Diagnose and Solve Issues with Android Devices

Android devices are regularly used for private or business purposes, but it can be a particularly demanding situation when there are problems with the operation of their systems or other forms of difficulties, and the same must be solved remotely. Fortunately, there is a well-known TeamViewer application coming to the rescue.

Although everyone’s first association with this software is solving problems on computers, this application can also be used for Android devices. Check out how it works below.

What’s TeamViewer?

TeamViewer is a remote control, repair, or monitoring application created in Germany used for web conferencing, file transfer, or troubleshooting when one user connects from a remote location to another user’s device. It supports many platforms, including Windows, iOS, ChromeOS, Mac, Linux, and Android.

Over the years, TeamViewer has significantly improved its features, so separate applications such as TeamViewer Tensor or TeamViewer AR have been created. The most popular of all applications is certainly TeamViewer Remote Control and, in this text, we will only talk about its use in the context of Android devices. The app is free for private use and can be downloaded from Google Play Store (Android) and App Store (iOS).

What Problems Can Be Solved with the TeamViewer Remote Control Application?

By using the TeamViewer Remote Control application, you can successfully troubleshoot many problems at the software level by connecting to an Android device from a remote location. Problems are solved most often when some malware is involved, but there can be various situations when this application becomes practical. Some of them are as follows:

  • Setting up your Android device to use it for the first time,
  • Helping someone use an Android device or a particular application,
  • Managing and optimization of files on an Android device,
  • Activating or deactivating hard-to-find settings,
  • Backing up important files.

However, resolving the listed situations will not mean that TeamViewer Remote Control will always be able to help. If the Android device has problems with internal storage, booting, connectivity, or hardware problems, unfortunately, the application has no utilization here. Team Viewer Remote Control can do many things, but problems with physical components do not fall into this group.

It should be stressed that this application is not supported by all Android devices. Most of them are included, of course, but perhaps the most notable detail to watch out for is in regard to Samsung devices, as only those with the Knox security feature are supported. The full list of supported devices is visible in the “Knowledge Base” section on the software’s official website at this link.

You can also independently search for TeamViewer Remote Control on the Google Play Store and see if your device supports the application there. It is necessary to set the “This device” option to be selected in the “Your devices” drop-down menu.

Setting up the TeamViewer Remote Control Application on an Android Device

After you have downloaded the application, you need to open it and accept the terms, and below you will be redirected to the “Connect” page. This is the default page in the application.

At the bottom of the application, you will notice four tabs, one of which is “Connect” (the page you are on). You do not need to do anything with it, however, you ought to select the “Computers” tab. Within that tab, you will see devices on which you have authorization to connect, but before that, you need to log in/register to a free TeamViewer user account if you do not have one.

Register as follows:

  • Select the gear icon in the upper right corner to access “Settings”,
  • At the bottom of the screen, select “Sign Up”,
  • Enter your e-mail address, name, and password. Use a unique password here because you will share it with the host in the future (host – Android device on which you troubleshoot from a remote location).

To log in to your TeamViewer user account, select “Sign Up” and select “Computers”. Click on the “+” button and you will see four options, among which you should choose “Nearby” or “Group” (these are the two options related to the topic of this post).

“Nearby” is the option you will choose if you are just going to troubleshoot devices that are close to you, either in the household or in the neighborhood. If you plan to troubleshoot multiple devices for friends or family over time, it is a good idea to plan ahead and create several different groups like this:

  • Click on “Group”,
  • Select the name of the new group in the “Add group” field,
  • Select “Add”.

The new group will appear within the “Group” section. Once you add an Android device later, you will be able to do this within a group. When you are ready to make this move, click on the device name, select “Edit > Groups”, and click on the name of the group you created.

Setting up a TeamViewer Host

To use the application, you will need to direct the person who needs help from a remote location to download the TeamViewer Host application or share the following link with them. The person must also check if the device is supported for their use or you can do it for them in the way described above. Once a person has downloaded the app, share your TeamViewer login information with them.

