Quick answer
Setting up AnyDesk on a Mac has two parts: installing the app, and granting macOS permissions. Download it only from anydesk.com, drag it into Applications and click Install. Then open System Settings → Privacy & Security and turn AnyDesk on under Screen & System Audio Recording (so the technician can see your screen) and Accessibility (so they can use the mouse and keyboard), then choose Quit & Reopen. Skip this and the technician gets a black screen or can't click anything.
Contents
What do you need to know before installing AnyDesk on a Mac?
On a Mac, installing AnyDesk isn't enough. You also have to grant two macOS permissions before a technician can see your screen and control the computer. This is where Mac users get stuck most often.
macOS is built to be private by default: no app can see your screen or control the mouse and keyboard until the owner allows it. A technician can't click "allow" for you remotely, because at that point they can't see your screen yet.
- Supported: macOS 11 Big Sur or later (per AnyDesk's requirements)
- You'll need: the password for an administrator account on the Mac, for the install and for granting permissions
- Time: about 10 minutes, once. You won't need to set it up again next time.
How do you install AnyDesk on a Mac, step by step?
Follow these 6 steps in order. Steps 1–3 install the app, steps 4–5 grant permissions (don't skip them), and step 6 hands over to the technician.
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Download AnyDesk from the official site only
Go to anydesk.com, click Download and choose the macOS icon. You'll get
anydesk.dmgin your Downloads folder. Don't download it from a link someone sent you by chat or SMS; it could be a fake. -
Open the .dmg and drag AnyDesk to Applications
Double-click
anydesk.dmg. In the window that opens, drag the AnyDesk icon onto the Applications folder. If you skip this, you won't find AnyDesk when granting permissions in step 4.Illustration: drag the AnyDesk icon (left) onto the Applications folder (right) -
Open AnyDesk and click Install
Open Finder → Applications → AnyDesk. If macOS asks whether you want to open an app downloaded from the internet, click Open. In AnyDesk, click Install in the AnyDesk Status box on the left, then Accept & Install, and enter your Mac password.
Installing runs AnyDesk as a service, so the technician can reconnect after the Mac restarts. Running it straight from the .dmg only works for a single session.
-
Allow Screen & System Audio Recording (so the technician can see your screen)
Click the Apple menu → System Settings → scroll down the sidebar to Privacy & Security → choose Screen & System Audio Recording and turn AnyDesk on. If AnyDesk isn't listed, click + and choose it from Applications.
macOS will say AnyDesk must quit before it can record the screen. Click Quit & Reopen.
Illustration of System Settings on recent macOS. Steps 4 and 5 happen on the same page; the exact menu order may vary slightly by version. -
Allow Accessibility (so the technician can use the mouse and keyboard)
Back in Privacy & Security, choose Accessibility and turn AnyDesk on (click + if it isn't listed, as in step 4). Skip this and the technician will see your screen but won't be able to click or type.
Shortcut: AnyDesk shows a status icon next to your AnyDesk ID. Click it to open the System Permission Status window, which has buttons that take you straight to each permission's settings.
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Give your AnyDesk ID to the technician and click Accept
The 9–10 digit number on the AnyDesk screen is your AnyDesk ID. Give it to the technician you contacted. When the connection request appears, check who it's from and click Accept. If the technician also needs to transfer files, you may need to allow Full Disk Access on the same page.
What happens if you don't grant each macOS permission?
Each permission does a different job, so the symptom the technician sees tells you exactly which one is missing.
| macOS permission | What it lets AnyDesk do | Without it, the technician sees | Needed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen & System Audio Recording | Send your screen to the technician | A black screen, or only the desktop wallpaper | Required |
| Accessibility | Control the mouse and keyboard | The screen, but can't click or type | Required |
| Full Disk Access | Access files for file transfer | File transfer fails | Only for file transfer |
Permission details are based on the AnyDesk Help Center, which notes that without these permissions AnyDesk can't receive incoming sessions or work fully.
Where are the settings on older Macs (Monterey and earlier)?
