TideDesk 01 / SOUND
Hear what it plays.
System audio travels with your desktop. H.264 video and Opus audio share a direct QUIC connection, encrypted end to end with TLS 1.3.
REMOTE DESKTOP / WINDOWS TO WINDOWS
Your computers.
Within reach.
One portable app on both Windows computers. Connect by device ID or address for screen sharing, keyboard and mouse control, audio and optional text clipboard.
New development is free for personal, non-commercial use. Previously published AGPL releases keep their original permissions. Check the LICENSE included with your download. Licensing details
Experimental alpha — not a stable release. The executables are currently unsigned, so Windows may show an unknown-publisher warning. About code signing
ONE CONNECTION. BOTH WAYS.QUIC + TLS 1.3
01The computer
HOST
The computer
you reach.
Screen ↓System audio ↓Mouse & keys ↑
02The computer
VIEWER
The computer
you’re at.
Local network or internet. Always direct. No account.
Windows to WindowsSource availableNo installationNo account required
THE ESSENTIALS, TOGETHER
More than a picture
of your screen.
02 / CONTROL
Choose what you share.
Toggle mouse control and optional text clipboard sharing with configurable shortcuts. Clipboard sharing starts off and requires permission at both ends.
03 / YOUR WORKSPACE
One app. Both computers.
One window has “Share this computer” and “Connect to a computer” tabs. Save regular connections under “My computers”. The app stays in the notification area (tray) when you close its window.
GET CONNECTED
From download to desktop.
Two Windows computers. The same app on each.
- 1
Download & unzip.
Extract the ZIP on both computers. Run the same
tidedesk.exeon each. No installer needed. - 2
Share this computer.
On the computer you want to reach, run
tidedesk.exe. The Share tab shows the access code, device ID and this computer’s addresses. Note the code and ID. - 3
Connect to a computer.
On the computer you’re sitting at, run
tidedesk.exeand open Connect. Enter the device ID (or its address on a local network) and access code. Nothing else to configure.
If a stranger asked you to install TideDesk and read out your code, stop. That is how remote-access scams work: the code lets the other person control your computer. Share it only with people you know and trust.
Device IDs work across the internet through TideDesk’s connection service, which only introduces the two computers; the session is always direct. On a local network you can also enter the host’s address. Some networks (mobile data, carrier-grade NAT) need a VPN or port forwarding. See the internet access guide.
BEFORE YOU CONNECT
A few things
to know.
Is TideDesk ready for everyday use?
It is an early alpha, not a production remote-administration tool. Automated checks run for releases, but real-world testing is still ongoing. One viewer can connect at a time. Report a problem on GitHub.
Why does Windows show “Unknown publisher”?
The GitHub ZIP executables are unsigned. Check your release notes for signing status and compare the SHA-256 checksum. A checksum checks file integrity; it is not a publisher signature. Microsoft Store certification has passed and a listing is in preparation, but no Store download is live yet.
Does TideDesk relay my screen through a server?
Never. Every session runs directly between your two computers, encrypted end to end with QUIC and TLS 1.3. TideDesk’s connection service, rendezvous.tidedesk.app, only introduces them; it never carries your screen, audio, input, clipboard or access code.
What is a device ID and do I need an account?
No account is needed. The ID is the start of the host’s own certificate fingerprint. Connecting by ID needs no fingerprint question: a host whose certificate does not match is refused. It works on a local network and across the internet, including with headless hosts, subject to the same direct-connection limits.
Hosts register with rendezvous.tidedesk.app by default. Under Advanced settings, turn off “Reachable by device ID from other networks” or choose another service. For hosts that do not use it, the manual “Over the internet” flow remains available: type each other’s internet address.
Why can’t I connect from mobile data?
Symmetric NAT, common on mobile data and carrier-grade NAT, prevents TideDesk from opening a direct path. Use a VPN such as Tailscale, or forward UDP 47800 on the host’s router where port forwarding is available. TideDesk never falls back to a relay.
Does it work without internet?
