Can I manage my mum’s ipad?
Q
Is there any free software that will allow a son or daughter to remotely help their mum manage her ipad? John Slatem
A
Probably not in the way you want. That’s because Apple tightly controls almost every aspect of its devices, and it doesn’t currently allow remote control of ipads or iphones unless they’re connected to the same Wi-fi network and signed in with the same Apple ID. That’s very unlikely to be the case, unless everyone lives in the same house. But if so, first launch Settings, tap Accessibility followed by Control Nearby Devices – and then tap the ipad you want to control.
More realistically, something that might be helpful is to have your mum share her ipad screen during a Facetime call. To do this, she’d first need to tap the screen to reveal the Facetime controls ( 1 in our screenshot above right) then tap the Share button (it’s a rectangle with a head and shoulders icon 2 ) followed by Share My Screen 3 . A short countdown will start, and then mum’s ipad screen will be visible on the son or daughter’s remote device. The son or daughter won’t be able to control things directly, but they will be able to tell mum what to tap (or not tap!) via the ongoing Facetime call.
When you’re finished, mum should tap the screen once more to reveal the Facetime controls, and then tap the End button (see screenshot below).