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How to remotely access and control someone else's iPhone (with their permission)
Sometimes, a family member or friend will contact me asking for technical help with their iPhone. Often, I can solve the problem or address the question by talking them through the necessary steps. Other times, though, I'm hard-pressed to fix the issue without actually seeing or working with the phone.
A new screen sharing and remote control capability available through FaceTime can surmount that challenge. You can draw on the phone to show the other person where to go and what to do. If that doesn't work, you're able to assume full control of the other phone to navigate the screen, launch apps, and access settings just as if it were in your own hands
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This also works with an iPad, but with some limitations. You can use an iPad to connect to and fully control an iPhone. You can also use an iPhone to connect to an iPad, but you can't remotely control it. And you can use an iPad to connect to another iPad, but you can't draw on the screen or remotely control it.
Anyway, here's how this works between two iPhones.
How to take control of someone else's iPhone
What you need: With your iPhone and the other iPhone both running iOS 18, you can start a FaceTime call and then remotely access the other phone.
1. Update the phones
First, make sure both your iPhone and the other person's iPhone are running iOS 18 or higher. Go Settings, select General, and then tap Software Update. Allow the latest update to download and install.
2. Place the FaceTime call
Next, you'll need to start a FaceTime call. You can call the other person, or they can call you. When the FaceTime call comes through, the recipient should answer it and then tap Join to join the call.
3. Share the screen
The person receiving your help then needs to share their screen. You can do this in one of two ways. The other person can tap the Share icon at the top of the screen and then select Share My Screen. Otherwise, you tap the Share icon and then select Ask to Share.
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In response, another thumbnail screen opens up on your iPhone, displaying the screen of the other person's phone. Tap that thumbnail to see their phone in a larger window. From there, you can instruct the person on how and where to access the screen, app, feature, or setting for which they need help.
4. Draw on the screen
If you want to help the other person without taking control of their phone, you can tap and draw on the screen to point them in the right direction. Tap an icon, setting, or other item on the screen, and a small circle appears for a second. You might do this to show the other person what they need to select.
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Additionally, you can draw or even write on the screen to more clearly show them what to do. After you stop drawing on the screen, the words or lines you drew disappear after a couple of seconds.
5. Zoom in and out
By default, FaceTime displays the screen of the other phone in a zoomed-out mode with a border around it. To zoom in on the screen, tap the magnifier icon in the lower left. The only limitation here is that you can't tap or draw when in zoomed-in mode. Tap the magnifier icon again to zoom back out.
6. Ask to control the other phone
If the person has trouble taking the necessary actions to try to fix the problem, you may want to assume control of the phone yourself. For this, tap the icon of a finger selecting a dot in the lower right corner. The other person receives a request for remote control, which they should select Allow. The first time you do this, a notification appears on their screen asking if they know you. To allow the remote control, they should tap Continue.
7. Use the other phone
You can now navigate and use the other person's phone by tapping, swiping, and navigating. You're able to zoom in on a particular screen by tapping the magnifier icon, but then you lose control of the phone. To zoom out and regain control, tap the magnifier icon again.
8. End the screen sharing or FaceTime call
After you've hopefully fixed the issue, tap the remote control icon at the bottom to return control of the phone to the other person. To stop the screen sharing, the other person should tap the Share icon at the top of the screen.
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If you simply want to end the FaceTime call, tap the thumbnail for your own screen. Tap it again to see the set of controls at the top, and then tap End to end the call.