Feature Request: Remote Phone Screen via 3G Video Call

Here's a feature request for Nokia or the developers over at S60 (because they develop my favorite phones...): Have you ever been asked to help someone over the phone with the configuration of his or her phone or to explain a seemingly simple task such as writing and sending an SMS? If so, you probably know how difficult these seemingly simple things are to explain over the phone. Since we have 3G and video calls now how about extending the video call feature to alternatively send over what the other side sees on the screen!? Remote support would be dead simple then: You could see what the person on the other side sees on the screen and give directions what to do next. Remote keyboard support would be the cream on top but I know that this would be more difficult to do.

Comments

[Henrik Nilsson]

Hi Martin,

Interesting point you have here. That would definitely make my job a lot easier, especially when guiding end-customers how to setup e-mail accounts or to fix configuration problems in their devices.

Keep up the good work, I really enjoy to read your interesting articles and views about mobile related stuff :-)

Cheers,

Henrik

[Tommi Berg]

Hello Martin,
First of all thank you for the great blog and what comes to this remote support there might be already a solution for that.

There is software called ImageExpo that will offer remote connections to mobile phones. It is made by SysOpen Digia. The software enables displaying the phone screen on a PC or video projector in real time via Bluetooth, USB or Internet connection.

So possibly you could use that for remote support.

Regards,
Tommi

[Martin]

Hello Tommi,

Indeed the solution you have pointed to helps in a lot of cases and I will keep this in mind. Integration into a video call would have the additional advantage that you don't have to instruct the other person to do anything, i.e. go to menu, select the app, start the internet connection..., that's already too complicated. Instead you simply call the phone and it would export the screen to you after asking the user if this is o.k. (maybe reduced size depending on the resolution).

Thanks!
Martin