Chrome Remote Desktop lets iOS users take their PC screens on the go

If you've ever wanted to access that important file on your work PC while on the road that you forgot to transfer to your iPhone, Google has a simple solution. Like the Android counterpart, Chrome Remote Desktop for iOS brings the same remote desktop access capabilities to iPhone and iPad users.

Available as a free download, Chrome Remote Desktop is optimized to work with Apple's latest smartphones, though Google says it is compatible with any iPhone or iPad running iOS 7 or later.

With Chrome Remote Desktop running on an iPhone, users of Google's Chrome browser at home or work can install an extension on their PC or Mac to gain remote access to their systems from their phones. To access your PC from your phone, iOS owners log in with their Google credentials and a PIN.

Once logged in from your phone, the Chrome Remote Desktop app provides a virtual mouse for you to navigate your remote desktop and an on-screen keyboard pops up when you need to input text.

• Work from home safely and productively with a remote access VPN

Benefits of remote desktop access

Through a remote desktop connection, enterprise and small business customers gain access to specialized desktop-only programs where a mobile version is not yet available. Additionally, they can retrieve and view files without having to transfer them to a phone for mobile viewing.

This potentially opens up a phone's internal memory without having to rely on a cloud storage solution, and you also have access to your PC's hard drive content.

• A review of Chrome OS for businesses