐太大声了，你需要调低音量。唯一的问题是你懒得起来自己做。如果你能拿起你的安卓智能手机(Android smartphone)并用它远程控制电脑，降低音量、跳过当前曲目或完全关闭电脑，那该有多酷？好吧，你很幸运，因为Play 商店(Play Store)充满了可以帮助您解决此问题的应用程序。在本文中，我们向您介绍了最受欢迎的远程控制应用程序之一：
如何从Android 设备远程控制您的 Windows PC(Android device)
除了智能手机或平板电脑(smartphone or tablet)上的相应应用程序(correspondent app)（通常称为“客户端”）之外，您还需要在计算机上安装一个软件（通常称为“服务器” ）。这种方法将您的智能手机变成一个老式遥控器(remote control)，就像您的常规电视遥控器(TV remote control)一样，允许它向它正在控制的设备发送命令。在这种情况下，通信是通过一种方式完成的：您从智能手机发送一个命令，告诉您的计算机要做什么（更改音量、跳过音乐曲目(music track)、关闭电源或移动鼠标光标(mouse cursor)）。这种方法通常在本地化环境中更快，例如局域网(Local Area Network)，但是两个设备都需要连接到同一个网络，这意味着它不能通过互联网工作。在使用这种方法测试了一些解决方案之后，我们找到了一个我们喜欢的解决方案。它被称为统一远程(Unified Remote)：这是应用程序(app)和网站(website)。
该应用程序是一种商业软件解决方案(software solution)，提供具有有限功能的免费版本。在本教程中，我们使用了免费版本，这是一个良好的开端。
在 Windows PC 上安装统一远程服务器(Unified Remote server)
您必须采取的第一步是在您的Android 智能手机或平板电脑上安装(Android smartphone or tablet)客户端应用程序(client app)，并在您的 Windows PC 上安装服务器软件。(server software)要安装“服务器”，请访问Unified Remote网站并导航(website and navigate)以下载最新版本的服务器软件(server software)（或单击此处(click here)下载最新版本）。运行安装包(setup package)（安装过程(installation procedure)非常简单）。
在安装过程(installation procedure)中的某个时候，您必须接受软件所需的HID 驱动程序(HID driver)的设置，以便向远程控制系统发送命令。出于识别目的，它被称为Unified Intents AB Human Interface Device。单击(Click)安装以接受其安装。(Install)
等待它完成安装，完成后，在时钟旁边的系统托盘(system tray)中找到它的图标，以确保它正在运行。此时您不需要配置任何东西；它开箱即用。
在您的Android 智能手机或平板电脑(Android smartphone or tablet)上安装Unified Remote 客户端(Unified Remote client)
接下来，在您的Android 设备上打开(Android device and search)Play Store应用并搜索Unified Remote，在搜索结果中找到该应用并安装它。您也可以在智能手机上访问此处(go here)。
安装完成后，打开App 抽屉(App drawer)并从那里启动它。
如何使用Android版(Android)Unified Remote远程控制您的Windows 计算机(Windows computer)
在应用程序的第一个屏幕上，您可以选择“使用 Google 登录”("Sign in with Google")或“跳过此步骤”("Skip this step")而不使用应用程序帐户。如果您选择使用您的Google 帐户(Google account)登录，该应用程序会跨设备备份您的配置和远程设置，因此这是一个有用的步骤。
在下一个屏幕上，该应用程序会显示您可以连接的设备列表。如果您之前已顺利完成服务器设置(server setup)，该应用程序会自动检测连接到运行服务器的LAN的计算机。(LAN)
点击您的 PC 的名称，您应该会收到一条通知，告诉您您的设备已连接到它。
Unified Remote可以通过蓝牙或 WiFi(Bluetooth or WiFi)连接到Windows PC(Windows PCs)。该应用程序还提供对“服务器”屏幕的访问，您可以在其中找到当前运行服务器并可用于连接的计算机。您还可以在该屏幕上更改其设置。
现在，点击"Let's get started!"进入选项列表，您可以在下面看到：
这些是默认安装的遥控器，您可以在安装应用程序后立即使用。以下是他们每个人的工作：
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基本输入(Basic Input)是您的基本虚拟鼠标；在智能手机屏幕上移动手指以在计算机桌面上移动光标，用一根手指点击左键单击，用两根手指点击右键单击或用两根手指滑动滚动当前窗口；
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文件管理器(File Manager)打开计算机硬盘驱动器的窗口，让您访问文件并允许您在计算机上打开或启动它们；
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键盘(Keyboard)是普通的 QWERTY 虚拟键盘，带有功能键；
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Media Remote是包含媒体键的遥控器，例如音量键、上一首和下一首曲目或播放/暂停；
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电源(Power)是包含电源选项的遥控器，例如关机、注销或重新启动。
