Kitedesk FAQ

Answers to common questions about Kitedesk: cost, accounts, install warnings, supported platforms, controlling a PC from a phone, security, source code and the beta. For step-by-step setup, see the install guide; for everything Kitedesk can do today, see features.

Getting started and pricing

What is Kitedesk?

Kitedesk is an open-source (AGPL-3.0-only) remote desktop app for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android that connects without any server setup. It is a beta focused on fixing the everyday friction of controlling a PC from your phone, so features and behavior may change without notice.

Is Kitedesk free?

Current public builds of Kitedesk are free to download and use, and no payments are open. Paid plan details, pricing and the official launch date have not been decided yet.

Do I need an account to use Kitedesk?

No. With default settings, you request a connection with the other device's ID and it connects once someone accepts it on that device. If password access is turned on in that device's settings, you can also connect with its one-time password. Signing in is only needed for optional features such as a synced address book.

Do I need to set up a server?

No. After installation, Kitedesk registers with its default connection server automatically, so there is no server address or key to enter. During the beta, the default connection server has no guarantee of availability, speed or capacity (no SLA).

You can also point Kitedesk at a compatible server you run yourself (hbbs/hbbr) by entering its address and public key. Your server takes priority over the defaults, and Kitedesk does not send its service lease to it.

What changes when I sign in?

When you sign in with email and password or with Google, Kitedesk syncs your address book (aliases and tags) across your signed-in devices and shows each device's online status. When you sign in and have not set your own server, "Use Kitedesk Relay" is on by default, so remote sessions you start from this device are routed through the Kitedesk relay. You can turn it off with that one switch, and the choice is kept on this device when you sign in again.

The web account portal (Korean) lets you download your data as JSON, sign out every browser session on the site at once, and delete your account (deletion requires a web session signed in within the last 15 minutes). This does not sign out the Kitedesk apps installed on your devices. Google sign-in in the app has an unresolved issue on some Android devices, which is being investigated.

Installation and platforms

Which platforms does Kitedesk support?

Kitedesk provides installers for Windows (x86_64, Windows 10 and 11), macOS (universal: Apple Silicon and Intel), Linux (x86_64, glibc 2.39 or later) and Android (arm64, armv7) directly from the official site. The iOS app is in preparation.

Builds for Windows on ARM64, Linux on ARM and Android x86 are not distributed. The app declares macOS 10.15 and Android 6.0 as minimum versions, but older versions have not been tested on real devices. Per-OS install steps are in the install guide.

Why does Windows show a SmartScreen warning for Kitedesk?

Kitedesk's Windows installers (MSI and portable EXE) are not code-signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen may show a warning. Before installing, compare the downloaded file's hash with the SHA-256 checksum published on the release page (Korean); the install guide shows how to get past the warning.

What should I do if macOS won't open Kitedesk?

Kitedesk for macOS is ad-hoc signed and not yet notarized by Apple, so macOS may block the first launch. After checking the SHA-256 checksum, choose Open Anyway in the Privacy & Security section of System Settings. After an update, you may need to allow Screen Recording again.

Does Kitedesk run on Ubuntu 22.04 or Debian 12?

No. Kitedesk's deb, rpm, AppImage and tar.gz packages need glibc 2.39 or later (for example Ubuntu 24.04 or later, or Debian 13 or later), so they do not run on Ubuntu 22.04 (glibc 2.35) or Debian 12 (glibc 2.36). A Flatpak file is also published, but it is an experimental file that has not been confirmed to run, so it is not recommended, and it has not been confirmed as an alternative for older distributions.

Is there a Kitedesk app for iPhone or iPad?

The Kitedesk iOS app is not available yet; it is in preparation and there is no public build. To control a PC from a phone today, use the Android app.

Is the Kitedesk Android app on Google Play?

No. Kitedesk for Android is not listed in any app store. Download the APK (arm64 recommended, or armv7) from the official site and allow installs from unknown sources.