Yes, on a local network, using the host’s address shown on its Share tab. Connecting by device ID currently needs internet access on both computers, even when they are on the same network.
Someone I don’t know asked me to install TideDesk. What should I do?
Stop, and do not give them your access code or device ID. Remote-access scams work by talking people into installing a tool like this and reading out the code; with it, the caller controls your computer. Only ever share the code with someone you know and trust, on purpose.
Does it change my screen resolution?
No. The viewer starts at the host’s native pixel size when it fits, and scales down when needed. A 2560 × 1600 host can appear as a smaller window on a 4K display. You can resize the window without changing the host resolution.
Can I turn off mouse and clipboard sharing?
Yes. They have separate settings and configurable shortcuts. Defaults are Ctrl+Alt+C for clipboard sharing and Ctrl+Alt+M for mouse control while the remote window is focused. Clipboard sharing starts disabled. The host can also deny these permissions.
What is Game Boost?
Version v0.1.0-alpha.3 introduces an experimental, opt-in streaming preset. Enable it in Viewer Settings or with Ctrl+Alt+G. It targets 60 FPS with smaller audio/video buffers and can switch back to Desktop without reconnecting. Actual FPS depends on both computers and the connection; host resolution, bitrate and sharing permissions stay unchanged. It uses software encoding and desktop mouse input, not GPU acceleration or relative mouse capture for FPS game cameras. Two-computer gameplay and latency testing are still pending. Update both host and viewer: protocol v3 cannot connect to earlier v1/v2 builds.
Can I use my microphone on the remote computer?
Not currently. Audio is the host’s system sound sent to the viewer only. Microphone forwarding is not included, and no extra audio drivers are required.
What isn’t supported yet?
Linux, Android and iOS clients are planned, not available. File transfer and multiple simultaneous viewers are not supported. Clipboard sharing is text-only. TideDesk does not control Windows UAC prompts or the login screen. Permanent custom passwords, 2FA and an encoder selector are planned, not implemented. See the technical roadmap; future features have no promised delivery date.
Should I update both computers?
Yes. Protocol v3 connects to v0.1.0-alpha.3 and later on a local network; internet and device-ID connections need both computers on a current release. The download button selects the newest complete Windows release, including alphas, or opens GitHub Releases if the check is unavailable.
Old shortcuts: the ZIP keeps tidedesk-host.exe and tidedesk-view.exe for one more release. They are the same program; use tidedesk.exe for new shortcuts.
BEFORE YOU DOWNLOAD
Know what you’re running.
Code signing
The GitHub ZIP executables are unsigned. Microsoft Store certification has passed and a listing is in preparation. Store packages will be signed by Microsoft once the listing is live; that does not sign the separate GitHub ZIP. No Store download is live yet.
Cristian Girlea maintains the project and reviews releases. See the repository’s code-signing policy for the build and approval process.
Privacy
Between your computers. The app sends screen, system audio, input and optional text clipboard data only between the two computers you connect. Settings are stored locally. Clipboard contents are not logged.
Finding an internet address (STUN). While running, the host asks public STUN servers (by default stun.l.google.com and stun.cloudflare.com) for its internet address about every 25 seconds. Each request is 20 bytes with no content; those servers learn the computer’s public IP address and port. The viewer asks once when it connects over the internet. This can be turned off or pointed at other servers in Settings.
Introductions by device ID. By default, the host registers its device ID, public certificate and public IP address and port with TideDesk’s connection service, rendezvous.tidedesk.app, refreshed about every 25 seconds. This lets the service introduce viewers who ask for that ID. A viewer connecting by device ID tells the service its own public address and which ID it asked for; a viewer that never connects by ID never contacts it. The service keeps this information in memory only, logs counts rather than IDs or addresses, and never carries sessions, access codes or any screen, audio, input or clipboard content. Registration can be turned off, or the service changed, in Settings.
Opening a direct path. Small “punch” packets (42 bytes, no content) go only to the address you typed or the one the service returned. The session runs directly between your computers; TideDesk never relays it through a server.
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Read the full privacy and code-signing policy.