Hello Zoho Assist Community!

Have you ever been in the middle of a remote support session, trying to pass a key combination onto the remote machine, only to find it's reflecting on the technician's computer. The Short Keys feature in Zoho Assist is here to make that a thing of the past!

During a remote session, technicians often need to use specific key combinations to perform critical actions. However, these combinations don’t always transmit directly to the remote device, making it difficult to execute important commands and slowing down the support process.

Imagine, a technician is remotely accessing a client's Mac from their own Mac to troubleshoot an application. They need to execute a Command + Control + Space combination to bring up the Character Viewer on the remote machine. However, the remote machine isn't registering the keystroke as expected.

The technician simply navigates to Session and select Short Keys in the Technician Console, enables the Control key from the toolbar, and presses the remaining keys (Command + Space) from their own keypad. The full key combination is executed seamlessly on the remote machine.

How to Access Short Keys During a Session

Click on Session in the left sidebar of the Technician Console and select Short Keys from the dropdown menu. From here, you can enable the required key and pass it onto the remote machine seamlessly, without any interruptions to your active session. Zoho Assist's Short Keys are tailored to work seamlessly across platforms, so no matter what operating system your remote machine is running, you're covered!

• Windows: Ctrl, Alt, and Windows key combinations

• MacOS: Cmd and Ctrl combinations

• Linux: Alt and Ctrl combinations
  

Once the Short Key feature is enabled, the remaining inputs can be completed using the technician’s own keyboard, ensuring the full command is executed seamlessly on the remote machine.

Why Is This Feature Useful?

Short Keys may seem like a small feature, but they can make a big difference in how efficiently a technician operates. Here's why they matter:

• Faster Actions: Execute commands in seconds without navigating through menus

• Uninterrupted Focus: Stay focused on the remote screen without switching between tools

• Improved Productivity: Handle more sessions efficiently by cutting down on unnecessary clicks

• Reduced Response Time: Respond to customer issues faster with instant command execution

• Smoother Experience: Deliver a seamless and professional support experience for both technician and customer

In simple terms, Short Keys bridge the gap between the technician’s system and the remote device, enabling smoother, faster, and more efficient remote support sessions.

If you've used Short Keys during your remote sessions, whether to speed up your workflow, reduce clicks, or simply work smarter, we'd love to hear about it!  And if you ever need help or have questions about the feature, feel free to reach out to us at support@zohoassist.com — we're always here to help!