Can I use Kitedesk in a web browser without installing it?

No. Kitedesk has no web client and runs as an installed app. On Windows, a portable EXE runs without installation.

Controlling a PC from your phone

Can I control my PC from an Android phone?

Yes. You can control a PC running Kitedesk (desktop apps for Windows, macOS and Linux) from an Android phone. Real-world use has been confirmed with Windows PCs. A Mac must allow Screen Recording and Accessibility, and because current builds are not fully code-signed, you may need to allow them again after an update. From the session menu in the Android app, you can send the right "Switch window" shortcut for the remote OS (Alt+Tab on Windows and Linux, Cmd+Tab on macOS) and "Show all windows" (Win+Tab on Windows, Ctrl+Up on macOS) in one tap (on-device verification in progress).

How do multiple monitors work on a phone?

In the Android app you can pick one monitor on the remote PC by its number, or choose "All monitors" (the grid icon) to see every monitor on one screen (when the remote PC has two or more monitors). When both sides run 1.4.13-1 or later, this view now uses each monitor's scaling (DPI) reported by a Windows PC to draw the monitor layout in the operating system's logical coordinates and to map taps and clicks to that layout. This change targets Windows PCs whose monitors use different scaling; confirmation on real monitors is still in progress.

Can I keep several remote sessions open on mobile?

Yes. The Android app keeps up to five remote sessions open as tabs. On wide screens whose shortest side is at least 600 dp (such as tablets and unfolded foldables), it shows two sessions side by side, and tabs that are not visible stop decoding video (on-device verification in progress).

Does the zoom reset when the phone keyboard opens?

In the Kitedesk 1.4.13-1 Android app we improved zoom being reset when the soft keyboard opens and closes (including a case where unfolded foldables misread the screen orientation because of the keyboard), and if the keyboard covers the point you last tapped, the view moves to show it. We also fixed pasted text that starts with the digit 1 losing its first character and shifting everything typed afterwards by one position. Confirmation on a real foldable is still pending.

Can my Android device be controlled remotely?

Being controlled as an Android device has not been confirmed on 1.4.13-1, so Kitedesk does not describe it as supported yet; this answer will change once it is confirmed. The Kitedesk Android app has no feature that bypasses secure screens (FLAG_SECURE) or the lock screen, and before remote-input accessibility is enabled it explains the purpose, the data involved and how to turn it off, and asks for consent.

Toolbar, files and terminal

Can I move the remote toolbar?

Yes. In the Kitedesk desktop app, you can move the remote toolbar to the top, right, bottom or left edge with its position button or with Ctrl+Shift+F12 (Cmd+Shift+F12 on macOS), and the position is remembered per remote device.

How do file transfers work in Kitedesk?

In the Android app, the file-transfer screen shows progress, the file count and the amount transferred, and cancelling stops both the transfer in progress and the queued ones (not yet re-tested on a device with 1.4.13-1). 1.4.13-1 does not request all-files access, so browsing phone storage for files to send may be limited; use another app's Share menu to send phone files to Kitedesk. You can resume interrupted transfers from the mobile transfer list (on-device verification in progress). File names are normalized to Unicode NFC during transfer, so Korean file names created on macOS no longer split into separate jamo, but file names that are not valid UTF-8 (for example CP949) may still be missing from the file list.

Does Kitedesk include an SSH client for Android?

Yes. The Kitedesk Android app includes an SSH terminal for shell access without screen sharing. In testing, password and public-key login worked, UTF-8 Korean output displayed correctly, and the same session kept working after briefly (3 seconds in the test) switching to the home screen. SSH private keys and saved connection profiles (including passwords) are encrypted with a key protected by the Android Keystore and kept only in the app's secure storage. On first connection, Kitedesk shows the server's host-key fingerprint and saves it once you trust it; if the fingerprint later changes, the connection is refused.

