It’s the Sunday-evening phone call: “something popped up, and now the internet is gone.” You can’t see it. They can’t describe it. Twenty minutes of “no, the other button” later, everyone’s patience is thinner than it should be with family.
The fix isn’t a better description. It’s looking at the same screen while you stay on the phone. The arrangement should be easy for them to understand: they open a link from you in their browser, install nothing, and keep control of their computer. Linkside lets you watch, but it cannot move their mouse or type for them.
First, decide who’s sharing
In Linkside, the person who creates the room is the only person who can share a screen. Decide which direction you need before sending a link.
- You want to demonstrate something on your machine? You create the room, they click your link and watch. That direction is covered end-to-end in screen sharing with someone who isn’t technical.
- You need to see their computer? Then they create the room. You’ll talk them through two Linkside buttons and the browser’s separate sharing prompt. The rest of this post covers that direction.
| You demonstrate | You see their screen | |
|---|---|---|
| Who creates the room | You | Your parent |
| Who clicks Start sharing | You | Your parent |
| What you send them | Your invite link | The create link |
For the general-purpose version of this direction, see remote tech support without installing anything.
Before you start, make sure they’re at the computer with the problem, not reading your message on a phone or tablet. A supported mobile browser can watch a Linkside share, but hosting and sharing require a desktop browser. Chrome or Edge on desktop gives the recommended host experience.
The phone script: getting their screen onto yours
Say these lines, one at a time. Wait for each “okay."
"I’m texting you a link — open it on the computer, not the phone.”
Send the Linkside create link. A message app may open it in a small built-in browser. If Linkside says that browser isn’t supported, use this recovery line: “Copy the link, open Chrome or Edge on the computer, and paste it there."
"Click the big Create room button.”
There are optional waiting-room and password controls, but nothing is required. They don’t need an account, email address, or new password. If they mention the options, say: “Leave those as they are and click Create room."
"Now click Start sharing.”
It’s the main button in the room they just landed in.
”Your browser will ask what to share — pick the whole screen, then confirm.”
In Chrome, the whole-screen option is labelled Entire Screen. Use it when you may need to follow them between apps. If the problem is confined to one window or browser tab, they can share only that instead.
This dialog belongs to the browser, not Linkside. Browsers must ask on every screen-capture attempt, and the person at the computer chooses what to show. A website cannot silently reuse an earlier approval. If they select Cancel, no share begins; ask them to click Start sharing and try again.
”Read me the code.”
Now you need to join their room. There are two ways to get the invitation back to you:
- If they’re comfortable sending a message, say: “Click Invite link near the top. That copies the address. Paste it into a message to me.”
- If reading it aloud is easier, say: “Click Invite link. The full address appears beside it. Read me the ten letters and numbers after the last slash.”
Type those ten characters at linkside.io/app/join. The page checks the code and shows Room found before you join, so you can correct anything you misheard. Linkside has already supplied a random nickname; they can keep it or you can type your own. Click Join room.
You’re now looking at their screen, still on the phone.
How to actually guide them
Set one expectation first: you can see the screen they chose, but Linkside gives you no way to move their mouse, click, or type. They remain in control and can stop sharing or close the tab at any time. Because your parent is the host in this direction, Linkside’s host-only pointer and drawing tools are on their side, not yours. Guide them by voice rather than promising that you can mark their screen.
Give one instruction at a time. Name a location and a visible landmark: “top-right, the small gear.” Ask “what do you see now?” before moving on. If their screen differs from yours, describe what you can actually see instead of guessing where the next control should be.
Stay on the regular phone call for audio if it’s working. That avoids another permission prompt. Both people have an optional Mic button in the room if you prefer in-app voice; the first use asks for microphone access.
When something goes wrong
- The page says the browser isn’t supported: Copy the link and open it in desktop Chrome or Edge. Linkside detects common in-app browsers and warns because their WebRTC support is unreliable.
- “This room link has expired”: Rooms time out after about 15 minutes of inactivity. Create a fresh room and repeat the same steps.
- They cancelled the sharing dialog: Click Start sharing again. The cancelled attempt did not start a share.
- They’re on a phone or tablet: Move to the computer. A supported mobile browser can watch a Linkside share, but it can’t host one.
- Linkside says a relay trial is active: Linkside tries a direct, encrypted browser-to-browser connection first. If the networks block that path, a free room gets a five-minute trial of the encrypted relay; a licence unlocks unlimited relay use.
Why the browser-only boundary matters
Nothing is installed, so there’s no remote-support program left behind for someone else to ask them to open later. There’s no Linkside account or password to remember. When the session ends, the temporary room disappears. Linkside makes no recordings and keeps no chat logs.
That boundary is useful during the call too. The media is encrypted in transit, and Linkside does not transcribe the audio or analyse the screen. Its signaling service still observes that a room exists, roughly when a guest joins, and how long the session lasts; a relay, when needed, handles encrypted packets and IP-level routing. Neither sees the media content.
Do one dry run when nothing is broken. Text the create link, follow the script once, and let both of you learn the short route before the next Sunday-evening call.