Use the viewer

The viewer is the browser tab where you see and control the remote computer. It opens from View in Sessions or Access.

The toolbar

From left to right, the toolbar shows the tools you are allowed to use in this session. A button you do not see is either not available on this computer or not in your role.

Tool	What it does
Session code and state	The Support code (or session name) and the connection state. View only appears when you can watch but not control; its tooltip says Not included in your plan: remote control. You can watch this session. when your plan does not include remote control.
Monitor buttons and Pop out	Switch monitors, or open another monitor in its own window. Shown with more than one monitor.
Backstage / Exit Backstage	In a Backstage session, switch between the hidden desktop and the live screen. See Work in Backstage.
Run as admin	Relaunch Blink as administrator on a customer’s Windows computer. Reads Admin once it runs as administrator. See Run as administrator.
Install Access	Install the unattended agent from a support session. See Run a support session.
Power	Reboot an Access device, or reboot into Safe Mode. See Reboot and Safe Mode.
Terminal	Open a command window, recorded when your plan includes terminal history. See Open a remote terminal.
Quality	auto, low, standard or high.
Audio	Hear the computer’s sound, or mute it.
Send file	Send files to the computer. See Transfer files.
Type text	Type text as keystrokes. See Control the computer.
Chat	Open the chat panel on the right. A number on the button counts unread messages. See Chat with the customer.
Blink View	See through the customer’s phone camera. Shown when your license includes Blink View and your role allows it. A dot means a phone is waiting for your answer. See Blink View.
Ctrl+Alt+Del	Send Ctrl+Alt+Del. Access sessions only, not in Backstage.
Clipboard indicator	Shows when the clipboard is shared and flashes short status messages.
Fullscreen	Fill your screen with the viewer.
Log	Open the session log in a new tab.
Reconnect	Reload the viewer.
End	End the session for everyone.

At the bottom, a status strip shows the screen resolution, the agent version, the picture rate and connection statistics, and on the right whether the keyboard is captured.

Multiple monitors

When the remote computer has more than one monitor, the toolbar shows one numbered button per monitor and the label monitor 1 of 2 (and so on).

• Select a number to show that monitor in this window.
• Select Pop out and choose a monitor to open it in its own window, sized to that monitor. Drag the window to another screen to watch two monitors side by side.

Each window is its own view, and each monitor you view is recorded when your plan includes session recording.

Quality

Every session starts on auto, which adapts to the connection. Choose low, standard or high to override it. Your choice lasts until you close or reload the viewer.

Audio

The computer’s sound plays in the viewer. Browsers block sound until you interact with the page, so audio starts with your first click or key press. Select the audio button to mute or unmute; this browser remembers your choice for the next session.

On a Mac, the customer must allow Screen & System Audio Recording before you can hear anything. Until then the button reads Audio not allowed.

If your plan does not include Remote audio, the button is greyed out and reads No audio, with the tooltip Not included in your plan: remote audio.

Connection problems

The viewer handles dropped connections on its own and tells you what is happening:

• Reconnecting… with Lost connection to the server: your browser lost the connection. The viewer retries and shows the countdown.
• A notice that the connection to the customer’s computer was lost: Blink waits up to 2 minutes for the computer to come back. If it does not, the session ends with The customer’s computer did not come back within 2 minutes.
• This page is out of date: Blink was updated. Select Reload.
• No access to this session or Access revoked: your role no longer allows this session. Ask an administrator.
• Session ended: the session is over. You can close the window.

Reconnect in the toolbar reloads the viewer at any time without ending the session. If problems persist, see Troubleshooting.

Several technicians

More than one technician can be in a session at once, each in their own viewer. The customer’s banner (or the Mac menu bar item) names everyone viewing. Each technician’s tools follow their own role, and End ends the session for all of them. When a customer shares their phone camera with Blink View, everyone in the session sees the camera tile.