Hello Zoho Assist Community!

Imagine a scenario where you are providing remote support to a customer at a busy front desk. The issue involves their billing software, and fixing it means navigating through sensitive customer records, payment details, and confidential account data. The catch? Their monitor faces an open lobby, and several people walk past it every minute. You can access the machine, but every move you make is visible to anyone nearby.

That is exactly the kind of situation the Blacken Screen feature in Zoho Assist was built for. With a single click from the Technician Console, you can black out the display on the customer's end while keeping full control of the session on your side. The screen goes dark for anyone near the remote machine, but your view and access remain completely uninterrupted.

This feature is especially useful for IT teams, managed service providers (MSPs), and helpdesk technicians supporting users in environments where privacy is critical, from healthcare and finance to shared office spaces and public-facing workstations.

What is the Blacken Screen feature?

The Blacken Screen option in Zoho Assist allows technicians to blacken the display on the customer's remote machine during an active support session. It is accessible directly from the Technician Console (as shown in the screenshot). When enabled, the customer's monitor goes completely dark, preventing anyone in the physical environment from viewing the session activity. The technician, however, continues to see and interact with the remote desktop as normal.

Once the sensitive task is complete, you can disable Blacken Screen just as easily, restoring the display on the customer's end.

How to enable Blacken Screen during a session

Start a remote support session and navigate to the Technician Console. Click on Sessions in the left sidebar and select Blacken Screen from the dropdown menu. The customer's display will go dark immediately, giving you a private workspace for the remainder of your task.

Note: The remote device user can revoke this feature at any time by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del on their keyboard.

Why is this feature useful?

Blacken Screen adds a critical layer of visual privacy to remote sessions, ensuring that sensitive work stays between the technician and the system, not anyone who happens to walk by. Here is why it matters:

• Visual privacy on demand: Prevent bystanders, colleagues, or customers in shared spaces from viewing confidential data during a session.

• Compliance-friendly support: Handle regulated data such as medical records, financial information, or personal credentials without exposing it on screen.

• Confidence for both sides: Customers feel reassured knowing their data is protected, even when their device is being accessed remotely.

• Seamless control: Blacken the screen with one click and restore it just as quickly once the sensitive task is done.
  

• ​Versatile across industries: Equally valuable in healthcare, banking, education, retail, and any environment where screens are visible to multiple people.
  

If you have used the Blacken Screen feature during a remote session, whether to protect sensitive data, maintain compliance, or simply add a layer of professionalism to your support workflow, we would love to hear how it fits into your process!

Drop your experience, tips, or questions in the comments below. And if you ever need help or have questions about the feature, feel free to reach out to us at support@zohoassist.com. We are always here to help!