Access Your Windows PC From Your Phone with Tailscale

Access Your Windows PC From Your Phone

Use Tailscale together with Windows Remote Desktop and Microsoft Windows App to remotely access your Windows desktop from an iPhone or Android phone through a private Tailscale network.

What You Need

• A Windows PC that supports hosting Remote Desktop, typically Windows Pro, Enterprise, or Education.
• Tailscale installed on both your PC and phone.
• Microsoft Windows App on your phone.
• The same Tailscale account signed in on both devices.

Part 1 — Set Up Your Windows PC

1. Install Tailscale

Download Tailscale for Windows, install it, and sign in. Keep Tailscale running. Then click the Tailscale icon in the Windows system tray and find your PC's Tailscale IP address. It normally starts with 100.x.x.x.

2. Enable Remote Desktop

Go to Settings → System → Remote Desktop and turn on Remote Desktop. Make sure your Windows PC is allowed to accept Remote Desktop connections.

Part 2 — Set Up Your Phone

1. Install Tailscale

• iPhone: Download Tailscale from the App Store.
• Android: Download Tailscale from Google Play.
• Sign in with the same Tailscale account you used on your Windows PC.

2. Install Microsoft Windows App

• iPhone: Download Windows App from the App Store.
• Android: Download Windows App from Google Play.

Part 3 — Connect to Your PC

Open Microsoft Windows App on your phone → Add PC → Enter your PC's Tailscale IP address → Enter your Windows username and password → Connect.

Finding Your Windows Username

Use the Windows account username you normally use to sign in to the PC. This is not your Tailscale username.

Important

• Tailscale should be running on both the PC and phone.
• Your Windows PC must be turned on and awake when you want to connect.
• Both devices must be signed into the same Tailscale network.
• Never share your Windows password with anyone.
• Do not post your Tailscale IP publicly.

Done

Keep this guide saved so you can refer back to it whenever you set up another device.