How can I give support temporary remote access for troubleshooting on my computer?

Introduction

Microsoft's "Quick Assist" application enables temporary screen sharing and remote control between two Windows PCs. This allows a support representative, for example, to check settings, investigate problems or carry out the necessary steps directly on the computer.

Quick Assist is already pre-installed on current Windows 11 installations. You do not need to download or install any additional software.

We will use the following terms throughout this article:

Setup

When Quick Assist is launched for the first time, it requests access to the camera or webcam. The camera is not required for the screen sharing and remote control described here. The request can therefore be declined.

On the customer side, no sign-in and no Microsoft account are required. This makes the application very user-friendly and straightforward for customers to access.

The helper, on the other hand, must sign in with a valid Microsoft account or a corresponding Microsoft business account. This sign-in is free of charge for the helper.

A session must be arranged in advance with the person providing assistance. The helper cannot establish a connection unilaterally: for each new session, a temporary security code is generated, which the person requesting assistance must first enter into Quick Assist themselves and then confirm the connection.

How to start a session

Customers who wish to allow remote access to their system should proceed as follows:

1. Launch Quick Assist
   Search for "Quick Assist" in the Windows Start menu and open the application.

2. Enter the security code
   The helper generates a temporary security code on their computer and sends it to the customer, for example via chat, email or telephone. Enter the received code in the "Get help" section and start the connection.

3. Wait for the connection and confirm screen sharing
   Quick Assist now establishes the connection to the helper. This may take a few seconds. Quick Assist then displays the helper's name and asks whether the screen should be shared.

Check that this is the person you are expecting. Then select the security confirmation and click "Allow" to permit screen sharing.

At this point, the helper can initially only view the screen. Remote control is not yet possible.

How to allow remote control

If the helper needs to operate the computer, they can subsequently request remote control.

Quick Assist then displays a corresponding request at the top of the screen. This can be accepted with "Allow" or rejected with "Deny".

Once permission has been granted, the helper can remotely control the computer's mouse and keyboard. Quick Assist displays who currently has control at the top of the screen.

Remote control can be revoked at any time using "Cancel control". "Leave" ends the entire Quick Assist session.

Chat during the session

Quick Assist also includes a simple chat function. This can be used to exchange short messages, access codes or download links, for example. However, when the helper sends a chat message, the chat does not automatically open on the customer's side. Instead, only a red notification indicator appears on the chat icon.

The chat must then be opened manually. If remote control has already been granted at this point, the helper can open the chat window on the customer's side themselves and, if necessary, draw the customer's attention to the chat message.

If another communication channel such as telephone, email or a support chat is already being used, it can simply continue to be used in parallel.

What happens after a restart?

A Quick Assist session is designed to be single-use only. If the session is ended by clicking "Leave", the helper can still attempt to re-establish it once, provided the customer has not yet closed the app. The customer can then choose whether to allow or reject the request to resume the session.

If the request to resume is rejected, the only remaining option is to close the app.

Security codes generated by Quick Assist are only temporarily valid. A newly generated code expires after approximately ten minutes if it is not used. If Quick Assist is closed beforehand, the code also becomes invalid. As a result, a helper cannot independently re-establish a completed connection at a later time.

Likewise, after a reboot of the target system (i.e. the customer's computer), customer and helper must establish an all-new connection, using a new code. To do this, the helper generates another security code and sends it to the person requesting assistance. This new code must again be entered under "Get help" and the connection must be manually confirmed yet again.

Helping each other

Quick Assist can not only be used with our support team. Friends, colleagues or other trusted persons can also use it to provide remote assistance to one another.

The process is slightly different on the helper's side:

1. Open Quick Assist and select "Help someone".
2. Sign in with a Microsoft account.
3. Send the security code generated by Quick Assist to the other person.

4. Wait for the other person to enter the code and confirm screen sharing.
5. If remote control of the other computer is required, select "Request control".
6. The other person must then confirm this additional request with "Allow".

The helper's Windows user account itself does not need to be a Microsoft account. The sign-in takes place exclusively within Quick Assist and does not change the sign-in method used for the Windows user account.

After sign-in, Microsoft immediately starts the process of setting up a passkey (unless it's already configured). However, a passkey is not required for Quick Assist. You can simply cancel this passkey setup; the normal Quick Assist sign-in (e.g. via email address and password) will remain active.

No direct file transfer

Quick Assist provides screen sharing, remote control and chat. It does not provide a direct way to transfer files between the two computers. There is also no shared clipboard for copying files or text between the two systems.

If the helper needs a diagnostic utility or driver on the remote computer, they can instead send a download link via the Quick Assist chat or another communication channel. The file can then be downloaded directly on the target computer.

Conversely, larger log files, memory dumps or other diagnostic data from the target system must be transferred back to the helper by a separate method, for example via a web upload form or cloud storage.

Security notice

Quick Assist does not allow a helper to independently establish a new connection to a target system. The helper merely generates a security code that is valid for a limited period of time and manually sends it to the customer. A connection is only established once the customer manually enters this code into Quick Assist on the target system and subsequently confirms screen sharing.

The most important security rule is therefore: only enter a Quick Assist code you have received if you clearly know who sent the code and why the remote assistance is taking place.

Particular caution is advisable with unexpected phone calls, emails or chat messages in which someone asks you to open Quick Assist and enter a security code. If in doubt, the helper's identity should be verified through an already known and trusted communication channel - for example by calling back using an officially published telephone number.

After the code has been entered, Quick Assist also displays the helper's name. This should also be checked, but is not sufficient on its own as proof of identity.

Actual remote control requires an additional explicit confirmation on the target system. Screen sharing and remote control can also be ended or revoked at any time.