While until a couple of years back, users didn’t have many options when it came to managing their computers with their mobile devices; the evolution of Android as the most mainstream OS has meant that the average user is spoilt for choices, thanks to the developers. This hasn’t made the mainstream desktop obsolete by any means, it just helps you connect your smart devices more efficiently.

But hey, you don’t need to be so engrossed regarding this as we are listing the 7 best free apps for monitoring and managing your computer — all conveniently with your Android device. So tune-up your eyes for a lengthy read on these apps that not only bring remote monitoring right from your mobile device but let you do a whole lot more.

1. Pulseway

The Pulseway app is one of the top rated and most feature-rich solutions available on the Google Play Store. The developers describe it as ‘the Admin’s best friend’ and is built to help IT managers and system admins make their lives a whole lot easier. The Pulseway app can help you to monitor and manage up to 5 computers with a pretty long list of supported commands and monitoring.

There is support for notifications too and everything works via an encrypted communication with the server, so your systems are never in harm’s way. The app is supported on all the major desktop OS (Windows, Mac, and Linux), offering you insight on uptime status, CPU usage charts, GeoIP support for location finding, event logs, local hard disk status and so much more.

2. Splashtop 2 Remote Desktop

Easy, fast and efficient. Splashtop 2 Remote Desktop can be used to access almost everything on your PC right from your Android smartphone or tablet. It comes in handy to access all programs, files, and documents on your PC with total compatibility even for running Flash-based or java games and media files. The app may make you forget that you aren’t exactly using an emulator!

With support for up to 5 computers from a single account, Splashtop requires Windows 7/XP/Vista or Mac OS X 10.6+ to run. All of this comes enclosed in a shell of military grade 256-BIT encryption and multi-network support, so you don’t even need to be necessarily connected to a Wi-Fi network to take access of your computer back home. You also get live streaming on your computer’s webcam.

3. Remote Control Collection

A pioneer in the series of apps that offer desktop monitoring and support from mobile devices, Remote Control Collection is a one-stop solution in itself. Packed with half a dozen remote control features, you get the ability to use your phone as a wireless mouse, a wireless virtual keyboard, a Live Screen viewer, a Media Player and so much more.

For the business users, Remote Control Collection also comes with the ability to play and control slideshows, along with speech recognition built right into it. Although you’ll need to purchase the Pro version for some of the more advanced features, the trade-off is worth it. There is also Android Wear support, something that not many apps can boast about. Know that apart from the Mouse remote, keyboard remote and speech recognition, all other features are part of the paid version that costs $3.49.

4. Unified Remote

One of the most feature-rich PC remotes out there, Unified Remote gives you the unrestricted freedom of controlling your favorite apps, mouse, and keyboard – all from one place. Unified Remote comes with special elements built in like the Task Manager, File Manager and others to help you control your favourite media player like VLC or Windows Media Centre easily from the clean and intuitive interface.

One great option is the availability of both — Bluetooth and Wi-Fi or mobile network server connections, with support for more than 70 popular Windows, Mac and Linux programs right from the app itself. Unified Remote also comes with a built-in screen viewer so that you can remotely access the desktop even when you’re miles away from the computer. The app also supports automatic server detection with password protection and encryption.

Unified remote also supports media centers like Kodi, Boxee, Plex, etc. and also supports services like Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, among many other features.

5. Remote System Monitor

While there are plenty of apps that give you remote access to your computer, very few go into the hardware information of things. If you want all your system info in one app, Remote System Manager is the app made just for you. This app gives detailed info regarding the present state of the CPU/GPU, RAM, and quite a few extensive processes while the accuracy of the stats too, is impressive.

The graphical display also has a good refresh rate and it makes the system-info even more viable and bankable and can be of much utility in-case you want to check out the effect of certain games, etc. on your system resources. From common attributes like the physical disk read/write speeds, fan speed, and liquid cooling flow, to more advanced details like voltages, SSD information and network card details, you get a complete technical chart of your computer’s statistics.

6. PC Remote

Starting things off, PC Remote by Monect offers a remote desktop solution to help you connect to your Windows PC remotely from anywhere at any time. But the features don’t end there, as PC Remote helps you turn the screen of your Android device into an actual wireless remote.

You can use the screen as a virtual keyboard, an air mouse to navigate, turn into a fully-customizable gamepad and enjoy some high-flying action. You even get the projector feature to mirror the display of your Android device onto the PC screen, along with the ability to access files and folder stored on your computer remotely. It also lets you play PPT presentation right from the mobile device.

7. WiFi Remote

Albeit the app looks a bit dated considering how the newer ones sport a material design, but this gem is regularly updated to keep it smooth on the performance side. WiFi Remote is an app totally dedicated to controlling media on your PC and thus it has a no-nonsense approach to it.

As the name suggests, the app initiates a connection via WiFi and can control most common players like Media Player Classic, Winamp, and TTplayer. You can control things like the display and also have access to almost all features of your media player. Although the app does come with some intrusive ads, the fact that it is completely free makes it worthwhile. You can buy it for a mere $1.99 to shoo away the Ads.

So there goes our list of apps dedicated to PC monitoring and management. Do Give them a try, and make your daily pc usage a bit more convenient and ‘remote’. And yes, don’t forget to shoot a comment below!