Remote help
Remote help: support a friend from your phone
Your friend opens RoamTerm and reads you a one-time code. You enter it on your phone, they approve, and you can see and fix their computer. No VPN, no open ports, nothing hidden.
What is RoamTerm remote help?
A safe way to help a friend or family member with their Mac, Windows PC or Linux computer from your phone. They stay in control: they decide who connects, what you may do and when it ends. Getting help is always free and needs no account.
How it works
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Your friend clicks “Get help”
On their computer they open RoamTerm and click “Get help”. A 10-digit code appears on their screen.
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They read you the code
They tell you the code in person or on a call. You enter it in the RoamTerm app on your phone.
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You connect after they approve
A window on their computer shows your name and your verified account. They choose what you may do and click Allow. Then you can help.
Built so the computer owner stays in control
Remote help uses the same end-to-end encrypted design as the rest of RoamTerm, with extra rules for people helping people.
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End-to-end encrypted
The screen, keystrokes and files travel inside an encrypted connection between the two devices. Our relay only forwards bytes it cannot read.
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A code that works once
The code expires after 10 minutes and allows one attempt. A wrong guess burns it, and your friend is warned.
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Approval every time
Nobody gets in unless your friend clicks Allow on their own computer, even someone they trusted before.
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A visible banner
While you are connected, a banner stays on their screen showing who is connected and what is allowed. There is no hidden mode.
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Stop at any moment
Your friend can end the session from the banner, the tray icon or the command line. The connection is cut at once.
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They choose the scope
Screen view and control, terminal, files: each is a separate permission. Terminal and files stay off unless they turn them on.
Scam warning
No bank, Microsoft, Apple, courier or police will ever call you and ask for this code.
Only give the code to a person you know, whom you contacted yourself. Anyone who pressures you to read it out is trying to scam you.
- If someone phoned you and asked for the code, hang up.
- Never give the code to a stranger, even if they sound official.
- If you are unsure, click Stop on the banner. You can end it at any time.
Free and Pro
Getting help
Always free. No account and no payment needed.
Helping: Free
- Sign in with Google or Apple
- Screen view and control, system info
- 15 minutes per session
- 1 trusted friend
Helping: Pro
- No session time limit
- Terminal and files, when your friend allows
- Unlimited trusted friends
Price shown in your store
Questions about remote help
Is remote help free?
Getting help is always free and needs no account. Helping is free for 15 minutes per session with screen view and control. Pro removes the time limit and adds terminal, files and more trusted friends.
Do we both need an account?
Only the helper. Helpers sign in with Google or Apple, so an abusive account can be blocked and your friend sees who is connecting. The person getting help needs no account.
Can someone connect without my knowing?
No. Every connection needs your approval on your own computer and shows a banner while it lasts. People you trust still have to ask each time. RoamTerm has no hidden mode and no black-screen feature.
Someone phoned me and asked for the code. What do I do?
Hang up. It is a scam. No bank, Microsoft, Apple, courier or police will ever ask for this code. If you already gave it out, click Stop on the banner, turn remote help off in RoamTerm and change your passwords.
What can my helper see and do?
Only what you allow in the approval window: screen view and control by default, terminal and files only if you turn them on. Settings that protect your computer are locked while someone is helping.
Do I need a VPN or to open ports?
No. Both computers connect outward over port 443. The relay cannot read what passes through it.
How do I block or report someone?
When a session ends, a summary shows what happened, with buttons to block or report the person.
Get RoamTerm for remote help
Install the desktop app on the computer that needs help and the phone app on the helper's phone. Both are free to start.