Accessing your computer from a different location is a handy feature when traveling or spending a night or two away from your machine.
While many applications offer this feature, AnyDesk is among the top ones, which provides remote access with minimal lag and high framerates.
What exactly is AnyDesk for?
How does it work?
Let’s answer these questions with the details down below.
What Is AnyDesk Used For?
You can use AnyDesk to remotely connect to your computer from anywhere using an internet connection.
Once you establish a connection, you can adjust your computer settings or access private files from another device.
It’s as if you were sitting at your desk and working on your computer.
AnyDesk has many use cases.
For example, you can share data from your home PC to your work laptop when you’re at the office and need a personal file.
Although this application offers many features for personal use, it’s mainly useful for companies and educational institutes.
Organizations use AnyDesk to monitor their staff and keep track of their work.
Institutes ask students to install AnyDesk on their computers to access virtual training courses.
Technicians also use this tool to fix software issues with computers remotely.
AnyDesk Features
Users can use AnyDesk’s admin tool to connect to a computer without being physically behind it.
You can use the application to modify settings, install programs, manipulate files, and reboot the remote computer.
Once you connect to a computer, you have complete control over its hardware, including the mouse cursor, DVD/CD drive, or the power button.
AnyDesk’s address book feature saves the serial number of all connected devices.
This way, if you want to connect to a device frequently, you can associate its serial number with an easier-to-recognize name.
The app allows users to manage their contacts and see their online status.
In addition to these features, AnyDesk has an advanced security system that keeps users protected against online threats.
The integrated security protocols are two-Factor-Authentication, VPN, and banking standard TLS 1.2 technology.
AnyDesk may be a good alternative for teachers looking for an application to share their screen in online classes.
Both client (students) and the host (teacher) can record the screen for later.
AnyDesk also has a Whiteboard feature and supports full collaboration between a teacher and their students, making it suitable for training and teaching purposes.
Note: Before someone can connect to your PC using AnyDesk, they need your permission and a temporary code that expires once they disconnect. You can also set their privileges beforehand, so there’s no need to worry about security.
AnyDesk Benefits
AnyDesk has several advantages over similar applications.
Firstly, it uses a proprietary codec to compress files and enable fast and effortless transfer between two machines.
Therefore, users in areas with poor connectivity see a noticeable improvement in connection quality once they switch to AnyDesk.
Plus, the installation files are only 3 MB.
You can even download the app on a dial-up connection without much trouble!
Secondly, AnyDesk relies on RSA 2048 key encryption, allowing users to verify and secure all sessions.
Thirdly, unlike many similar applications, AnyDesk isn’t just for Windows.
It also has an Android version.
Because of this, users can use their Android phones to connect to their PCs and access necessary files.
Finally, AnyDesk’s basic license is free and includes all necessary remote access capabilities.
You can also get the paid version for extra access control, collaboration, and customization features.
How To Install AnyDesk
To install AnyDesk, you need to download the installation files for your operating system from the company’s official site.
On the website, you will see two options for download: Free download and Buy Now.
For personal use, click Free download.
You might want to purchase the business license for the premium version.
A window will open when the download is complete, asking you to run the installer.
The installer window will open after you hit run.
Click accept and install.
Now that the installation process is done, you can use AnyDesk on your device.
How To Install AnyDesk On Android
First, go to an app store, preferably the one that comes natively on your device.
Android phones usually have the Google Play app store, and iOS devices have Apple’s App Store pre-installed as their verified application stores.
On the search bar at the top, type in AnyDesk.
The first application in the results should be the one you need.
Nevertheless, check the logo and the name to make sure.
The logo will appear as two overlapping diamond shapes in white inside an orange square.
Tap on the icon, and you should be redirected to the page where you can download the application.
Hit the download button, and the process should begin.
Once the application download is over, the app store might ask permission to install it on your device.
If not, then the installation process will proceed automatically.
How To Use AnyDesk
You must have the application installed on both client and host devices to start a session.
The first step is to open AnyDesk on both devices and look for an ID in the host device.
After finding the ID, enter the nine-digit number into the Remote Desk section of AnyDesk on the client device and click Connect.
The application will send a connection request to the host device.
After the connection is approved, the client will access the host device.
As the client, you will have complete control as long as the host allows you to access the features of their device.
The host can also block client input or prevent them from chatting or using the whiteboard.
How Much Does An AnyDesk Subscription Cost?
As mentioned, you can either use a limited free version of AnyDesk or pay for extra features.
The free subscription is for personal use, and the paid one is a business license.
At the time of writing, the company offers three different paid plans, depending on your needs.
Free AnyDesk Personal Account
With this subscription, you’ll get a limited set of features, including the main capabilities such as remote access and file transfer.
This set of features will suffice for personal use, and you don’t need to buy a subscription to connect to your PC daily.
However, AnyDesk monitors your activity.
If they detect any business use, they’ll ask you to purchase a business license to continue using the application.
Professional Subscriptions
The three professional (business) licenses are Essentials, Performance, and Enterprise.
The Essentials license is for a single user and costs $9.90 monthly.
It includes basic features for remote working, such as Help Center access, unlimited connection sessions, and Mobile Device Support.
The Performance plan has the full set of business features and costs $19.90 per month.
This plan covers Session Recording, advanced security options (military grade security), and Customer Support.
