# Controlling an Android tablet or phone unattended with HopToDesk

HopToDesk works great for remoting into an Android tablet or phone, but two things surprise almost everyone the first time. First, the app you install from the Google Play Store lets you see the screen but not tap, swipe, or type. Second, even once control works, Android keeps locking or sleeping the device, and a locked Android screen shows up to you as a black screen you cannot use.

Both have clean fixes. This guide walks through the whole setup, from "I can see but not click" all the way to "I can connect to this tablet any time without anyone being there." It is written for a Samsung Galaxy tablet, but the same ideas apply to any modern Android device. Menu names move around a little between Android versions and manufacturers, so if a setting is not exactly where described, look for the nearest equivalent.

If you only read one thing: the Play Store app is view-only on purpose, and the direct-download version from our website is the one that supports full touch control on Android.

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## Part 1: Getting touch control (not just viewing)

If you can connect and see the Android screen but nothing happens when you click, this is the issue. It is not a connection problem and it is not a permission you forgot. The Google Play Store version of HopToDesk is view-only by Google's own policy. Google does not allow remote input control through apps distributed on the Play Store, so that build can show the screen but can never tap or type for you.

Full touch control on Android lives in a separate build that we distribute directly from our website as an .apk file. Here is how to switch to it.

### Step 1: Uninstall the Play Store version

On the Android device, uninstall the existing HopToDesk app first. Installing the direct download on top of the store version causes a signature conflict, so the store version has to go.

### Step 2: Download the direct version

Open the tablet's web browser and go to:

https://www.hoptodesk.com/hoptodesk.apk

The file will download.

### Step 3: Install it

Open the downloaded file. Android will warn you about installing from an unknown source, because this did not come from the Play Store. Allow installs from your browser when prompted, then continue. This warning is normal and expected for a direct download.

### Step 4: Turn on the input service

Open the newly installed HopToDesk, then go to Settings, Accessibility, Installed Services, and turn on HopToDesk Input.

That accessibility service is what lets the app deliver your taps and keystrokes. Worth remembering: Android sometimes switches this off by itself after an app or system update. So if control was working and suddenly stopped responding, this is the first place to check. Re-enable HopToDesk Input and you are back in business.

### A note on other platforms

Just so the boundaries are clear:

*   Android: viewing through the Play Store app, full control through the direct .apk above.
    
*   iPhone and iPad: view-only, always. Apple does not permit remote input on iOS, so there is no control version we or anyone else can ship.
    
*   Windows, Mac, and Linux: full control. If those see the screen but cannot click, it is usually a lost permission rather than the store-versus-direct issue. On Mac, re-enable HopToDesk under System Settings, Privacy and Security, in Accessibility, Input Monitoring, and Screen Recording. On Windows, run HopToDesk as administrator or install it as a service so it can control elevated windows. On any of them, also confirm View Only mode is off in your session toolbar.
    

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## Part 2: Keeping the device reachable when nobody is there

Once control works, the next goal is unattended access: connecting to the tablet whenever you want, with no one sitting in front of it to accept anything. The obstacle here is Android itself. For security, Android blocks remote screen capture and control while the device is locked or asleep. A device that has dozed off, or that is sitting on a PIN lock, shows up to you as a black or unusable screen.

The fix is not a single switch. It is a handful of settings that, together, keep the device awake, unlocked, and running HopToDesk in the background. Set all of these and the tablet behaves like an always-available appliance.

### 1\. Remove the screen lock (most important)

Open Settings, Lock screen, Screen lock type, and set it to None.

This is the single most important step. A PIN, pattern, or password lock appears to you as a black screen and blocks control entirely. With no lock, the device wakes straight to a usable screen. Obviously only do this on a device where removing the lock is acceptable for your situation.

