Remote desktop lag is the difference between "this feels like my actual computer" and "this is unbearable." If you're reading this, you're probably dealing with sluggish cursor movement, delayed keystrokes, or video that looks like it was compressed in 2005.
Good news: most lag is fixable. We build Remio — a native remote desktop app — so we've spent an embarrassing amount of time measuring latency down to the millisecond. Here are the 7 things that actually move the needle.
Understanding Where Lag Comes From
Before jumping into fixes, it helps to know the three types of delay in a remote desktop session:
- Network latency — The time it takes data to travel between your devices. This is the big one.
- Encoding/decoding delay — How long it takes to compress the screen on the host and decompress it on the client.
- Rendering delay — How long the client app takes to actually put pixels on your screen.
Most tips online only address network latency. But encoding and rendering are often just as impactful — especially if your app doesn't use hardware acceleration. Let's fix all three.
Use a Wired Ethernet Connection
This is the single biggest improvement you can make. WiFi adds 5–30ms of latency on a good day, and packet loss on WiFi can cause visible stuttering that no amount of software optimization can fix.
On the host side, this is non-negotiable. Your host machine (the one being accessed remotely) should always be on Ethernet if possible. On the client side, it matters less — but if you're chasing every millisecond (gaming, music production), plug in there too.
A simple USB-C to Ethernet adapter costs $15 and can cut your round-trip latency by 10–25ms. That's more than most software optimizations can achieve.
Switch to 5GHz WiFi (or WiFi 6/6E)
If you can't use Ethernet, at least make sure you're on the 5GHz band — not 2.4GHz. The 2.4GHz band is shared with microwaves, Bluetooth devices, baby monitors, and your neighbor's IoT gadgets. It's a congested mess.
5GHz offers lower latency, higher throughput, and less interference. The trade-off is shorter range — but for remote desktop, you're usually in the same room as your router anyway.
If your router supports WiFi 6 (802.11ax), enable it. WiFi 6 specifically improves performance in congested environments with features like OFDMA and target wake time.
Lower the Streaming Resolution
Streaming your 4K display at full resolution requires roughly 4x the data of 1080p. If your network can't keep up, the encoder either drops quality dramatically or frames start queuing up — both cause visible lag.
Try dropping to 1080p or even 1440p. On a 13" iPad or laptop screen, you won't notice the difference — but your latency will improve noticeably. Most remote desktop apps let you change this in settings.
Pro tip: If your app supports it, lower the host's actual display resolution rather than just downscaling the stream. This reduces the encoding workload on the host GPU significantly.
Close Background Apps (On Both Sides)
This sounds obvious, but people underestimate how much background apps affect remote desktop. On the host, every app consuming CPU/GPU resources takes away from the encoder. On the client, apps fighting for network bandwidth create congestion.
The worst offenders:
- Cloud sync apps (Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud) — These constantly upload files in the background
- Software updates — Windows Update, macOS updates downloading in the background
- Streaming apps — Spotify, YouTube in another tab, anything using bandwidth
- Backup software — Time Machine, Backblaze running during your session
Pause cloud sync and backups before starting a remote session. You can resume them when you're done.
Use Hardware Encoding (H.264/H.265/AV1)
This is the difference between a good remote desktop experience and a great one. Hardware encoding uses your GPU's dedicated video encoder instead of the CPU. It's faster, uses less power, and produces better quality at the same bitrate.
Software encoding (CPU-based) adds 10–30ms of latency. Hardware encoding typically adds 2–5ms. That's a massive difference you can feel immediately.
Check if your remote desktop app supports hardware encoding and make sure it's enabled:
- NVIDIA → NVENC (excellent, widely supported)
- AMD → AMF/VCE
- Intel → Quick Sync Video
- Apple Silicon → VideoToolbox (what Remio uses)
If your current app only supports software encoding, this alone is a reason to switch.
Prefer Direct (P2P) Connections Over Relay Servers
When two devices connect through a relay server, every packet takes a detour: your device → relay server → remote device. This can easily add 30–100ms of latency, depending on where the relay server is located.
A peer-to-peer (P2P) connection sends data directly between your devices. No detour, no extra latency. On a local network, P2P means sub-5ms latency.
Not all remote desktop apps support P2P. Many (especially browser-based ones) route everything through their cloud servers. Check your app's connection info — if it says "relay" or "TURN server," that's adding latency.
Remio uses P2P by default — we establish a direct connection via WebRTC, and only fall back to relay servers when your network configuration prevents direct connections (strict corporate firewalls, symmetric NAT). About 85% of connections are fully P2P.
Choose a Native App (Not a Browser-Based One)
Browser-based remote desktop tools (Chrome Remote Desktop, web clients of TeamViewer/AnyDesk) add an entire layer of overhead. The browser has to decode the video, then composite it into the browser's rendering pipeline, then display it. That's extra frames of delay.
A native app can decode video directly to the screen using the GPU — skipping the browser entirely. On Apple devices, this means using Metal for rendering; on Android, Vulkan. The difference is 1–3 frames of additional latency, which at 60fps means 16–48ms.
This is exactly why we built Remio as a 100% native app — SwiftUI on Apple platforms, Jetpack Compose on Android. No Electron, no web views, no cross-platform frameworks. The video frame goes from hardware decoder → GPU → screen with zero intermediate steps.
Why Remio Is Faster by Design
We didn't build Remio and then try to make it fast. We designed every layer for low latency from day one:
- Hardware encoding via VideoToolbox/NVENC — 2–5ms encode time, not 20–30ms
- P2P connections by default — Direct path between your devices, no relay detour
- Native rendering via Metal/Vulkan — Decoded frames go straight to the screen
- No browser layer — Zero overhead from web rendering engines
- Adaptive bitrate — Automatically adjusts quality based on your network, so you never get frame queuing
The result: on a local network with Ethernet, Remio achieves under 16ms total latency — that's less than one frame at 60fps. On a typical home WiFi connection, you're looking at 25–40ms. It feels like sitting at the actual machine.
Quick Checklist
Before your next remote session, run through this:
- ✅ Host machine on Ethernet (or 5GHz WiFi minimum)
- ✅ Hardware encoding enabled in your app's settings
- ✅ Cloud sync paused (Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud)
- ✅ Streaming resolution set to 1080p or 1440p (not 4K unless you have gigabit)
- ✅ Connection type shows "direct" or "P2P" (not "relay")
- ✅ No large downloads or backups running
- ✅ Using a native app, not a browser tab
Do all seven and you'll eliminate 80% of the lag most people experience. The remaining 20% is usually internet routing — and there's not much anyone can do about that except move closer to your host machine (or use P2P on the same network).
"The best remote desktop experience is the one where you forget it's remote."
If you're still fighting lag after trying everything on this list, the bottleneck is likely your remote desktop app itself. Try Remio free — no account, no credit card. Just a PIN to connect. You might be surprised how much of the lag was the software, not your network.
Last updated: February 2026. We'll keep this guide current as new technologies emerge.