Installation
- Windows. Run the installer. The portable build is for machines where you would rather not install anything — it runs from a folder and leaves nothing behind.
- Linux.
sudo apt install ./AnyRemote-linux-amd64.deb. Both Wayland and X11 sessions are supported. - Android. Install the APK. Android will ask once whether to allow installation from this source.
What each side needsThe machine being controlled must have the app. The person controlling can use a browser instead — which is what makes this practical for helping somebody who would struggle to install anything.
The first connection
- Start the app on the machine to be controlled. It shows a nine-digit number — that number belongs to the installation and does not change.
- On your side, enter the number and connect.
- The far end sees a request and accepts it.
- The screen appears. If the far machine has several monitors, choose which one you are looking at.
Keyboard focus in the browserWhen you control from a browser, the keyboard only reaches the remote machine while the page has focus. If typing seems to do nothing, click once inside the picture.
Controlling the machine
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Mouse and keyboard | Work as they do locally while the session window has focus |
| Ctrl+Alt+Del | A button in the session toolbar — the local system would otherwise intercept the combination |
| Full screen | A button in the toolbar; leaving full screen returns the toolbar |
| Multiple monitors | Choose the screen in the toolbar |
| Clipboard | Shared automatically in both directions |
| Files | Drag into the session window, or use the transfer panel |
The address book
Machines you connect to repeatedly are worth naming. An entry stores the identifier under a name you choose, and starring an entry moves it to favourites so that the three machines you open daily are not mixed with the thirty you opened once.
The address book belongs to your account and follows you to another computer when you sign in there.
Security
- Every session is confirmed on the controlled machine. There is no unattended mode that bypasses that confirmation.
- The media and data channels are encrypted between the endpoints.
- The identifier alone is not access: knowing a number gets you as far as a request that somebody has to accept.
- Either side ends the session at any moment; closing the app ends it as well.
The usual real-world riskThe weak point of every remote-access tool is not the protocol but the phone call: somebody rings, claims to be support, and asks for the number. Treat that number as you would a door key, and give it only to a person you called yourself.
When a session will not start
| Symptom | Where to look |
|---|---|
| “Computer is offline” | The app is not running on the far end, or that machine has no internet connection |
| The request never appears there | The number was mistyped — the digits are grouped for a reason |
| Connects, then closes immediately | The far end declined, or the app was closed while the request was waiting |
| Black screen on Linux | A Wayland session that has not granted screen capture permission — accept the system prompt |
| Picture is slow and blurry | A narrow uplink at the controlled end; lower the quality in the toolbar |
| Keyboard does nothing in the browser | The page has lost focus; click inside the picture |
| Files will not transfer | The destination folder is not writable by the user running the app |
Frequently asked questions
Where does the identifier come from and can it change?
The server issues it on first launch and it stays with the installation. Reinstalling on the same machine normally keeps it; wiping the settings issues a new one.
Can I control a phone?
The Android build is for controlling other machines. Being controlled requires the desktop app, because it needs access the mobile system does not grant.
Is there a limit on session length?
No. Sessions are not timed, counted or interrupted to suggest a paid plan.