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How to uninstall AnyDesk on Mac completely

An installed AnyDesk runs a background service with administrator rights and starts helpers for every user who logs in. It also keeps your AnyDesk ID and session recordings in a hidden folder. Here is how to remove the app with its own uninstaller, what to back up first and what to check afterwards.

Uninstaller: a list of apps sorted by size with when each was last opened, Google Chrome selected with its app and cache sizes
  1. Open MacWashing and choose Uninstaller in the sidebar.
  2. Click Show Apps and check AnyDesk in the list.
  3. Click Remove and confirm. Files that may be yours are listed as Possible and stay unchecked.
Download MacWashingHow it works

Free trial · macOS 14 or later

Uninstall AnyDesk with its own uninstaller

AnyDesk’s support describes these steps for the installed version on a Mac. The uninstall button is hidden until you hold the Option key:

  1. Open AnyDesk and go to Menu › About AnyDesk.
  2. Hold the Option key.
  3. Click Uninstall in the top-right corner of the window. Enter your administrator password if macOS asks for it.
  4. In Finder, delete the folders AnyDesk names in its instructions: ~/.anydesk and /etc/anydesk.

These folders hold the AnyDesk ID and Alias of this Mac, your settings and, by default, your session recordings. Once deleted, the ID and Alias can’t be restored. If you want to keep them for a reinstall, copy the folders somewhere safe first.

If you only ran AnyDesk without installing it

  1. In the menu bar, right-click the AnyDesk icon and choose Quit.
  2. Open Finder › Applications and drag AnyDesk to the Trash.
  3. Delete the same folders as above.

What AnyDesk leaves behind

After either way, check these places. Files in /Library are shared by all users of the Mac:

  • /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.philandro.anydesk.service.plist — the AnyDesk service that runs in the background with administrator rights.
  • /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.philandro.anydesk.Helper.plist and /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.philandro.anydesk.Helper — a helper that also runs with administrator rights.
  • /Library/LaunchAgents/com.philandro.anydesk.Frontend.plist and /Library/LaunchAgents/com.philandro.anydesk.Hub.plist — parts of AnyDesk that start when any user logs in.
  • ~/Library/Preferences/com.philandro.anydesk.plist — settings.

~/.anydesk is a hidden folder in your home folder with AnyDesk’s settings for your account, your ID and, by default, your session recordings. ~/Movies/anydesk may also hold AnyDesk recordings. These are your files: look inside and move what you want to keep before deleting them.

Remove the leftovers by hand

  1. In Finder, choose Go › Go to Folder (Shift-Command-G), type a path from the list above and press Return.
  2. Move the folder or file to the Trash. Files in /Library need your administrator password.
  3. Repeat for the other paths.
  4. Restart your Mac, so the AnyDesk service is no longer running, then empty the Trash.

AnyDesk’s support suggests checking afterwards that there is no AnyDesk icon in the menu bar and no AnyDesk process in Activity Monitor. AnyDesk isn’t the only app that leaves files behind: see how to uninstall apps on Mac completely.

Check the permissions in System Settings

To let others see and control the Mac, AnyDesk asks for Screen Recording, Accessibility and Full Disk Access. After uninstalling, open System Settings › Privacy & Security and look at Accessibility, Screen & System Audio Recording and Full Disk Access. If AnyDesk is still listed, select it and click the minus button below the list.

With MacWashing, it’s one click

Uninstaller: a list of apps sorted by size with when each was last opened, Google Chrome selected with its app and cache sizes

The Uninstaller in MacWashing knows the files AnyDesk creates — in your home folder and in the system folders — and removes them together with the app, background service and helpers included. Folders that may hold your own files, like recordings, are listed as Possible and stay unchecked until you check them yourself.

Download MacWashingHow it works

Free trial · macOS 14 or later

Questions and answers

Will MacWashing delete my own files when it removes AnyDesk?

No. The Uninstaller checks only what belongs to the app: its settings, caches, logs and background items. Folders that may hold your own files are listed as Possible and stay unchecked until you check them yourself, and apps go to the Trash by default, so you can put them back.

What if AnyDesk is still running?

MacWashing waits for it to quit, or quits it at your request, and only then removes its files.

Is it free to uninstall AnyDesk with MacWashing?

Yes, within the free trial: System Junk and the Uninstaller free up to 25 GB in total, with no account or card needed.

Will I keep my AnyDesk ID if I reinstall?

Only if you keep its configuration files. Deleting the folders AnyDesk names removes the ID and Alias for good, so copy them somewhere safe first if you want them back after a reinstall.

Does uninstalling AnyDesk delete my session recordings?

They are deleted with ~/.anydesk, where AnyDesk saves them by default. Copy the recordings you need to another folder before you delete it.

Why does AnyDesk ask for my password when I uninstall it?

The installed AnyDesk puts a background service and a helper in system folders shared by all users, which only an administrator can change. Removing them needs the same rights.