How to Install AnyDesk on Debian (13, 12, 11)

Remote desktop access saves hours when you need to troubleshoot a family member’s laptop, reach your workstation from another location, or manage headless servers without a local monitor. AnyDesk handles all of these with low-latency connections and encryption that works out of the box. Two paths let you install AnyDesk on Debian, both pulling from the official repository with automatic updates through APT.

Install AnyDesk on Debian

Two approaches are available for adding the AnyDesk repository. Both deliver the same package with automatic updates, but they differ in how they configure your system.

Method	Channel	Version	Updates	Best For
Manual Repository (Recommended)	Official AnyDesk	Latest stable	Automatic via apt upgrade	All users; full control over configuration
extrepo	Debian’s curated definitions	Latest stable	Automatic via apt upgrade	Users who prefer automated repo setup

The manual repository method is recommended because it works reliably on every Debian release and gives you full visibility into the GPG key and sources file. The extrepo alternative automates key management but carries a general risk on Debian 13 where stale SHA-1 key signatures can break apt update. AnyDesk’s key currently uses SHA-512 and works fine, though the extrepo catalog could change. For a deeper look at extrepo, see managing third-party repos with extrepo on Debian.

Use only one installation method. Do not configure both extrepo and the manual repository on the same system. Both methods add the same APT source with different Signed-By paths, and newer APT versions reject duplicate sources with conflicting GPG key locations. If you switch methods, fully remove the previous configuration first.

Refresh your package list before adding repositories:

sudo apt update

Commands that need root privileges use sudo. If your user is not in the sudoers file yet, run them as root or follow the guide on how to add and manage sudo users on Debian.

Install AnyDesk on Debian with extrepo (Alternative)

Debian’s extrepo tool automates external repository setup, including GPG key downloads and sources file creation.

Install extrepo and Enable Non-Free Policy

Install the extrepo package:

sudo apt install extrepo -y

Since AnyDesk is proprietary software, you must enable the non-free policy in extrepo’s configuration before enabling the repository:

sudo sed -i 's/# - non-free/- non-free/' /etc/extrepo/config.yaml

This uncomments the non-free policy in extrepo’s configuration file. Without it, extrepo refuses to enable the AnyDesk repository because AnyDesk uses a proprietary license.

Enable the AnyDesk Repository

Activate the AnyDesk repository:

sudo extrepo enable anydesk

This creates a DEB822 sources file at /etc/apt/sources.list.d/extrepo_anydesk.sources and stores the GPG key at /var/lib/extrepo/keys/anydesk.asc.

Install AnyDesk via extrepo

Update your package index to include the new repository, then install AnyDesk:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install anydesk -y

Verify the installation:

apt-cache policy anydesk

Expected output:

anydesk:
  Installed: 7.1.4
  Candidate: 7.1.4
  Version table:
 *** 7.1.4 500
        500 http://deb.anydesk.com all/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

AnyDesk updates frequently, so the version number in your output may differ. On minimal containers or WSL sessions without systemd, installation can fail with a post-install script error about /proc/1/exe; use a standard Debian system or a systemd-enabled container.

Install AnyDesk on Debian with Manual Repository (Recommended)

This method sets up the AnyDesk repository manually, giving you direct control over the GPG key and sources file. It works identically on Debian 13, 12, and 11.

Install AnyDesk Prerequisites

Install the packages needed to download and verify the repository:

sudo apt install ca-certificates curl gnupg -y

These packages provide SSL certificate validation (ca-certificates), secure file downloads (curl), and GPG key handling (gnupg) needed to configure external repositories securely.

Import the AnyDesk GPG Key

Download the AnyDesk signing key and convert it to the binary format APT expects:

curl -fsSL https://keys.anydesk.com/repos/DEB-GPG-KEY | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/anydesk.gpg

The --dearmor flag converts the ASCII-armored key to binary .gpg format, which routes through GnuPG’s gpgv verifier rather than Sequoia’s stricter sqv. This avoids potential SHA-1 signature rejections on Debian 13.

Add the AnyDesk Repository

Create a DEB822-format sources file for the AnyDesk repository:

cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/anydesk.sources
Types: deb
URIs: https://deb.anydesk.com/
Suites: all
Components: main
Architectures: amd64 i386 armhf
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/anydesk.gpg
EOF

Debian 13 defaults to DEB822 .sources for APT entries. Debian 12 and Debian 11 fully support .sources, though legacy .list files remain common on older installations.

