Work across devices
Start a request on your phone and let Zinley use a computer you have allowed. The local work runs on the selected computer; the result returns to the conversation that started it.
Prepare the destination
Install the desktop app on the target computer, sign in to the same account, and leave it running with a network connection. Open Settings → Devices, give the computer a clear name, and turn on its access switch. See Connect a computer or phone.
The computer's operating-system permissions still apply. Remote access does not bypass a lock screen, a permission dialog, a missing application, or a website sign-in.
Pick a computer before sending
- In Settings → Devices, open the computer's menu on desktop or tap its row on mobile.
- Choose Work here to open Chat with that computer selected.
- Check the device name beside the message box. On mobile, the control is announced as Work on followed by the name.
- Send the request. Keep the target name in the instruction if the location matters.
- Change the device selection again when later messages should use a different place.
An explicit device selection can continue to apply to following messages. Check it before sending a request involving private files. An @ computer mention identifies a computer in your instruction; it does not itself prove a live session has connected.
Write a useful request
Name the computer, the file or app, the desired result, and the boundary. For example:
“On Work MacBook, find the latest invoice PDF in Downloads, tell me its total and due date, and return that file here. Do not edit it or email it to anyone.”
For a command or development task:
“On Studio PC, run the project's existing unit tests. Return the command and failing output. Do not install dependencies, change files, or deploy.”
From a connected owner channel, include the same computer name and boundary. Verification and owner authorization still apply; another person's message does not grant access to your machines.
Understand the request lifecycle
| Stage | What it means | What to inspect |
|---|---|---|
| Computer selected | The request names a target | Check the name beside the message box. |
| Connecting | Zinley is trying to reach the app | Wait for the connection result; wake the computer if needed. |
| Working | The task is using allowed tools | Read progress and respond to any approval or permission request. |
| Finished | A result has been returned | Inspect the file, output, screenshot, or receipt. |
| Failed or interrupted | Some work may not have completed | Read the last confirmed step before retrying. |
Neither a device being Online nor a message being sent proves that the requested action succeeded. If a file upload fails after a file is read, ask to retry the upload of that specific file rather than repeating unrelated changes.
View the computer's screen
Open the computer's menu or mobile row and choose View screen when available. Allow the required screen permission on the target computer. Use the viewer's controls to stop the session when finished.
Viewing and controlling a screen are separate capabilities. A connected device is not continuously sharing its screen. Never assume that selecting a computer has started sharing or granted control; check the visible session and permission state.
Return files safely
Ask for the exact file or a small set of files, and say whether Zinley may read, modify, or upload them. A result may appear as a file link rather than a native attachment in some channels.
Inspect the returned filename and contents before forwarding. Do not send another person a link until you have checked what it exposes. Use a read-only request when the task is only to inspect information.
If work cannot start
- Confirm the selected machine is a computer with the desktop app installed.
- Confirm both apps use the same account and that the target computer has network access.
- Wake the computer and open Zinley; do not rely on the app being able to wake powered-off hardware.
- Turn on its access switch in Settings → Devices.
- Check operating-system prompts and the website or app sign-in on the target computer.
- Check the plan or availability message shown by the app.
- Retry the narrow failed step and inspect the new result.
Your phone supports its own tools, but it does not become a terminal or desktop browser automation machine. For computer work that should not depend on your personal hardware, see Zinley's Computer.