Macs on macOS 12 Monterey or earlier use System Preferences → Security & Privacy, and you have to click the padlock to unlock it before you can tick anything.
| Step | macOS 13 Ventura and later | macOS 12 Monterey and earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Open settings | Apple menu → System Settings | Apple menu → System Preferences |
| Permissions menu | Privacy & Security (sidebar) | Security & Privacy → Privacy tab |
| Unlock first | Not needed; you'll be asked for your password | Click the 🔒 padlock bottom-left and enter your password |
| See the screen | Screen & System Audio Recording → switch on | Screen Recording → tick ✓ AnyDesk |
| Control the Mac | Accessibility → switch on | Accessibility → tick ✓ AnyDesk |
Not sure which version you have? Click the Apple menu → About This Mac; the version name is on the first line.
Is AnyDesk safe? Watch out for scammers asking you to install it
AnyDesk is legitimate and safe when downloaded from anydesk.com. But anyone who has your AnyDesk ID, once you click Accept, can fully control your computer, which is why scammers love it.
- Share your AnyDesk ID only with a technician you contacted yourself, through a phone number or LINE account you already know.
- Never click Accept on a connection request you weren't expecting.
- Watch the screen during the session and click Disconnect immediately if anything looks wrong.
- If a stranger has already connected, disconnect from the internet, uninstall AnyDesk, change your email and banking passwords from another device, and call your bank right away.
Why the Hinet team wrote this guide
When a Windows user reports a problem, we send them the AnyDesk link and can usually start a remote session almost right away. MacBook users, though, often get stuck after installing, because they don't know they also have to grant permissions in Privacy & Security. The technician sees a black screen and can't click "allow" for them, so we end up talking them through every menu over the phone.
Our take: this isn't the user's fault. macOS deliberately makes the owner approve these permissions, for security. What actually helps is a guide that shows exactly where to click, so we now send Mac users this page before every remote session, and sessions start much faster.
When should you call a technician?
If you've done every step and the technician still sees a black screen, or it's a company Mac managed through a device management (MDM) system, let your IT team check it.
On MDM-managed Macs, users may not be able to grant these permissions themselves; an administrator has to allow them centrally. Hinet provides IT Support Outsourcing for both Mac and Windows, remotely and on-site. You can describe the problem in the form below and our engineers will get back to you.
FAQ: AnyDesk on a Mac
Why does the technician only see a black screen in AnyDesk?
Almost always because AnyDesk hasn't been given Screen & System Audio Recording permission, or it was given but the app wasn't restarted. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording, turn AnyDesk on, choose Quit & Reopen, then have the technician reconnect.
The technician can see my screen but can't click or type. What do I do?
AnyDesk is missing the Accessibility permission. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility and turn AnyDesk on. If it's already on but still doesn't work, switch it off and on again.
I can't find Security & Privacy. Where is it?
Since macOS 13 Ventura, Apple renamed System Preferences to System Settings and moved these options to Privacy & Security in the sidebar. On older Macs they're under System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy tab.
AnyDesk isn't in the Screen Recording list. How do I add it?
Click the + button below the list and choose AnyDesk from the Applications folder. If it isn't there, AnyDesk hasn't been copied into Applications yet, so go back to step 2.
Can I just run AnyDesk from the .dmg without installing it?
Yes, for a one-off session. It then runs in portable mode without the AnyDesk Service, so the technician can't reconnect after a restart and unattended access isn't available. If your IT team supports you regularly, install it.
Is AnyDesk safe? Can I give my AnyDesk ID to someone?
The app is safe when downloaded from anydesk.com, but scammers often call pretending to be a bank, a government agency or 'IT support' and ask you to install it. Only give your ID to a technician you contacted yourself, and never accept a connection request you weren't expecting.
References
- AnyDesk Help Center — Grant security permissions on macOS
- AnyDesk Help Center — AnyDesk for macOS (system requirements)
- AnyDesk Help Center — Install AnyDesk
- Apple — Control access to screen and system audio recording on Mac
- U.S. FTC — How to spot, avoid, and report tech support scams
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Technically reviewed by the Hinet Computer System engineering team · Last updated 14 Oct 2026