Install AnyDesk via Manual Repository

Update your package index to include the newly added repository:

sudo apt update

Verify that APT recognizes the AnyDesk package from the new repository:

apt-cache policy anydesk

Expected output:

anydesk:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 7.x.x
  Version table:
     7.x.x 500
        500 https://deb.anydesk.com all/main amd64 Packages

Install AnyDesk:

sudo apt install anydesk -y

Confirm the installation succeeded:

apt-cache policy anydesk

Expected output:

anydesk:
  Installed: 7.1.4
  Candidate: 7.1.4
  Version table:
 *** 7.1.4 500
        500 https://deb.anydesk.com all/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

Launch AnyDesk on Debian

Start AnyDesk from a terminal or your desktop’s application menu.

Launch AnyDesk from Terminal

anydesk

Launch AnyDesk from Applications Menu

Desktop users can also open AnyDesk from the application menu:

1. Open your desktop’s application menu or Activities view.
2. Type “AnyDesk” in the search field.
3. Click the AnyDesk icon to launch the application.

AnyDesk Command-Line Reference on Debian

AnyDesk includes several command-line options for automation and scripted deployments.

Connect to a Remote Device

To connect to a remote device, specify the target’s AnyDesk ID or alias:

anydesk 123456789

Replace 123456789 with the actual AnyDesk ID of the remote device. Aliases work too:

anydesk myworkstation@ad

Connect with Unattended Access Password

If the remote device has Unattended Access configured with a password, you can authenticate automatically:

echo "yourpassword" | anydesk 123456789 --with-password

Avoid storing passwords in shell history. Use environment variables or read from a secure file instead of echoing passwords directly in commands.

Set Unattended Access Password

Configure a password for Unattended Access on the local machine:

echo "yoursecurepassword" | sudo anydesk --set-password

Remote users can then connect without manual approval by providing this password.

Display Client Information

Retrieve information about your AnyDesk client:

# Display your AnyDesk ID
anydesk --get-id

# Display your AnyDesk alias (if configured)
anydesk --get-alias

# Check connection status
anydesk --get-status

Manage AnyDesk on Debian

Update AnyDesk

Because AnyDesk is installed from an APT repository, updates arrive with your regular system updates. To update only AnyDesk without upgrading other packages:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --only-upgrade anydesk

Verify the update:

apt-cache policy anydesk

Remove AnyDesk

Uninstall AnyDesk and remove its configuration files:

sudo apt remove --purge anydesk -y
sudo apt autoremove -y

The --purge flag removes system-wide configuration files, while autoremove cleans up any orphaned dependencies that were installed automatically with AnyDesk.

Remove the AnyDesk Repository

If you do not plan to reinstall AnyDesk, also remove the repository configuration and GPG key:

If you used extrepo:

sudo extrepo disable anydesk
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/extrepo_anydesk.sources
sudo rm -f /var/lib/extrepo/keys/anydesk.asc

If you used manual repository configuration:

sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/anydesk.sources
sudo rm -f /usr/share/keyrings/anydesk.gpg

After removing the repository files, refresh your package cache:

sudo apt update

Remove User Data

Removing ~/.anydesk permanently deletes your AnyDesk user data, including connection history, saved addresses, and local settings. This cannot be undone.

If you want a complete cleanup, remove AnyDesk’s user-specific data directory:

rm -rf ~/.anydesk

Verify Removal

Refresh the package cache and confirm AnyDesk is no longer available:

sudo apt update
apt-cache policy anydesk

Expected output after complete removal:

anydesk:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: (none)
  Version table:

Troubleshoot AnyDesk on Debian

Fix Conflicting Signed-By Error

If you configured both extrepo and the manual repository, apt update fails with:

E: Conflicting values set for option Signed-By regarding source https://deb.anydesk.com/ all: /var/lib/extrepo/keys/anydesk.asc != /usr/share/keyrings/anydesk.gpg
E: The list of sources could not be read.

Remove whichever method you do not want to keep:

Keep extrepo, remove manual:

sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/anydesk.sources
sudo rm -f /usr/share/keyrings/anydesk.gpg
sudo apt update

Keep manual, remove extrepo:

sudo extrepo disable anydesk
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/extrepo_anydesk.sources
sudo rm -f /var/lib/extrepo/keys/anydesk.asc
sudo apt update

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

AnyDesk is running on Debian with automatic updates from the official repository. Unattended access and CLI options make it straightforward to manage remote sessions without a GUI. If you need an alternative remote desktop tool, see how to install TeamViewer on Debian. For tighter server security, see our guides on enabling SSH on Debian and configuring UFW on Debian.