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To let someone see your Windows screen while you stay in control, use Microsoft Quick Assist: you enter a six-digit code, approve screen sharing, and decline any separate request for full control. The helper can still point things out with annotation and chat while you do the clicking.

How do I let someone see my screen without controlling my PC?

For a personal Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC, Microsoft Quick Assist is the straightforward option. It separates screen sharing from full control: you approve the helper’s request to view your screen, then decide separately whether to approve a request to control the PC. Microsoft’s Quick Assist guide documents the setup.

Set up a view-only Quick Assist session

  1. Open Quick Assist on both PCs. The helper selects Help someone and shares the generated six-digit code with you. Share it only with the person you intended to contact.
  2. Enter and approve the code. On your PC, enter the code, submit it, then choose Allow when asked to share your screen.
  3. Keep control while the helper observes. The helper can view the desktop and use Quick Assist’s annotation and chat features to indicate settings or explain what to check. You perform the actions yourself.
  4. Decline full control if requested. A request to control your PC is separate from screen sharing. Decline it to continue without handing over control. If you previously allowed control, you can cancel it.
  5. End the session when finished. Leave the session after the troubleshooting conversation is over.

What you need, and what to check if Quick Assist is unavailable

Microsoft lists Quick Assist for Windows 10 and Windows 11. Its Windows 11 instructions say the helper needs a Microsoft account and an internet connection. Microsoft Learn says Quick Assist uses HTTPS over port 443: Quick Assist connection information.

Installation routes and sign-in requirements may differ by Windows version or organizational policy. Check that the app is installed and permitted on both actual devices; a work or school administrator may restrict it. If the app cannot connect, have the helper and recipient confirm their internet access and whether their organization allows Quick Assist before trying another remote-access tool.

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#1 Best Overall

How to keep a remote help session safe

  • Start the conversation with someone you know and trust; do not give a Quick Assist code to an unsolicited caller.
  • Approve screen sharing only when you recognize the helper and intended to begin the session.
  • Read each prompt. Screen viewing and full control are different permissions, and you can decline a control request.
  • Microsoft warns that tech-support scams use pressure tactics. It advises allowing a connection only when you initiated contact with Microsoft Support. A caller claiming to be support is not, by itself, a reason to share a code or approve control.

These consent steps matter because a code helps start the connection, but it does not establish that the person requesting access is legitimate.

Which remote support option fits your situation?

Option Best fit Screen access and control Setup context
Quick Assist A personal PC and a trusted helper You approve screen sharing; the helper must make a separate request for full control, which you can decline. Both people open the app; the helper generates a six-digit code. Microsoft’s Windows 11 guide says the helper needs a Microsoft account and internet access.
Microsoft Intune Remote Help web app Support for devices managed through an organization’s environment Microsoft documents a web-app workflow in which the helper gets view-only access to the sharer’s screen. Requires organizational setup and authorization. See Microsoft’s Remote Help documentation.
Windows Remote Assistance Not the clearest choice when the requirement is strictly no control Microsoft describes it as allowing a trusted helper to take over the PC; permissions and prompts depend on configuration. See Microsoft’s Windows Remote Assistance overview.

Intune Remote Help’s view-only description applies specifically to its web-app workflow; the wider Remote Help product has other session capabilities. It is not simply a consumer substitute for Quick Assist: organizational management and authorization are part of its context.

Quick Recap

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