From the Android app you can also open a remote terminal (command line) on a desktop device. With default settings someone at that device must accept the connection (if it has password access turned on, the password also works), and it will not open if that device has the terminal permission turned off or is set to view-only. The iOS app is in preparation.

Security and privacy

Is the Kitedesk connection encrypted?

With default settings, Kitedesk connections are encrypted using libsodium (NaCl): a fresh session key is wrapped with the other device's Curve25519 public key, and session data is then encrypted with XSalsa20-Poly1305, so it also stays encrypted while passing through a relay server.

If encryption cannot be verified, Kitedesk warns you and asks whether to continue before connecting. Continuing after that warning proceeds without a secure connection, and Kitedesk has not had an external security audit, so it does not promise that every connection is always encrypted. You can verify installers against the SHA-256 checksums on the release page (Korean).

Does installing Kitedesk turn on password access or a background service?

Installing Kitedesk does not turn on password access. With default settings, each connection must be accepted on the controlled device, and accepting connections by password is something you turn on yourself in settings; the one-time password then changes after an authenticated session ends.

Background services are a separate matter. The Linux deb and rpm packages enable and start a system service at install time, and the service behavior of the Windows installer is still being checked.

What should I do if a stranger asks for my Kitedesk ID and password?

Do not share your Kitedesk ID and password with someone you do not know, and do not accept connection requests from strangers. Anyone whose request you accept, or who has your password, can connect to your device remotely, and the Kitedesk acceptable use policy (Korean) prohibits access without the consent of the device's owner or user.

If you already shared them or a session is open, disconnect right away and stop Kitedesk's screen sharing and service. Check and remove any password or unattended-access setting that was set, or uninstall the app, and if money may be involved, contact your bank and the police immediately.

Can I export my data or delete my account?

Yes. The Kitedesk web account portal (Korean) lets you download your data as JSON, sign out every browser session on the site at once, and delete your account (deletion requires a web session signed in within the last 15 minutes, and any organization you solely own must be transferred first). This does not sign out the Kitedesk apps installed on your devices. The Android app excludes its internal app data, which holds the device ID, keys and access password, from Google cloud backup and device-to-device transfer. For the personal data Kitedesk processes, see the privacy notice (Korean).

Open source, performance and beta

Where can I get the Kitedesk source code?

Kitedesk is licensed under the GNU AGPL-3.0-only, and the complete corresponding source for every version whose installers can be downloaded (tar.gz) is on its release page (Korean). The official site's public release list (/api/releases) gives the SHA-256 of every file published so far (280 files across 27 versions as of 29 September 2026), and source code (tar.gz) can be downloaded for all 27 versions. As of 1.4.13-1, the third-party inventory lists 1,180 components with 544 full license and notice texts (542 licenses, 2 NOTICE files); see open source and license notices (Korean). Kitedesk does not run a public Git repository, such as GitHub, at the moment.

What is Kitedesk based on?

Kitedesk is an independent fork of RustDesk. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the RustDesk project. Interoperability with official RustDesk clients or public servers has not been verified, and Kitedesk uses its own version numbers.

Is Kitedesk fast enough for gaming?

Kitedesk has not published latency or frame-rate measurements, so it makes no speed promises. Public builds since 1.4.10-7 (every installer currently available) use only the VP8, VP9 and AV1 video codecs and do not include H.264/H.265 implementations or hardware codecs.

Does Kitedesk handle Korean (Hangul) input?

Korean (Hangul) input in Kitedesk is still being improved. Please report your OS, input method (IME), app version and what happened; the current feedback channel is listed on the beta page (Korean). File names are normalized to Unicode NFC during transfer so Korean file names from macOS do not split into jamo, and in testing the SSH terminal displayed UTF-8 Korean output correctly. Typing Korean in the SSH terminal does not work properly yet.

How can I join the Kitedesk beta?

The Kitedesk beta program is currently run in Korean; see the beta page for details.

Kitedesk is an independent fork of RustDesk. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the RustDesk project.