ConnectWise ScreenConnect: remote access and remote support for MSPs and IT help desks

ScreenConnect's core remote control capability supports full desktop session takeover on Windows, macOS, and Linux endpoints with low-latency screen rendering optimized for technician workflows rather than consumer screen sharing. - The unattended access mode deploys a persistent agent to managed endpoints that establishes a connection channel without requiring the end user to initiate the session — technicians connect directly from the ScreenConnect console to any machine with an installed agent, regardless of whether the end user is logged in or at the machine. - Agent deployment can be scripted via command-line installer for bulk rollout across a managed fleet, and the agents are lightweight enough to run on servers and older workstations without meaningful resource overhead. - The remote control session includes keyboard and mouse pass-through, clipboard synchronization between technician and remote machine, and configurable display quality settings that allow the technician to trade visual fidelity for lower latency on high-latency connections.

ScreenConnect's attended remote support session flow — where a technician connects to a device while the end user is present — is designed for help desk and break-fix scenarios. The technician generates a session link or code that the end user opens in a browser, which downloads a lightweight session client and establishes the connection. - No persistent agent installation is required for attended support sessions, which makes it usable for one-time support of unmanaged devices — vendor equipment, client devices where agent deployment is not authorized, or personal devices that employees are using for work. - During the session, the technician can annotate the screen, use a whiteboard mode for instruction, transfer files to or from the remote machine, and open a chat panel for text communication alongside the visual session.

File transfer within ScreenConnect sessions is bidirectional — technicians can push files to the remote machine or pull files from it during an active session without switching to a separate file transfer tool. The file transfer panel within the session interface provides a dual-pane view showing the local and remote file systems, with drag-and-drop support for moving files in either direction. - Remote diagnostics within the session include a system information panel that surfaces hardware details, running processes, Windows event logs, installed applications, and network adapter status without the technician needing to navigate to those locations manually on the remote desktop. - The diagnostics panel is accessible as an overlay within the session, which means the technician can view system state information while also viewing and controlling the remote desktop — useful for triaging performance issues where the technician needs to correlate what the user sees with what the system data shows.

ScreenConnect records remote sessions and maintains a searchable audit log of all session activity. Session recordings capture the full screen video of what occurred during the remote session, indexed by session ID, technician identity, remote machine, client organization, and timestamp. - Recordings are stored in ScreenConnect's cloud storage for cloud deployments, or on the on-premises server's storage for self-hosted configurations — which means on-prem customers control where recordings are retained and how long they are kept. - The recording and audit log capability supports compliance use cases where demonstrating what occurred during a remote session is required — HIPAA audit inquiries, SOC 2 control evidence, client dispute resolution, or internal quality assurance review of technician work.

ScreenConnect's multi-tenant architecture allows MSPs to organize managed endpoints into client-specific access groups with permission rules that govern which technicians can access which machines. A technician scoped to Client A's access group cannot initiate sessions against Client B's machines — access segregation is enforced at the platform level rather than relying on technician discipline. - Permission levels within each client group can be granular: view-only session access, full remote control, file transfer permission, and command-line access can each be granted or revoked independently. - This granularity supports MSP compliance requirements where client data residency or access controls are contractual obligations, and where demonstrating that access to Client B was physically impossible for technicians not authorized to that client is part of an audit response. - The multi-tenant structure also allows MSPs to provide clients with a view-only access credential to the client's own machines — giving clients visibility into active sessions on their devices without granting them the ability to initiate sessions on other clients' machines.

ConnectWise ScreenConnect provides iOS and Android applications that allow technicians to initiate and join remote support sessions from mobile devices. The mobile apps support both attended support session flows — where the technician connects to an end user's device — and unattended access sessions to managed endpoints with agents installed. - Multi-monitor navigation on the remote machine is accessible from mobile but is less ergonomic than from the desktop console — navigating between multiple remote screens on a phone screen requires repeated zoom and pan rather than the side-by-side monitor switching available in the desktop interface. - The mobile app is most useful for after-hours alert response where a technician needs to quickly connect to a server or endpoint without access to a laptop, rather than for extended support sessions requiring fine-grained mouse control or multi-application workflows.

ScreenConnect's native integration with ConnectWise Manage (PSA) and ConnectWise RMM provides bidirectional session context that distinguishes it from standalone remote access tools in ConnectWise environments. In ConnectWise Manage, technicians can launch remote sessions directly from a ticket — ScreenConnect opens with the client organization and device pre-selected based on the ticket context. - In ConnectWise RMM, device records include direct unattended session launch links, so connecting to a specific machine requires one click from the RMM console rather than navigating to the correct machine in a separate application.