Additionally, up to three devices can connect to the host device.
This subscription allows you to use as many devices as you want, but you can only use one session at a time.
The final plan is Enterprise which costs $29.90 a month and has all the premium features that AnyDesk can offer.
It’s the ideal option for businesses because it allows users to customize the app and fully integrate branding features.
Another big difference from the Performance plan is that the Enterprise plan supports multiple concurrent sessions.
Is AnyDesk Safe To Use?
AnyDesk Remote Desktop Software comes with high security standards.
This standard goes even higher for paid-subscription users.
Hackers will struggle to interfere with the sessions with the military-grade security that comes with the Performance and Enterprise plans.
Nevertheless, scammers can trick users into giving them access codes, allowing them to steal money from users without advanced knowledge of the application features.
Thus, users should be careful in accepting connection requests and make sure that they permit trusted people.
You should also keep your password and username safe and not share the information with people who pretend to be technicians or “Microsoft employees.”
Alternatives To AnyDesk
Many users agree that AnyDesk ranks first among remote access applications.
Still, the rest of the applications on the list are also packed with the same features and may be easier to use.
Here are a few alternatives to AnyDesk you can try.
1. TeamViewer
TeamViewer started as a simple remote access tool for power users and IT technicians.
It has since evolved into a full-fledged solution for organizations to monitor and troubleshoot all their resources remotely.
The platform boasts a whopping 2.5 billion installations!
In terms of remote desktop access, it allows users to share small files easily and swiftly.
Like AnyDesk, TeamViewer supports multiple platforms, and users can install the application on their mobile devices and desktops.
You can also have access to your 4K display using this application.
TeamViewer is free to use for non-commercial purposes, but it may be pricey when purchasing a business license.
Other than remote desktop, TeamViewer has multiple products that help companies streamline their workflows with augmented reality.
2. Zoho Assist
Zoho Assist is the cheaper version of AnyDesk for businesses.
The standard plan costs $8, while the Performance and Enterprise tiers set you back $13 and $21 per month, respectively.
The free version of Zoho Assist is much more limited than what AnyDesk offers.
For instance, it doesn’t allow file transfers, multi-monitor navigation, or the Ctrl + Alt + Del command.
Unlike the AnyDesk Android version, Zoho Assist doesn’t require installing a plug-in to establish a connection.
Still, you need a Professional subscription if you want access to the mobile app.
The friendly UI makes working with this remote access application easier and will help you establish a secure connection in no time.
Overall, Zoho Assist is a more affordable alternative for businesses that need AnyDesk premium features but are low on the budget.
3. ConnectWise Control
ConnectWise is a managed service provider that sells customized IT infrastructure.
Their ConnectWise Control offers most of the features anyone would expect a remote control application to do, such as remote meetings, file transfer, and cross-platform remote access.
The only downside of this application is the complexity of the connection setup, which is why it’s less famous than AnyDesk.
The business licenses are also more expensive than AnyDesk’s professional licenses, making it a wrong choice for people on a budget.
ConnectWise offers three plans based on the number of simultaneous connections a user can make.
Essentially, the company charges you based on how busy your IT technicians will be, which makes sense as their target customers are mainly companies, not regular users.
You’ll pay a monthly fee of $24 for a single-connection plan, $39 for three simultaneous connections, and $49 for the premium plan allowing ten simultaneous connections.
Different AnyDesk Versions On PC
You can run AnyDesk on your PC in three different modes: AnyDesk Portable, AnyDesk Portable with Elevation, and AnyDesk with installation.
The portable version doesn’t need installation, so you can fire it up as soon as the download is complete.
It doesn’t run automatically on startup and stops completely when you close the main window.
You can save the executable files on a thumb drive to run them on different devices.
Because of its portability, it doesn’t have some of the features of the original AnyDesk application.
The portable but elevated version of AnyDesk has the same features but with an important distinction.
If you elevate the portable version, connecting users can see and interact with the UAC prompts.
When you install AnyDesk on a remote device, it also installs the AnyDesk Global Service.
As long as the background process is active, the application will run.
If you close the AnyDesk window, the application will still be active.
This AnyDesks edition includes all of your subscription plan’s features.
What Platforms Is AnyDesk Compatible With?
AnyDesk is available for download on all major platforms, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
Moreover, it works on less popular operating systems like Linux, Chrome OS, Raspberry Pi, and FreeBSD.
AnyDesk works across operating systems.
This app is also backward compatible with earlier AnyDesk versions.
AnyDesk Plug-In
If you want to remote-control your mobile device using your computer, you’ll have to install a separate device-specific app plug-in.
You can install this plug-in from the pop-up window shown when you launch the app for the first time on your mobile device.
If you don’t want the plug-in after installing it, uninstalling the AnyDesk application from your mobile device will also remove the plug-in.
How To Connect To AnyDesk Customer Support
You may confront problems or errors while using AnyDesk or trying to connect to a device remotely.
Users can get help fixing their application problems through two main methods.
First is by visiting the support section of the AnyDesk application.
You’ll have to fill out a form stating your problem and your device’s operating system.
The application will send the ticket to the application technicians, and they will hopefully contact you with a solution.
The second is by visiting the help center on AnyDesk’s website.
This section will provide articles that include fixes for known bugs or problems.
It also includes a tutorial article that will help you to get started with the application or assist you with connecting to your PC.
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