通过点击右下角的绿色加号按钮(PLUS button)，您可以添加其他遥控器，例如不同的输入法、专用于特定媒体播放器的各种媒体遥控器，甚至是远程任务管理器(Task Manager)。其中一些在应用程序的免费版本中可用，但对于更高级的，您必须购买高级(Premium)版本，它还提供屏幕镜像、IR 操作、自定义遥控器和NFC 标签(NFC tag)触发器的可能性。在遥控器(Remotes)屏幕中，您可以在左上角看到一个三行菜单按钮（汉堡菜单）。
您可以点击此按钮进入应用程序的菜单。
在菜单顶部，您可以点击计算机名称(computer name)以选择要远程控制的计算机（如果您在应用程序中配置了多台计算机）。
点击菜单中的下一个条目“服务器(Servers)”选项卡，转到服务器的配置屏幕(configuration screen)。在这里，您会看到所有已配置可远程控制(remote control)的计算机的列表，以及尚未配置远程控制(remote control)但已被应用程序检测到且符合配置条件的计算机。如果应用程序未检测到服务器，您还可以点击顶部工具栏上的“+”按钮手动添加服务器，或点击“回收站”("Recycle Bin")按钮从列表中删除其中一台计算机。
这种方法的优点之一是速度更快，因为通信只是单向的（唯一的例外是屏幕镜像功能）。根据上下文，它也可能是一个更稳定的解决方案。最肯定的是，它是更安全的解决方案，因为它仅限于它工作的LAN，而无需通过 Internet 发送数据。
但在我们看来，如果您正在寻找一种通过互联网远程控制 Windows PC 的方法，这也算作一个缺点。另一个低点是您受到开发人员提供的或您自己设计的“遥控器”（应用程序调用它们）的限制。
你喜欢统一遥控器吗？
您已经了解了如何使用统一远程(Unified Remote)应用程序从您的Android 智能手机或平板电脑控制您的(Android smartphone or tablet)台式计算机(desktop computer)。如果您想向您的Windows 计算机(Windows computer)发送命令，Unified Remote可以完成此角色，但如果您需要更复杂的工作，例如通过电子邮件发送文件或编辑照片，那么您正在寻找其他应用程序，例如TeamViewer 。在结束本教程之前，请告诉我们您对Unified Remote应用程序的看法以及您是否喜欢使用它。
How to remote control your Windows PC from Android, using Unified Remote
Picture this: you come home after a day's work, and you want to read a book while listening to your favorite music. You power up your computer, launch your favorite media player, load your music playlist and throw yourself in bed, book in hand. You start reading, but only a few seconds in, you realize the music is too loud, and you need to turn down the volume. The only problem is that you're too lazy to get up and do it yourself. How cool would it be if you could pick up your Android smartphone and remote control the computer with it, to lower the volume, skip the current track or turn off the computer altogether? Well, you're in luck, because the Play Store is full of apps that can help you with this matter. In this article, we present you one of the most popular apps for remote control:
How to remote control your Windows PC from an Android device
You need to install a piece of software on your computer (usually called a "server") in addition to the correspondent app on your smartphone or tablet (usually called a "client"). This method turns your smartphone into an old-fashioned remote control, like your regular TV remote control, allowing it to send commands to the device it is controlling. In this case, the communication is done one way: you send a command from your smartphone that tells your computer what to do (change the volume, skip a music track, power off, or move the mouse cursor). This method is usually faster in a localized environment, like a Local Area Network, but both devices need to connect to the same network, which means it doesn't work via the internet. After testing a few solutions using this method, we found one that we liked. It is called Unified Remote: here's the app and the website.
