Google's unveils new Chrome Remote Desktop mobile app

Google launched Chrome Remote Desktop for mobile, giving only those with an Android phone or tablet -- sorry iOS users -- the ability to control their desktop computers from afar.

Joining a slew of free and costly paid apps in the Google Play store with similar capabilities, the move follows the 2011 launch of Chrome Remote Desktop -- allowing users to access their machines from another laptop easily and securely. And yes, it's all free!

By installing the app and enabling remote access on a Mac (OSX 10.6 or later), Windows machine (XP or later) or Linux, users will be able to access their computer from other computers or Android device. Google will also ask users to program a six-digit pin number for added security.

If the remote computer is on and running, people can access the remote computer from a desktop. Users just need to open a new Google Chrome tab and input the security. To access it via an Android device, simply pull up the app and plug in the pin for the remote computer.

For even the most security-conscious user can rest easily, as Google assures them that "all remote desktop sessions are fully encrypted using Chrome's SSL features." Google cannot let anyone but the user access their computer, because of the PIN and Access Code when sharing it. No session data is recorded, according to the Chrome Remote Desktop page.

According to a blog post, Google has yet to release a Remote Desktop app for iOS, but says that will be coming "later this year," without giving a definitive date.

Google also offers Google Drive, a similar service that allows a user to store 15 gigabytes of data, access them from anywhere and collaborate with others -- for free. Other services, such as Dropbox, Apple's iCloud and Microsoft's OneDrive, allow users to store their files in the cloud, and access them from any computer.