Below are described steps the person must take:

  • Open the TeamViewer Host application,
  • Click on the “Assign Device” option,
  • You should inform the person that they will now have to enter your e-mail address, your unique password, and “Alias”, i.e. the name you want to give to their Android device,
  • After entering the data, the person must finally click on “Assign” to confirm the connection.

Now a new screen will appear stating that an Android device has been assigned to your user account. The person whose device you will be troubleshooting is free to turn off the TeamViewer Host application.

If the same person wants to terminate your access to their Android device, they must click on the icon with three dots, select “Remove Assignment” and confirm everything by clicking on “Remove”. To restore your access to the device, the previously described procedure will be repeated.

Connecting to the Host

After the person, i.e. the host, on whose Android device you will make changes has authorized your TeamViewer user account for access, it is time to establish a connection. Open your TeamViewer Remote Control application and click on “Computers”.

You will see the device added under the “My Computers” section or within the group you created. Now click on the added device and select “Remote Control”. A new window will appear on the host’s Android device and they must click on “Start Now”. After that, the connection will be established and you will have full access to the device.

With the establishment of a connection, the conditions have been created for that person to be able to troubleshoot problems, adjust certain settings, explain details, or perform some other action that will help them use an Android device from a remote location.

Misuses of TeamViewer to Watch Out

There are three built-in features in TeamViewer that allow users to access remote computers. They are VPN (if a driver is available), File Transfer, and Remote Control. None of these features allow remote users to observe or control your computer in a hidden mode or otherwise without your knowledge. Yet, here, we can identify three viable attacks:

  • If all necessary drivers are loaded (remote users may also install them), they can lock your keyboard and disable your screen to perform immoral acts behind your back, but not without your knowledge. All you need to do to stop them is unplug your network wire or power cord.
  • Your computer has a File Transfer option that allows remote users to connect. However, as soon as the connection is made, a pop-up window allowing you to see what the remote user is reading, copying, or deleting will appear. If you are not careful, they may modify your TeamViewer files to malicious ones or install malware.
  • Using your computer as a bridge, a remote user can connect to your home network if the TeamViewer VPN driver is active and installed. If the passwords on your network devices are weak or default, an attacker may be able to change your DNS addresses (or, even worse, redirect all traffic to its own network) in order to intercept and modify your DNS requests. He might take your information using this trick to drive you to a phishing website.

If you are careful enough, all of these methods are ineffective. You must be aware of the first and second techniques in order for them to be used. There is nothing to be concerned about with the third one either if you have not installed the VPN driver for TeamViewer (which can be removed from your network and sharing center). If you use TeamViewer carefully, no one can hack you.

One more thing, it has been noted by looking on forums that many TeamViewer users employ the software to bypass geolocation restrictions. People more often use TeamViewer to access blocked websites in their nations as it runs as a VPN in addition to its other functions. Yes, you may use TeamViewer to access, say, a poker room that is illegal in your country and play the game there. All you have to do is alter your location using the program. Once you have done so, the server will use the VPN to access the site from the location of your choice.

But keep in mind that the site’s operation might be terminated at any time. It happens because each website’s security servers are configured to monitor VPN usage and hacking attempts. Your access will be instantly disabled if you are discovered. Your entire investment will be gone if that occurs. Why would you want to gamble with your money? Go to the Zimpler casino sites if you want to play poker. You may play poker or casino games on these legitimate websites without using a VPN. Any browser may directly visit the sites. Without having to worry about them being shut down, you may participate in live poker or casino events.

Is TeamViewer Worth It?

A quick and secure remote management solution, TeamViewer in essence, was created to assist managed IT service providers in keeping an eye on client endpoints, networks, and remote systems in advance. It can keep an eye on computers running practically all existing operating systems to spot problems before they become serious. Online meetings enable team/family members and friends to communicate while working remotely. Powerful remote access functions are combined with an intuitive and simple-to-use interface in TeamViewer.

Although it has several practical features like wake-on-LAN, ticket assignment, and unattended access detection, it also has certain security, picture quality, and cost restrictions. Numerous products with improved functionality and improved communication skills are on the market but about that in a separate article.