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Android App Comments

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Travis Gradert, User (Posts: 2)
Feb 18, 2015 1:11:59 pm EST
Support level: Free or trial
The following is just some feedback on the Android Software.

The app runs great on my Galaxy S5, however there are some things that make it extremely difficult or time consuming to use when compared to alternatives.

1. Lack of an Address Book.
2. The "Host" tab does not replace the "Internet Address" of the Machine, forcing the user to look at the info page of several (or many) clients before finding the correct host.
3. No mouse visibility
4. No "Account" to sync added or removed clients, each host has to be added manually. This is also an issue with the "viewer" for Windows. Import and Export can make it go more quickly, but still has to be done on each machine you need to view from.
5. The screen tends to bounce or vibrate when near the edges of the host's screen when dragging.
6. No tools like in the windows viewer, such as power control, task manager, and execute. Loading the task manager instead of trying to fight your way through a full remote session to kill a process would make management much easier.
7. Service management (similar to the already implemented task manager) would be wonderful for both android, and the windows viewer as well.

These things would bring Remote Utilities up to a level that would be more viable for admins that travel frequently instead of forcing them to carry a laptop every place they go - even if it is just for lunch.

For example, say an admin went to lunch, and during lunch the exchange information store service decided to hang - leaving the users he supports without email. It would be almost impossible to restart that service from the android software, due to the difficulty of no mouse, and lack of tools. If a service manager were implemented, that admin could have just connected to the server with Remote Utilities android, hit the services button, and find the service needed to restart, followed by selecting restart from a drop-down box next to the service rather than having to return to work mid-lunch.
Conrad Sallian, Support (Posts: 3060)
Feb 18, 2015 5:04:14 pm EST
Hi Travis,

Thank you for your feedback.

1. Yes, that's a known problem. Immediately after we release the next mobile update with the hottest fixes, we'll start implementing address book in the mobile version.

2. This is caused by the lack of address book. Essentially, when there is a full-fledged address book where each record has its own properties (like on the desktop version), this issue will be no more.

3. Please, elaborate on this issue. You mean, you do not see the remote mouse pointer? Or you do not see any mouse pointer at all.

4. Remote Utilities is not web-based and each Viewer stores its address book locally. However, there are several ways to share/sync an address book including automatic sync via our RU Server. More information is available here  

5. Do you mean the mobile client or the desktop client?  

6. We'll be adding more connection modes to the mobile client in the future.

7. Yes. See p.6.

For example, say an admin went to lunch, and during lunch the exchange information store service decided to hang - leaving the users he supports without email. It would be almost impossible to restart that service from the android software, due to the difficulty of no mouse, and lack of tools. If a service manager were implemented, that admin could have just connected to the server with Remote Utilities android, hit the services button, and find the service needed to restart, followed by selecting restart from a drop-down box next to the service rather than having to return to work mid-lunch.

This makes perfect sense. Thank you for the valuable feedback.
Travis Gradert, User (Posts: 2)
Feb 18, 2015 5:52:39 pm EST
Support level: Free or trial
Firstly, thanks for your timely response. Sorry for being unclear in my first post.

In comment 3, There is neither a remote or local mouse pointer. I can understand why there is no remote mouse pointer, most remote desktop software disable it by default. However, no local mouse pointer appears when connected to a server 2012 host when doing a remote session through the android software.

In comment 4, Of course there are ways to sync mostly any file whether it is dropbox or another service, but none that are native to the viewer WITHOUT the implementation of RU server - which takes up CPU cycles, management time, and so on - even if it is a relatively small amount.

In comment 5, I'm referring to the android version, and mis-typed windows. When I move the mouse all the way up, down, left, or right, the whole remote desktop makes a bouncing movement until I stop pressing.

It's great to hear that you'll be working on more connection modes and features in the future. The currently implemented connection modes work well so far in my testing of the windows client. It has worked great on Windows 7, 8.1, server 2012, and Hyper-V virtual machines.

Thanks for your time.
Conrad Sallian, Support (Posts: 3060)
Feb 18, 2015 8:23:40 pm EST
Hi Travis,

3. It's a bug then. The pointer must be visible. What android version and device do you have? Also - did you connect to systems other than Win 2012?

4.  I agree. But implementing a full-fledged online account would be a big task for us that would distract us from actually improving other aspects of the program itself. So we decided to make a small step forward and first implement "local" sync (via RU server that is). However, we have online account on our road map.

5. We'll check it out. Thanks!

It's great to hear that you'll be working on more connection modes and features in the future. The currently implemented connection modes work well so far in my testing of the windows client. It has worked great on Windows 7, 8.1, server 2012, and Hyper-V virtual machines.

Thanks for the kind words  
Asor Barber, User (Posts: 3)
Oct 11, 2016 9:40:22 am EDT
Support level: Free or trial
jumping into this for a similar problem, regarding the mouse pointer.
I do not see the mouse cursor, in any circumstances, when i use iphone/ipad as client and connect to a Remote Utilities server on Windows Server 2012.

Every other combination works fine: from pc desktop to Windows Server 2012 i see the cursor, same if i connect from iphone/ipad to Windows 7/10, so it's only a bug when the connection is from mobile (android like the other user or IOS in my case) to a Windows Server 2012.
Conrad, Support (Posts: 3060)
Oct 11, 2016 12:04:44 pm EDT
Hello Asor,

Thank you for your message.

Have you upgraded your mobile client to the most recent version?
Asor Barber, User (Posts: 3)
Oct 11, 2016 1:36:51 pm EDT
Support level: Free or trial
yes, freshly downloaded in my new ipad.
Same issue in the iphone as well, but only when i connect to Windows Server 2012, no problems with other hosts and different OS.
I also tried to install the last beta on this Windows Server 2012, same problem, no cursor.
Conrad, Support (Posts: 3060)
Oct 11, 2016 7:34:36 pm EDT
Hello Asor,

Sorry, there's another question - on the remote PC did you install the current stable Host (6.3.0.6) or the latest beta?
Asor Barber, User (Posts: 3)
Oct 11, 2016 10:34:46 pm EDT
Support level: Free or trial
Originally i had the stable host 6.3.0.6, then i tried the last beta to see whether it helped to solve the problem.
Anyway, for me it's not a big deal, i rarely use iphone/ipad to access this win 2012 server, just letting you know about this bug.
Any other combination client/server work fine.
Conrad, Support (Posts: 3060)
Oct 12, 2016 5:39:26 am EDT
Hello Asor,

While we cannot reproduce the bug we still note down your report in our bug tracking. We'll be updating the mobile version soon - there's going to be a significant revamp of it - so any feedback is helpful.

Thank you.

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