TidyDesk App
The most powerful The most powerful remote desktop, ever. remote desktop, ever.
Approved by Apple — and everyone else.
TidyDesk Viewer + Desktap (for touchscreens) are the first of their kind. Approved by all major operating systems to offer remote desktop access to your Mac with or without a VPN, or existing cloud infrastructure. Once your licensed host machine is connected, you are one secure highway away from accessing your Mac from nearly any device. Direct, ephemeral, and incredibly fun to use.
No technical knowledge needed to set up.
In just a few guided clicks, you will have the most secure and private access to your Macintosh known to date, enabling you to access your computer and all your applications while not physically having it with you.
Paramount security. Unparalleled privacy.
Ironically, our portable solution is undeniably more secure than any other remote desktop solution available in the past, including those on which the largest companies and governments rely. Security is baked into the foundation, as every session has a dual HSM-backed handshake. Every pixel and instruction is uniquely E2E encrypted with millisecond-expiring nonces.
Works on nearly any device.
Available on Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android with deep legacy support. Host machines support macOS versions as low as macOS Monterey (12.5). That's practically dial-up era compatibility. Our Viewer apps are no different: Android requires a minimum version of Android 6.0 (API Level 23), meaning it runs beautifully on a cheap $15 pawn shop tablet. Take that tablet to the beach, and leave your expensive M4 laptop at home.
Full peripheral support.
We are also the first remote desktop approved by Google to stream your Mac to Android phones, tablets, and Chromebooks. We have enabled native right-click support for Chromebooks and gesture-perfect pinch-to-zoom for mobile Linux, with the client applications weighing in at a lean 2.97 MB. Less than a photo.
Answers to
Frequently Asked Questions
How is TidyDesk safer and more private than Tailscale or Rust Desk?
The competition relies on persistent network tunnels. If someone gets your credentials, usually just a file, they are on your network. TidyDesk App uses a "Zero-Exposure" architecture. There is no "bridge" for a hacker to walk across. Your computer is a fortress; we just provide a highly secure window.
What happens if my device is stolen while unlocked?
With a VPN: The thief has unrestricted lateral access to your NAS, your smart home, and your local servers. They can change your passwords and kick you off your own network.
With TidyDesk App: Don't sweat it. Sign into tidydeskapp.com from any phone, hit "Remove Device," and that stolen laptop becomes a useless brick. No cached sessions. No open pipes. No shared keys to the kingdom.
With TidyDesk App: Don't sweat it. Sign into tidydeskapp.com from any phone, hit "Remove Device," and that stolen laptop becomes a useless brick. No cached sessions. No open pipes. No shared keys to the kingdom.
What counts as a "License"?
A license is for the host computer you stream from. You can connect to that host from an unlimited number of devices (phones, tablets, browsers) at no extra cost. Netflix-level uptime for the signaling servers encrypting each step.
Direct-path reliability. Because we don't route your data through a "middle-man" relay, we've eliminated the most common point of failure and latency. No rate limits, no bandwidth throttling, and zero middle-man downtime—just a raw, high-performance pipe between you and your machine.
Direct-path reliability. Because we don't route your data through a "middle-man" relay, we've eliminated the most common point of failure and latency. No rate limits, no bandwidth throttling, and zero middle-man downtime—just a raw, high-performance pipe between you and your machine.
Can I use a physical keyboard and mouse with my phone or tablet?
Absolutely. TidyDesk App is designed for true desktop-class productivity on mobile. In fact, we designed and finalized the TidyDesk App logo using a Samsung Fold 7 connected to a remote desktop running Photoshop. Because our app supports advanced zooming and panning without latency, the experience feels completely natural—like your phone just became a high-end mobile workstation.
Apples to Oranges
Previous tools like RustDesk struggle with mouse lag and overshooting targets, making it impossible to do anything more than wave a cursor—TidyDesk App virtualizes the interaction loop with sub-frame latency. This enables the feedback and precision required for professional graphic editing, audio, and CAD software.
Can I use TidyDesk App if I don't have a mouse or keyboard with me?
Yes. We've spent hundreds of hours user-testing an intuitive touch-interface that replicates the full desktop experience.
- Native Gestures: Includes intuitive click + drag, dedicated scroll wheel zones, and precise text selection while scrolling.
- Pro Controls: Right-click, freeform cursor movement, and fine-tune controls are baked into the UI, so you can handle complex tasks (like CAD or video editing) even with just your thumbs.
Previous tools like RustDesk struggle with mouse lag and overshooting targets, making it impossible to do anything more than wave a cursor—TidyDesk App virtualizes the interaction loop with sub-frame latency. This enables the feedback and precision required for professional graphic editing, audio, and CAD software.
Why not just run a macOS VM using KVM or Firecracker?
Because macOS isn't meant to be "simulated" or installed on anything but a Mac — it violates EULAs.
Traditional remote desktop (KVM, Xen, Firecracker) is built for Linux. Trying to virtualize macOS is a performance and security nightmare:
Traditional remote desktop (KVM, Xen, Firecracker) is built for Linux. Trying to virtualize macOS is a performance and security nightmare:
- The GPU Gap: Most hypervisors can't virtualize the Apple Silicon GPU. If you did, you'd end up with double the work needed to render, making it feel like walking through mud with long pauses.
- The Security Wall: KVM can't easily talk to the Apple Secure Enclave. TidyDesk App lives in the Secure Enclave, using hardware-backed keys to sign every instruction.
- The Networking Bloat: VMs require complex network bridges (VPC/VPN) that expose your host. TidyDesk App uses a Zero-Exposure model—no bridge, no tunnel, no lateral movement.
The Architecture Comparison
| Feature | KVM / Xen | Firecracker (MicroVMs) | TidyDesk App (Atomic Event) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mac Compatibility | Near Impossible. Requires non-standard patches and violates EULAs. No native GPU accel. | Linux Only. Architected specifically for Linux MicroVMs and containers. | Native. Built with Swift to leverage native macOS display and input APIs. |
| Client Requirement | Heavy. Requires specialized VNC/RDP clients or terminal emulators. | Terminal-First. Primarily accessed via SSH or API calls. | Unified. A single, high-performance stream of prioritized compressed data. |
| Layer | Kernel/Hardware. Simulates full CPU/RAM/Disk. | VMM. Stripped-down KVM for serverless/containers. | Application/UI. Virtualizes the interaction loop (Input/Pixels). |
| Trust Model | Trust the Hypervisor. Vulnerable to "VM Escapes." | Sandboxed. Uses a "Jailer" to wrap the process. | Zero-Trust. Trust the signed, perfect forward instruction. |
| Network | Creates a Network Bridge (VPC/VPN). | Isolated micro-network. | Zero Exposure. No network bridge created. |
Why don't you have a free version?
We hate ads, and we don't want to sell user information. We built and serve what we would want for ourselves.
Our profit model is based on providing an unparalleled product with exceptional service and support. Service is—"it just works"—support is creating a platform by which the users decide what we build next, and after that, and even after that. After that too. Constantly tailoring a product to you.
Our profit model is based on providing an unparalleled product with exceptional service and support. Service is—"it just works"—support is creating a platform by which the users decide what we build next, and after that, and even after that. After that too. Constantly tailoring a product to you.