The app is a commercial software solution that offers a free version with a limited set of features. For this tutorial, we used the free version, which serves well for a good start.
Install the Unified Remote server on your Windows PC
The first step you have to take is to install both the client app on your Android smartphone or tablet and the server software on your Windows PC. To install the "server," visit the Unified Remote website and navigate to download the latest version of the server software (or click here to download the latest version). Run the setup package (the installation procedure is pretty straightforward).
Sometime during the installation procedure, you have to accept the setup of the HID driver, needed by the software to send commands to the remotely controlled system. For identification purposes, it is called Unified Intents AB Human Interface Device. Click on Install to accept its installation.
Wait for it to finish installing, and once it does, find its icon in the system tray, next to the clock, to make sure it is running. You don't need to configure anything at this point; it just works out of the box.
Install the Unified Remote client on your Android smartphone or tablet
Next, open the Play Store app on your Android device and search for Unified Remote, find the app in the search results, and install it. You can also go here on your smartphone.
After it finishes installing, open the App drawer and launch it from there.
How to use Unified Remote for Android to remote control your Windows computer
On the first screen of the app, you can choose to "Sign in with Google" or "Skip this step" and not use an account with the app. If you choose to sign in with your Google account, the app backs up your configuration and remote settings across devices, so it's a useful step to take.
On the next screen, the app shows a list of devices to which you can connect. If you've previously completed the server setup without complications, the app automatically detects the computers connected to the LAN on which the server is running.
Tap on the name of your PC, and you should get a notification telling you that your device connected to it.
Unified Remote can connect to Windows PCs via Bluetooth or WiFi. The app also offers access to a "servers" screen, where you can find the computers that currently run the server and are available for a connection. You can also change their settings on that screen.
For now, tap on "Let's get started!" to get to the list of options, which you can see below:
These are the default installed remotes you can use as soon as you install the app. Here's what each of them does:
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Basic Input is your basic virtual mouse; move your finger on your smartphone's screen to move the cursor on your computer desktop, tap with one finger for a left click, tap with two fingers for a right-click or swipe with two fingers to scroll the current window;
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File Manager opens up a window of the computer's hard drives, giving you access to the files and allowing you to open or launch them on the computer;
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Keyboard is a regular QWERTY virtual keyboard, complete with function keys;
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Media Remote is a remote containing the media keys, such as the volume keys, previous and next track or play/pause;
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Power is a remote containing the power options, such as Shut Down, Log Off or Restart.
By tapping on the bottom-right green PLUS button, you can add other remotes, like different input methods, various media remotes specialized for a particular media player, or even a remote Task Manager. Some of them are available in the free version of the app, but for the more advanced ones, you must purchase the Premium version, which also offers the possibility of screen mirroring, IR actions, custom remotes, and NFC tag triggers. In the Remotes screen, you can see a three lines menu button (burger menu) in the top-left corner.
You can tap on this button to get to the menu of the app.
At the top of the menu, you can tap on the computer name to select the computer that you want to control remotely (in case you have several computers configured in the app).
Tap on the next entry in the menu, the Servers tab, to go to the server's configuration screen. Here, you see a list of all the configured computers ready for remote control and also, the computers which have not yet been configured for remote control, but have been detected by the app and are eligible for configuration. You can also tap on the "+" button on the top toolbar to manually add a server, if the app has not detected it, or tap on the "Recycle Bin" button to remove one of the computers from the list.
One of the advantages of this method is that it is faster, because the communication is only one-way (the only exception being the screen mirroring feature). Depending on the context, it may also be a more stable solution. And most definitely, it is the more secure solution, because it is limited to the LAN it is working in, without sending data over the internet.
But this also counts as a disadvantage, in our opinion, if you're looking for a method of remote controlling a Windows PC over the internet. Another low point is that you are limited by the "remotes" (as the app calls them) that the developers offer or the ones that you design yourself.
Do you like Unified Remote?
You've learned how to control your desktop computer from your Android smartphone or tablet, using the Unified Remote app. If you want to send commands to your Windows computer, Unified Remote can fulfill this role, but if what you need is more complex work, like sending files by email or editing photos, then other apps like TeamViewer are what you're looking for. Before closing this tutorial, tells us what you think about the Unified Remote app and whether you like using it.
