Does Remote Arc expose a port on my computer?

No. The local agent creates an outbound connection to the hosted control plane.

Can I keep a computer read-only?

Yes. Tool availability is configured per device, so terminal and write tools can remain disabled.

Do I have to use only ChatGPT?

No. The same Remote Arc endpoint can also be used by Claude, Cursor and compatible Remote MCP clients.

REMOTE ARC

Give ChatGPT access to your computer through Remote MCP

Remote Arc gives ChatGPT a controlled route to a real Windows, macOS or Linux computer without sharing an operating-system password or opening a Remote Arc inbound port.

ChatGPT sees tools, not a raw desktop login

The MCP connection exposes named capabilities such as device discovery, directory inspection, file reads, supported edits, process inspection and managed commands according to the policy of the selected device. ChatGPT requests those capabilities through Remote Arc instead of receiving an unrestricted desktop session or the password for the local operating-system account.

The connection uses OAuth and a separate device identity

ChatGPT authorizes to your Remote Arc account through OAuth. The paired computer has its own revocable device credential and outbound connection. These are separate trust relationships: removing a ChatGPT grant does not force every computer to pair again, and revoking one computer does not invalidate every AI client.

Your computer remains a separate trust boundary

The device can be read-only, developer-oriented or terminal-enabled. Trusted Write Locations, boundary approvals, protected paths and Local Undo add narrower controls for supported file workflows. Terminal execution is deliberately separate because it runs with the permissions of the local operating-system user and is not equivalent to a sandboxed file edit.

Ask for observable work and verification

A useful request names the target computer, the desired result and how to verify it. For code work, that can mean reading the affected implementation, applying a focused edit and running the project's own test command. For longer deterministic work, supported task controls can persist a command or schedule after the immediate chat turn ends.