Complete Guide: Adding a Device to Turn Off PC

This guide walks you through the full process of creating and configuring a device in the Turn Off PC mobile app, from start to finish.

It covers all available options, including local and remote connections, and Wake-on-LAN configuration.

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:

Important: If you have the previous "Turn Off PC" version installed on your computer, uninstall it first. Turn Off PC Desktop is the new version that replaces it.

Turn Off PC Desktop is available in two versions:

👉 Not sure which one to choose? See the full comparison: Which version do I need?

Step 1: Create a new device

Open the Turn Off PC mobile app and tap the "+" button in the device list.

You will enter the device creation wizard.

Step 1.1: Device name

Enter a name for your device.

This is the label that will appear in your device list (e.g. "Office PC", "Living Room Server").

Step 1.2: Device type (Operating System)

Select the operating system running on the target computer:

Step 1.3: Connection type

Select the connection type used by the target computer:

⚠️ Important: Only Ethernet connections support Wake-on-LAN. If you plan to use WOL to power on your computer, you must select Ethernet here. Wi-Fi does not support Wake-on-LAN.

Step 2: Network configuration

In the second screen, you will configure how the app connects to your computer.

Step 2.1: Local or remote usage

Choose whether the device will be used locally (same network) or remotely (different network).

Step 2.2: IP address

Enter the IP address of the target computer.

You can find this IP address in the Turn Off PC Desktop app running on your computer. It is displayed on the main screen.

👉 If the IP address is not shown or you need help finding it manually, see: Network Information Guide

If your device is local

If you selected local usage and the IP address belongs to your local network (e.g. 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x), proceed to Step 3.

If your device is remote

If your device is on a different network (e.g. you want to control your home PC from work or while traveling), you need a VPN to create a secure connection between your phone and the target computer.

Why is a VPN required? Turn Off PC communicates with the desktop app through a direct network connection. When devices are on different networks, they cannot reach each other directly. A VPN like Tailscale places all your devices on the same private virtual network, making remote control possible.

👉 Follow the Tailscale installation guide before continuing: Tailscale Installation

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Tailscale must be installed on BOTH devices — your computer (Windows/macOS/Linux) AND your mobile device (Android/iOS). Both must be connected to the same Tailscale network using the same account.

Install Tailscale on your mobile:

After installing and connecting Tailscale on both devices, use the Tailscale IP address (not your local IP) when configuring the device.

The VPN IP is also displayed in the Turn Off PC Desktop app when Tailscale is active. If the VPN is running but the app does not detect the IP, you may need to find it manually.

👉 If the VPN IP is not shown, see: Network Information Guide

Step 3: Wake-on-LAN configuration

In the third screen, you can optionally configure Wake-on-LAN (WOL) to power on your computer remotely.

Select whether you want to enable WOL and choose the mode:

Option A: No WOL

If you do not need Wake-on-LAN, your device creation is complete.

Continue to the mandatory server setup section below.

Option B: WOL Local

WOL Local sends a magic packet directly from your phone to your computer through the local network.

⚠️ Reminder: Wake-on-LAN only works with Ethernet connections. If you selected Wi-Fi in Step 1.3, WOL will not work.

Enter the MAC address

You need the MAC address of your computer's Ethernet adapter.

This is displayed in the Turn Off PC Desktop app on the target computer.

👉 If the MAC address is not shown or you need help finding it manually, see: Network Information Guide

Enable WOL on your computer

Wake-on-LAN must be enabled at both the firmware (BIOS/UEFI) and operating system level on the target computer.

👉 Follow the complete WOL setup guide: Enable Wake-on-LAN

After entering the MAC address and enabling WOL on your computer, your device creation is complete.

Continue to the mandatory server setup section below.

Option C: WOL Remote

WOL Remote allows you to wake your computer from anywhere, even when you are not on the same network.

This requires a custom setup: a small server (such as a Raspberry Pi or mini PC) that is always on and connected to your local network. When the app sends a wake request, it reaches this server through the VPN, and the server sends the WOL magic packet locally.

How it works

  1. Your phone sends an HTTP request to the intermediate server (through Tailscale VPN)
  2. The server receives the request and sends a Wake-on-LAN magic packet on the local network
  3. The target computer receives the magic packet and powers on

Setting up the remote WOL server

Follow these three guides in order to set up the intermediate server:

  1. Install the operating system on your always-on device (e.g. Raspberry Pi): → Raspberry Pi OS Installation

  2. Install Docker to run the WOL server as a container: → Docker Installation on Linux

  3. Install and configure the WOL server program: → Remote Wake-on-LAN Server (Docker + Python)

Enter the external server IP

After completing the setup above, enter the IP address of your intermediate server (the Tailscale IP of your Raspberry Pi or mini PC) in the External Server IP field.

Enable WOL on your computer

Even with the remote server in place, Wake-on-LAN must still be enabled on the target computer at the firmware and OS level.

👉 Follow the complete WOL setup guide: Enable Wake-on-LAN

After entering the server IP and enabling WOL on your computer, your device creation is complete.

Continue to the mandatory server setup section below.

⚠️ Don't forget to start the desktop server (mandatory)

After installing Turn Off PC Desktop on your computer, you must start the application at least once. This is mandatory — without it, the mobile app will not be able to connect to your computer.

Once started, the application will minimize to the system tray and continue running in the background. You do not need to open it again.

⚠️ If you fully close the application from the system tray or manually stop the server, the service will not work until you open the application again or restart the computer.

Every time the computer is turned on, the server will start automatically. Note that this is not instant — it may take a few minutes after boot before the server is fully ready and the device appears as online in the mobile app.

👉 Continue to the Post-creation recommendations. Skipping these configurations may cause the service to stop working or behave unexpectedly over time.

Post-creation recommendations

After creating your device, the following additional configurations are strongly recommended.

If your computer's local IP address changes (which can happen with DHCP), the app will no longer be able to connect to it.

Configuring a static IP ensures your device always has the same address on the network.

👉 Static IP Address Configuration

If you enabled Wake-on-LAN (local or remote), configuring automatic login is very useful.

The Turn Off PC Desktop server only considers the device "online" after the user has logged in to the operating system. Without automatic login, the computer will power on but remain at the login screen, and the app will not detect it as available.

This is especially important for:

👉 Automatic Login Configuration

Quick reference

Use this table to identify which guides you need based on your configuration:

ConfigurationRequired guides
Local, no WOLNone (just create the device)
Local, WOL LocalEnable WOL
Remote, no WOLTailscale
Remote, WOL LocalTailscale + Enable WOL
Remote, WOL RemoteTailscale + Raspberry Pi + Docker + WOL Server + Enable WOL

Always recommended after setup:

Support the project

Turn Off PC is built and maintained by an independent developer who believes in making remote computer management accessible to everyone.

Every feature, every guide, and every update is the result of dedicated work on this project — from designing the apps to building custom solutions like the remote Wake-on-LAN server.

The best way to support continued development and help improve the app is by subscribing to Turn Off PC Pro. Your subscription directly enables new features, platform support, and ongoing maintenance.

Made with ❤️ from Zaragoza. Thank you for being part of this project.