How to download and install RustDesk on Mac
RustDesk is a free, open-source remote desktop app. Its Mac versions are published on the RustDesk project’s GitHub page. Here is which file to take, how to install it and which permissions macOS needs before anyone can see or control your Mac.
RustDesk
- Apple Silicon and Intel
- macOS 12.3+ on Apple Silicon
- Free, open source
Or the installer straight from the developer’s server:
The links go to the developer’s website (github.com). MacWashing is not affiliated with the developer and keeps no installers.
Open Terminal (Applications › Utilities) and run:
brew install --cask rustdeskHomebrew downloads the app from the developer’s server, checks the file and puts the app in Applications.
No Homebrew yet? How to install Homebrew: one command from brew.sh.
Which file to download
The Download button on rustdesk.com leads to the latest release on GitHub. RustDesk has separate files for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. To know your chip:
- Choose Apple menu › About This Mac.
- If you see Chip with Apple M1, M2 or later, take
rustdesk-<version>-aarch64.dmgunder Assets. If you see Processor with Intel, takerustdesk-<version>-x86_64.dmg.
The Apple Silicon version needs macOS 12.3 or later. The Intel version also runs on older systems, from macOS 10.14 Mojave.
Download RustDesk only from rustdesk.com or its GitHub page, github.com/rustdesk, and never install it because a stranger on the phone tells you to: scammers use remote access apps to take over Macs.
How to install RustDesk
- If an older RustDesk is running, quit it, including its icon in the menu bar.
- Open the downloaded
.dmgin your Downloads folder. - In the window that opens, drag RustDesk to the Applications folder.
- Eject the RustDesk disk: click the eject button next to it in the Finder sidebar.
- Open RustDesk from Applications and click Open when macOS asks about an app downloaded from the internet.
What to set up after the first launch
RustDesk shows which permissions are missing and opens the right settings. Without them, the other side sees nothing or can’t click anything. Turn them on in System Settings › Privacy & Security:
- Screen & System Audio Recording: turn on RustDesk so the other side can see your screen.
- Accessibility: turn on RustDesk so the other side can use the mouse and keyboard.
- Input Monitoring: turn it on too if keyboard input still doesn’t work on a newer macOS.
- The installer. Move the
.dmgfrom Downloads to the Trash once RustDesk runs.
If RustDesk won’t install or connect
- «RustDesk is damaged and can’t be opened». The download was incomplete or is for the other chip. Download the file for your Mac again from RustDesk’s GitHub page.
- RustDesk still asks for a permission you turned on. In the list in Privacy & Security, select RustDesk, remove it with the minus button, add it again with the plus button from Applications, and restart your Mac.
- An old copy gets in the way. Quit RustDesk and its menu bar icon, move it from Applications to the Trash and install it again from a fresh download.
Alternatives to RustDesk
Keep your Mac tidy
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Questions and answers
Is RustDesk free?
Yes. RustDesk is free and open source. By default it connects through the project’s public servers. Companies can run their own server, and there is a paid Pro server for them.
Is RustDesk in the Mac App Store?
No. RustDesk for Mac comes from the project’s GitHub releases, linked from rustdesk.com, or from Homebrew.
Why does RustDesk need so many permissions?
macOS lets no app see the screen or control the mouse and keyboard without your consent. Each permission unlocks one of these for remote sessions.