Under Computer, you can view your Hand’s own desktop in a browser. This lets you inspect application windows and, if you have control permission, interact using your mouse and keyboard. To work through shell commands instead, use Terminal sessions in Environments.
Open the desktop
- Open the Hands Console, select a ready Hand and go to Computer.
- Select Start computer on the large computer graphic. The Console shows Opening the desktop…, and may show The desktop is still preparing… during startup.
- When the Hand’s desktop appears, you can view it within the Console; no separate remote-desktop client is required.
- Use the mouse and keyboard inside the desktop, subject to your session’s control permissions.
Use full screen
Choose Enter full screen in the Computer toolbar. When the browser supports fullscreen, it expands the viewer through the browser’s fullscreen mode. If that request is unavailable or refused, the Console uses a page-filling fallback without reloading the live desktop.
Choose the same control, now labelled Exit full screen, to return. Escape also exits the page-filling fallback and normally exits browser fullscreen. If a layout picker or another Computer menu is open, Escape closes that first; use it again to leave fullscreen.
Control picture and sound
When the active desktop viewer supports these controls and identifies you as its owner, the toolbar adds Pause the picture, Volume and Mute/Unmute.
- Choose Pause the picture to freeze the picture in your current viewer. The control changes to Resume the picture; choose it to continue receiving the live image.
- Open Volume and move the slider from 0 to 100 for sound in this viewer, or choose Mute. Choose Unmute to restore the viewer’s reported volume.
- Check the control’s current label or slider after reconnecting. An older or unsupported viewer may show none of these controls.
Pausing the picture does not pause the Hand, close applications, stop sharing or revoke a guest. It is separate from End sharing below. Volume changes apply to this owner viewer in the current browser, not to the Hand’s system volume. Browser audio permission, autoplay rules and the selected output device still apply. Manage guest access separately using the guest controls or End sharing.
Desktop layouts, when offered
The optional layout picker can name Windows-like, macOS-like, Ubuntu-like, Touch and GNOME. These are presentation presets for the Hand desktop; they do not install another operating system on your computer.
- Open Desktop layout and browse the presets offered by the selected Hand. Browsing a card does not apply it.
- Choose a supported card, then choose Start for a new desktop or Switch for one already running.
- Read the restart warning and wait for the shared desktop to reopen. Everyone viewing that Hand shares the selected desktop.
Only layouts advertised by the selected Hand’s desktop service can be applied. An unsupported choice stays unavailable, and an error leaves the existing desktop or previous preference available for recovery. If the layout picker is absent, that Hand cannot switch layouts from the Console; the names above are not a promise that every Hand offers them.
Reconnect after an interruption
If the desktop disconnects but its viewer is still available, open More options → Reconnect. If the sharing session has ended and the startup graphic returns, choose Start computer instead. Browser/network interruptions, an unavailable desktop service or a session that has expired can prevent reconnection.
End desktop sharing
- With an active desktop open, select More options.
- Choose End sharing.
- The desktop view closes and the Console confirms sharing has ended.
This closes the sharing session, not the applications or files stored on your Hand. Any guest links for that sharing session are revoked when supported.
Which controls might be missing?
Picture and audio controls require a supported owner viewer. Guest invitations, wallpaper options, desktop layouts, Browser, split view and integrated agent chat also depend on the desktop service, Hand and account availability. Missing optional controls do not mean the basic Computer view is broken. Computer is a graphical view; Environments provides terminal and project tools with their own availability requirements.
Troubleshooting: verify the selected Hand, try Reconnect or start the desktop again, and refresh the Console if the viewer is stuck. If sound is missing, check Mute, the Volume slider, browser site-audio permission and your output device. If fullscreen is page-filling rather than native, use Exit full screen or Escape. A Hand must be ready before desktop access is available.
Related: Computer or Environments: what’s the difference? and Open and manage terminal sessions.
Collaborate on the desktop
Where supported, learn to invite someone to the desktop and manage guest permissions or stop sharing. Viewing the shared screen and controlling its keyboard or mouse are separate permissions.