### 2\. Turn on Floating window and Start on boot in HopToDesk

In the HopToDesk app, open Settings and scroll to the Enhancements section. Turn on:

*   Floating window. It will ask for permission to display over other apps; allow it. This keeps the screen awake during a remote session, and it is also required for Start on boot to work.
    
*   Start on boot. If it asks for any extra permissions, allow them. This brings HopToDesk back automatically after a restart.
    

A quick note if you have followed older instructions: some versions of the app had separate "Keep screen on" and "Ignore battery optimizations" toggles. Newer builds do not show those as their own items. The Floating window setting above covers keeping the screen awake during a session, and the two Android-level steps below cover the rest. If your app version does have those toggles, turning them on is fine too.

### 3\. Set the battery mode to Unrestricted

Open Android Settings, then Apps, then HopToDesk, then Battery, and set it to Unrestricted.

This is the reliable way to stop Android from putting the app to sleep in the background. It does the job that "ignore battery optimizations" used to do, and it makes fiddling with never-sleeping-app lists unnecessary on most devices.

### 4\. Keep the screen from sleeping with Stay awake

This one is hidden in Developer options, which you first have to unlock.

To turn on Developer options: open Settings, About tablet (or About phone), Software information, then tap Build number seven times. Enter your PIN if asked. You will see a message that Developer mode is now on.

Then open Settings, Developer options, and turn on Stay awake. With the device on its charger, the screen stays on and unlocked.

### 5\. Keep it on the charger

Leave the tablet plugged in. Stay awake only holds the screen on while charging, and a device that runs flat is a device you cannot reach. A permanent charger plus Stay awake plus no screen lock is the combination that keeps it reachable around the clock.

### Samsung-specific battery settings (optional but recommended)

Samsung devices add an extra layer of aggressive battery management that can still sleep an app even after the steps above. If you are on a Galaxy device and it still drops off, also do this:

Open Settings, Battery and device care, Battery, then Background usage limits. Add HopToDesk to Never sleeping apps, and make sure it is not listed under Sleeping apps or Deep sleeping apps. While you are there, turn off Put unused apps to sleep and turn off Adaptive battery.

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## The one thing you cannot fully automate: rebooting

There is a single limitation worth knowing up front. If the Android device is fully restarted, someone has to physically tap Allow on the screen-sharing prompt once before remote access works again. Android requires that consent after every reboot as a security measure, and there is no way around it on a normal, unrooted Android device.

The practical takeaway: avoid rebooting the device when you can. As long as it stays powered on, the settings above keep it available with nobody touching it. Plan reboots for a time when someone can be there to tap Allow, or simply leave it running.

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## Setting a connection password

For unattended access you will want a fixed password so you are not relying on someone reading you a one-time code. In the HopToDesk app on the Android device, set a permanent password, then use that password each time you connect. Choose something strong, since this device is now reachable at any time.

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## Quick checklist

Print this, run down it once per device, and you are done:

1.  Uninstall the Play Store HopToDesk; install the [.apk version](https://www.hoptodesk.com/hoptodesk.apk).
    
2.  In the app: Settings, Accessibility, Installed Services, turn on HopToDesk Input.
    
3.  Android: Settings, Lock screen, Screen lock type, None.
    
4.  In the app: Settings, Enhancements, turn on Floating window and Start on boot.
    
5.  Android: Settings, Apps, HopToDesk, Battery, Unrestricted.
    
6.  Android: enable Developer options (tap Build number seven times), then turn on Stay awake.
    
7.  Samsung only: Battery and device care, Background usage limits, add HopToDesk to Never sleeping apps; turn off Put unused apps to sleep and Adaptive battery.
    
8.  Set a fixed connection password in the app.
    
9.  Keep the device plugged into its charger and avoid rebooting it.
    

That is the whole setup. Once it is in place, the device sits there quietly and you connect to it whenever you need, no one in the room, screen always ready.

Questions or a setting that is not where this guide says: open a ticket from your dashboard or reach us at [hoptodesk.com](https://www.hoptodesk.com).