Icon of program: AnyDesk

AnyDesk for Mac

  • Free
  • In English
  • V9.0.1
  • 4
  • (319)
Cathy Buggs
Cathy BuggsUpdated last month

Remotely access another computer

AnyDesk is a free-to-use program for PCs that allows you to access another computer remotely and securely. To do this, both devices must have the program installed and must allow access through the use of security keys.

Thanks to AnyDesk, you can do everything you want on another computer as if it were your own. Currently, this handy software is the main alternative to TeamViewer and Supremo Remote Desktop, programs that it surpasses in greater compatibility and ease of use. You can easily and effortlessly install it on any computer with the latest OS versions.

How do I download AnyDesk?

It's easy to download AnyDesk onto your Mac. You just need to download the .dmg file and install the application as you would usually. Once AnyDesk is installed as an application, you'll need to follow the on-screen instructions available via the main window to install AnyDesk directly onto your computer. At just 3MB, the AnyDesk download is light in comparison to other similar software programs.

You will need to adjust your computer's system preferences to let AnyDesk take control of your device, including 'accessibility' and 'screen recording' permissions. You will then need to follow the links on the prompts in the main window for guidance on how to do this. AnyDesk offers lots of help and guidance on how to get set up and started, including extensive documentation in their online Help Center.

To be able to connect to and control a remote desktop, the AnyDesk application must be installed on the target computer. A computer without AnyDesk fully installed can, however, connect to another computer, so long as the target computer has AnyDesk installed and the right permissions granted.

As well as for Mac, AnyDesk is available for Windows, Android and iPhone. It can run on different platforms, including Linux (Raspberry Pi), Windows, Mac OS, FreeBSD, iOS, or Android. AnyDesk supports international keyboards and is available in more than 28 languages, making it suitable for teams and individuals around the world.

Is AnyDesk safe?

AnyDesk is secure for remote connections as it uses banking-level security (TLS 1.2) and encryption protocols. The software uses RSA 2048 asymmetric key exchange encryption to verify every connection, while users can also control who gains access to their computer by whitelisting trusted desktops.

However, as a user, you must ensure you keep your AnyDesk access codes and passwords safe and avoid giving them to anyone you don't know and trust.

AnyDesk is particularly useful for anyone who wants to work flexibly away from their office, accessing their own computer. The program's remote desktop technology means that working from home is almost like sitting in front of your computer at the office.

You can connect from anywhere using the program's Unattended Access setting. Accessing your work computer's File Manager allows easy management of your files locally, while the clipboard means you can exchange text and screenshots between your remote and your local devices.

Is AnyDesk free for personal use?

AnyDesk is free of charge for personal use, although paid-for upgrades are available. Additional paid-for features include logs and registers for monitoring and review, as well as installation for an unlimited number of devices.

AnyDesk shares your desktop by using an AnyDesk ID, displayed in the ID label in the program's main window. The ID can be a series of digits (numbers) or alias that you can set yourself.

Just as you would provide a third party with a telephone number to call you, it's the same with your AnyDesk ID. You just forward your ID to a session partner or log on using your own computer's ID to begin a remote connection. The party entering the ID requests control from the other side. As the receiving party, you have three options for incoming requests: 'Allow always', 'Allow only if the AnyDesk window is open', or 'Disable'.

When a session partner attempts to connect to your computer, you can choose whether to accept their request or not. On connection request, the ID and account image from the remote client is displayed. You can specify what the remote user is allowed to do, including taking control of your computer's keyboard and mouse, access its clipboard, use the file manager, enable privacy mode, lock your computer's keyboard and mouse, and lock the desktop at the end of a session.

Which is faster AnyDesk or TeamViewer?

Whenever you log in to a remote computer with AnyDesk, the view of its desktop and access to its File Manager is sent back to you in real-time as a video.

AnyDesk uses DeskRT, a video codec specialized for encoding the video of computer interfaces. This means that it runs smoothly and is a very close representation of what you'd see on the computer itself. DeskRT compresses and transfers image data between computers to ensure that tasks perform smoothly and users experience efficient streaming, even at low bandwidths.

The speed of AnyDesk's visuals means that collaborating and communicating with colleagues remotely is easy, whether through online meetings and presentations or working on the same document from the other side of the world.

Similarly, TeamViewer enjoys fast performance and supports a huge number of operating systems. Other alternatives to AnyDesk include Remote Desktop Client, Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection, Chrome Remote Desktop, LogMeIn, and VNC Connect.

An essential remote access program

Whether you are a computer technician in charge of technical support or a student who needs to work together with their classmates, AnyDesk is the program you are looking for. It is a very easy-to-use program that also offers great compatibility, is very secure, and has almost imperceptible latency. Advantages that, without a doubt, you will be able to perceive from the moment you start using it.

  • Pros

    • Very easy to use
    • Highly secure
  • Cons

    • Can be a security risk if not used correctly
    • Can perform poorly at low internet speeds
    • CPU usage on older devices can be high
 0/2

App specs

Also available in other platforms

Program available in other languages


Icon of program: AnyDesk

AnyDesk for Mac

  • Free
  • In English
  • V9.0.1
  • 4
  • (319)

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Laws concerning the use of this software vary from country to country. We do not encourage or condone the use of this program if it is in violation of these laws.
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In Softonic we scan all the files hosted on our platform to assess and avoid any potential harm for your device. Our team performs checks each time a new file is uploaded and periodically reviews files to confirm or update their status. This comprehensive process allows us to set a status for any downloadable file as follows:

Clean

It’s extremely likely that this software program is clean.

What does this mean?

We have scanned the file and URLs associated with this software program in more than 50 of the world's leading antivirus services; no possible threat has been detected.

Warning

This software program is potentially malicious or may contain unwanted bundled software.

Why is the software program still available?

Based on our scan system, we have determined that these flags are possibly false positives.

What is a false positive?

It means a benign program is wrongfully flagged as malicious due to an overly broad detection signature or algorithm used in an antivirus program.

We’d like to highlight that from time to time, we may miss a potentially malicious software program. To continue promising you a malware-free catalog of programs and apps, our team has integrated a Report Software feature in every catalog page that loops your feedback back to us.

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