The useful outcome
Helping family with a device is easy when you are in the same room and surprisingly difficult over the phone. I set up a private route into the home network so I can use familiar Android support tools when someone explicitly asks for help.
The result is intentionally modest: no public ports, no always-on screen access, and no mystery for the person holding the device. They approve the connection, remain part of the process, and can end it.
The setup combines Tailscale for private network access, Android Debug Bridge for the chosen device, and scrcpy for a live keyboard-and-mouse view. It turns a frustrating description exercise into a short shared troubleshooting session.
Setup notes
Install Tailscale on the support computer and on an always-on computer in the family home. Advertise only the required local subnet from the home computer, approve that route in the Tailscale administration console, and confirm that the target device is reachable by its local address.
On Android, enable developer options and debugging, then connect with Android Platform Tools. The device owner must approve the request before adb connect <device-ip> succeeds. Once connected, scrcpy opens the remote view. Use adb push <local-file> /sdcard/ only when a file transfer is actually needed.
Treat this as attended support. Private networking reduces exposure; consent and clear boundaries make the access appropriate.