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Remotely View and Control Android Devices from a PC

Remote Control and Remote View are functionalities baked into the Hexnode UEM. These features assist an admin in remotely troubleshooting Android devices without having physical access to them. The “Remote View” feature lets an admin monitor the screen of an Android device in real time. The “Remote Control” feature lets an admin take real-time control of the enrolled Android machines and perform required actions securely without relying on the end-users.

Notes:

Remote View is supported on:

Non-Android Enterprise devices running Android version 5.1 and above.
Devices enrolled in Android Enterprise as Device Owner.
Android TV OS

Remote Control is supported on:

Android 5.1+ devices.

Configure Remote Control & Remote View Settings in Hexnode

Administrators can remotely set restrictions on the Hexnode UEM console to enable or block secure remote view services on the devices.

Log in to the Hexnode UEM console.
Navigate to Admin > General Settings.
Under Remote View & Control Settings, you can find the following options.
- Enable Remote View: Select this option to enable Remote View on Android devices.
- Enable Remote Control: Select this option to enable Remote Control on Android 5.1+ devices.
- Prompt user to install Remote View app while in kiosk mode (Android): Select this option to prompt the end-user to install the Remote View app even while the device is in kiosk mode.
Click Save to enforce the settings.

Installing the Hexnode Assist/Hexnode MDM Remote View app

Samsung Knox devices

A prompt to install Hexnode MDM Remote View app will be automatically displayed in the Hexnode UEM app if the “Enable Remote View” option is enabled from Admin > General Settings.
Launch the Hexnode UEM app on the device and click “SET UP”. A page with the necessary information on Remote View will appear. Click “Install”. This will download the Hexnode MDM Remote View app on your device.
On devices running older Android versions, you may see a page with a list of permissions requested by the app. Click “Install” to grant the permissions and install the application.
The app may not ask for additional permissions in newer Android versions during installation. Simply click “Install” to install the application.

Notes:

To enable Remote View, you can also download and install the Hexnode MDM Remote View app from the Play Store or manually install the Hexnode MDM Remote View APK. You may even install the app by pushing the Hexnode MDM Remote View app from the UEM console.
Remote View will work as intended only after enrolling the device with the UEM and installing the Hexnode MDM Remote View app after granting the necessary permissions.

Once the installation is complete, click “Open” to open Hexnode MDM Remote View app. Click “Continue” to proceed with the remaining configuration process.
On devices with an Android version of 9.0 and below, a device prompt pops up the first time the Remote View is set up, asking for user consent.

Check the “Don’t show again” checkbox to allow unattended access. If not checked, the user will have to grant consent every time the admin requests a remote view session or Hexnode MDM Remote View app is restarted.

For devices running Android version 10.0 and above, a different prompt will be displayed.

Grant Remote View Permissions in Android 10+ devices

Note:

If you close Hexnode MDM Remote View app without clicking “Continue”, the app may still ask for the necessary user consent. If no prompt appears, manually open the Hexnode MDM Remote View app and click on the “Menu” button in the top right corner. Click “Grant Permission” to manually trigger the prompt to grant the necessary consent.

Trigger the Remote View user consent prompt manually

Click “Start Now”. This will activate Remote View on your device. Now the admin can activate a remote view session where they will be able to monitor the device screen in real time.

Note:

On devices running Android version 9.0 and above, the device will prompt the user consent every time Hexnode MDM Remote View app is stopped from running in the background. So, the user has to manually grant consent after a device restart or if the app is killed.

Android devices

A prompt to install Hexnode Assist app will be automatically displayed in the Hexnode UEM app once the Enable Remote View option is enabled from Admin > General Settings.
Open the Hexnode UEM app on the device and click SET UP. It will redirect you to a page having relevant details about the remote view and remote control. Click Install. This will download the Hexnode Assist app on your device.
Note:

To enable Remote View, you can also download and install the Hexnode Assist app from the Play Store or manually install the Hexnode Assist APK. You may even install the app by pushing the Hexnode Remote Assist app as an enterprise app from the UEM console.
Click Install to install the app.
After installation, click Open to launch the Hexnode Assist app.
Enable the Remote View option. Then, the app will display a prompt “Start recording or casting with Hexnode Assist?” asking for the user’s permission.
Click Start Now. This will grant remote view permission on your device. The admin can now view the device’s screen in real time from the portal.

Note:

Disable the battery optimization on Hexnode UEM, Hexnode for Work, Hexnode UEM for Android TV, and Hexnode Assist apps to ensure seamless operation of Remote View and Remote Control features. Admins can prompt end-user devices to disable battery optimization by enabling the Prompt users to disable battery optimization for Hexnode MDM, Hexnode for Work, and Hexnode UEM for Android TV apps option under Admin > General Settings.

Remotely View Android Devices from a PC

Follow the steps below to remotely view your Android device’s screen using the Hexnode UEM console on your PC.

Log in to your Hexnode UEM console.
Navigate to Manage > Devices.
Identify and select the appropriate device from the list of enrolled devices.
On the Remote View panel, click “Start Session”. A remote view window will display the device’s screen on your PC.
Click “Stop” to end the session. Click “Restart” to close the current session and start a fresh one. Click on the Maximize button to fit the remote view session to your screen.

Note:

For devices running below Android 10.0, if multiple technicians try to start a remote view session on the same device, only one session shall remain active.
Meanwhile, the other connections will be dropped, displaying an error message, “You have been disconnected because another remote connection was made to the device.”
If the device is locked by the user or automatically locks during a remote session, the admin will not be able to view the screen remotely. To restore remote view access for the admin, the user must unlock their device.

Remotely Control Android Devices from a PC

The admin can remotely view and control Samsung Knox devices directly from the Hexnode portal. However, to enable the remote control feature on Android devices, you need to enable Accessibility Service for the Hexnode Assist App.

Open the Hexnode Assist app.
Enable the Accessibility Service option. The option will appear only if a remote view session has already been initiated in the portal.

It will redirect you to the device’s Accessibility settings page. Go to Installed services > Hexnode Assist, and toggle the Off button. This step may defer depending on the device models.
A prompt appears requesting permission. Click Allow to grant permission.

It will activate the remote control service on the devices.

Notes:

Remote Control may not work as intended on devices running below Android version 7.
The latest version of the Hexnode UEM/Hexnode for Work app is required for this feature to work.

Now, follow the steps below to remotely view and control your Android device’s screen using the Hexnode UEM console on your PC.

Log in to your Hexnode UEM console.
Navigate to Manage > Devices.
Identify and select the appropriate device from the list of enrolled devices.
On the Remote View panel, click “Start Session”. A remote view window will display the device’s screen on your PC.
You can use your mouse clicks to simulate screen taps. You can use the home, back and recent buttons to navigate between apps. In this way, the admin can obtain complete control over devices and issues can be fixed remotely.
Click “Stop” to end the session. Click “Restart” to close the current session and start a fresh one. Click on the Maximize button to fit the remote view session to your screen.

Adjust the Remote View Video Quality

With Hexnode, you can adjust the remote view video quality for Android devices.

On your Hexnode UEM portal, head on to Manage > Devices.
Identify and select the appropriate device from the list of enrolled devices and start a remote view session.
You can adjust the remote view video quality by clicking on the gear icon under the ‘Remote View’ section on the Device Summary page.

You can choose among the following available resolutions: