We have already written a detailed guide on how to use a Windows laptop as a monitor for Raspberry Pi, and it requires a wired ethernet connection. However, if you want to remotely access Raspberry Pi from your Windows 10, Mac, or Linux PC, you can do so with Wi-Fi and VNC server. In this article, we also explain the steps to connect to your Raspberry Pi remotely from a Chromebook in detail. Even if you are a beginner, you can follow the instructions and get it running in a few minutes. So without any delay, let’s go through the tutorial.
Before establishing a remote connection, you will need to connect Raspberry Pi to your computer through the wired ethernet medium for a quick one-time setup. This is essential to connect the Raspberry Pi to your Wi-Fi home network. As a result, an IP address will be assigned to your Raspberry Pi. The IP address will allow us to remotely connect to Raspberry Pi from your Windows 10, Mac, Chrome OS or Linux PC.
Requirements
Downloads
Flash Raspbian OS on Raspberry Pi
Enable VNC and Desktop Environment
Remotely Connect to Raspberry Pi From Chromebook or Windows, Mac, and Linux PC
Troubleshoot Guide
Requirements
- You need an ethernet cable for a one-time setup.
Requirements
Downloads
You need to download Raspbian OS from here. I suggest downloading “Raspberry Pi OS with desktop and recommended software” on the web page that opens. It will have all the required packages, utilities, and dependencies.
After that, download balenaEtcher (Free) to flash Raspbian OS onto the SD card. balenaEtcher is available on Windows, macOS & Linux. Chromebook users will have to use one of these platforms to flash the SD card.
Flash Raspbian OS on Raspberry Pi
Once you have downloaded Raspbian OS, extract the ZIP file. You will then get an IMG file.
Once the flashing process is complete, you need to follow one more step to enable SSH. Create an empty text file on the desktop. To do that on Windows, right-click on your desktop and select “New -> Text Document” to create the file. Follow similar steps according to your OS.
Enable VNC and Desktop Environment
Now that you have connected the Raspberry Pi through ethernet, you need to access RPi’s console through SSH. For Windows users, open the Command Prompt and enter the below command, and hit enter. If you are using macOS, Chrome OS, or Linux, open the Terminal and run the same command. After that, type yes and hit enter.
It will ask for your Raspberry Pi password. The default password is raspberry. Type in the password and hit enter. If you have changed the password in a previous setup, enter that password. By the way, if you aren’t aware, the default username is pi.
After that, open “System Options” and go to “Boot/ Auto Login”. Next, move to the “Desktop Autologin” option. If you are using an old Raspberry Pi, navigate to Boot “Options -> Desktop/ CLI -> Desktop Autologin”.
Remotely Connect to Raspberry Pi From Chromebook or Windows, Mac, and Linux PC
You have finally enabled VNC and Desktop environment on your Raspberry Pi. Now, go ahead and download VNC Viewer (Free) on your computer. It lets you access the desktop environment of Raspberry Pi remotely on various platforms. The program is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chromebook.
Then, a prompt will appear, click on “Continue”. On the next window, enter your RPi’s credentials, username: pi and password: raspberry. Now, click on “OK”.
Under Interface options, move to “VNC” and hit enter.
Enter Raspberry Pi’s login credentials, and there you go. You can access Raspberry Pi remotely from your Windows PC, Mac, Chromebook, or Linux machine. Now onwards, you only have to fire up VNC Viewer, and you can remotely perform any task you want.
- Troubleshoot Guide – Common Raspberry Pi Issues
- If you get the “Cannot currently show the desktop” error then follow these steps to fix the issue. Open Command Prompt or Terminal and enter the below command, and hit enter.
Troubleshoot Guide – Common Raspberry Pi Issues
sudo raspi-config
- Now, press Tab to move to “Finish” and close the window.
