TeamViewer 8 review

Whether you’re at home and want to retrieve a file from the office PC, or need to fix a problem with a distant family member’s computer, remote control software can save the day. One of our favourite tools for carrying out this mundane, yet essential task, has long been TeamViewer. We’ve used many similar products over the years, but we always find ourselves gravitating back to TeamViewer for its simple interface, quick, reliable connection and cross-platform availability.

It’s changed quite a bit since we last reviewed it in version 6, but simplicity and ease of use remain at the core of TeamViewer’s appeal. It’s a small, quick download, and setting up simple, one-shot support sessions is as easy as pie. Direct a remote user to the QuickSupport download page, get them to read out the code number once it’s up and running and you’ll be in, fixing the problem in minutes.

The TeamViewer console is simplicity itself. Tools for initiating a session or online meeting are displayed in one window, and another docked to the side displays a list of all your TeamViewer-connected computers. You can remote control Windows, Apple and Linux PCs, and also Samsung smartphones and tablets. Control can be initiated from all the above, and iOS devices, too.

Since our last review, scaling has improved: the Android tablet app now works in landscape mode when logging in, as well as during a remote-control session. TeamViewer has also introduced a Windows Store app for Windows 8 and RT which, while currently still in Preview mode, works well, offering shortcut buttons for the Windows 8 gestures via the context menu.

In this latest version, business users also get several new features. Support staff using the software can now collaborate on support jobs with colleagues or off-site “experts”, and there’s a new management console, available to customers with a Premium or Corporate licence.

The latter provides administrators with web-based control over TeamViewer users, and their passwords and permissions. It also features a logging tool that keeps tabs on every connection, and can calculate support fees based on pre-defined rates.

Overall, this is a solid upgrade to an already excellent product. Whether the pricing structure is right for your business will depend entirely on your needs, but for private use it’s still free, and for those purposes it remains by far our favourite remote control app.

Author: Jonathan Bray