What's the first thing you do when you get to your desk? Probably turn on your computer. Whether you tap your keyboard, move your mouse, or press the power button, you have to be at your computer before you can start it. Wouldn't it be nice if your computer was ready to go?

Let us show you how to use your Android device to turn on your computer remotely. Tomorrow, you can get to your desk with Windows already booted.

Before You Start

For this setup to work, your computer must support Wake-on-LAN (WoL). WoL is a feature of the motherboard. The easiest way to find out whether your computer supports WoL is to boot into the BIOS and check the power management settings. Press the correct key at boot (try ESC, DEL, F2, or F8), and your computer should enter the BIOS.

Once you're inside the BIOS, look for the Wake On LAN setting and enable it. You're likely to find this along with other settings related to power management or networking. BIOS options vary from computer to computer, so you might have to do some digging of your own.

android wake on lan

If you cannot find an option for Wake on LAN, the following setup likely won't work. However, you can still set Windows up to launch selected programs at boot.

The Quick & Easy Setup

If your PC does support WoL, your first step is to install the Wake On Lan Android app.

Download: Wake On Lan (Free)

Next, we need to connect your Android device to your Windows computer using the app.

When you first open the app, it will look pretty bleak. Tap the + icon in the bottom right and follow the on-screen instructions to add your first device.

wake on lan app

Once you follow the app's instructions, it will search for devices connected to your local network. If many computers, phones, and tablets use your internet connection, the list can be confusing. The easiest way to identify your target computer is through its MAC address.

To find your computer's MAC address, head over to your computer, press Windows key + R, enter CMD, and hit Enter. Then type ipconfig/all into the command prompt and press Enter. This command will reveal your computer's Physical Address, a string of six two-digit numbers, also known as the MAC address.

mac address

Now return to the app and select the entry with the matching MAC address. Choose a nickname for the device and choose the appropriate Wi-Fi network.

wake on lan

Once you've added your computer to the app, it's time to see if it works. Place your computer in Sleep or Hibernate mode (Start > Power > Sleep / Hibernate), and press the Wake button on the Wake On Lan app.

This should turn on your PC remotely. If it works, great! If not, you have two more settings to check.

More Detailed WoL Settings

So, you've enabled WoL in the BIOS and set up the app as described above, and it still didn't wake your computer? Try the following settings.

Enable WoL for Your Network Adapter

You probably haven't set up your network adapter to accept a Wake-On-LAN packet.

In Windows 10, right-click the Start button and select Device Manager. You can also do a Windows Search for "Device Manager". Navigate to Network Adapters, right-click the one you use to connect with the internet, and select Properties.

network properties

On the Power Management tab, you'll find three checkboxes, including Allow this device to wake the computer and Only allow a magic packet to wake the computer. If they're not already checked, do so. This should clear up any trouble that's causing the Android app to malfunction.

Disable Fast Startup

WoL only works when you're trying to wake the computer from Sleep or Hibernation. WoL doesn't work with the default hybrid shutdown in Windows. The simple solution is to turn off fast startup.

Open the Control Panel, search for Power Options, and select Change what the power buttons do. At the top, click Change settings that are currently unavailable, then scroll down and uncheck Turn on fast startup (recommended). Finally, click Save changes.

fast startup

Now put your computer to Sleep (Start > Power > Sleep) and try this again. Is it finally working?

Wake Windows

Once you have set up the Wake On Lan app, you can start your computer with the tap of a button.

Unfortunately, this app won't let you wake your computer automatically; for example, waking your computer based on a schedule or as your phone makes a connection with your Wi-Fi network. However, Wake on Lan has an online service you could use with IFTTT if you want that more advanced setup.

Waking your PC is just one of many ways to get Android and Windows working together. Among the many other options, you can also install and run Android apps on a Windows 11 computer.