SSH only gives you access to a terminal window. However, it is less bandwidth intensive and a good option if you only need to start and stop programs.
How to access the SSH depends on the OS you are running on your laptop.
Windows: Open MobaXterm (see Software). Click on the “Session” icon in the top left corner, and then on the icon that says “SSH”. In the “Remote host" field, type the IP address. Then click “OK”. It will ask for Username and Password.
It will also automatically save your session, so you don't have to type the IP address again if you want to reconnect later. Instead, just double click the session in the pane on the left. If you don’t see it, make sure you are in the “Sessions tab” on the far left. Note that SSH sessions have a key icon.
iOS: Open a command window on your laptop and typing the following command:
ssh -X pi@<IP_address>
Here, the <IP_address> is the IP address of the RPi.
Note: When you ssh into the RPi, by default, no extra windows can be opened. However, it is possible to give commands through SSH, and the window to appear on the RPi. This can be useful, for example, when the RPi is connected to a monitor, but does not have a mouse or keyboard.
On the RPi (remote machine), in a terminal window, type the following command:
xhost +
In the SSH session, type the following command:
export DISPLAY:=0
Note: To reboot the RPi remotely (if you leave off "now", it will delay by a minute):
sudo reboot now
Note: To shutdown the RPi remotely (if you leave off "now", it will delay by a minute):
sudo shutdown now