Back up AnyDesk ID and Settings

To preserve your AnyDesk ID, Alias, and configuration settings, it is essential to back up the AnyDesk client’s Configuration Files. This is particularly useful when migrating to a new device or preparing for potential data loss.

Backup procedure

To retain your AnyDesk ID and Alias:

Locate the service.conf file in your installation directory.
Copy and store this file in a secure backup location.

🚨 IMPORTANT
The service.conf file stores your device’s unique AnyDesk ID and any assigned Aliases. To fully back up your AnyDesk configuration, including settings and recent Session History, you must back up the entire configuration folder, not just the service.conf file.

Backup locations

The location of the configuration files varies based on the operating system and installation type:

Windows (7 and later)

Install Type

Standard Client Location

Custom Client Location (EXE/MSI)

Uninstalled

%appdata%\AnyDesk\

EXE: %appdata%\AnyDesk\ad_<prefix>\

MSI: %appdata%\AnyDesk\ad_<prefix>_msi\

Installed

%programdata%\AnyDesk\

EXE: %programdata%\AnyDesk\ad_<prefix>\

MSI: %programdata%\AnyDesk\ad_<prefix>_msi\

Windows XP / Server 2003

Install Type

Standard Client Location

Custom Client Location (EXE/MSI)

Uninstalled

%appdata%\AnyDesk\

EXE: %appdata%\AnyDesk\ad_<prefix>\

MSI: %appdata%\AnyDesk\ad_<prefix>_msi\

Installed

%AllUsersProfile%\Application Data\AnyDesk\

EXE: %AllUsersProfile%\Application Data\AnyDesk\ad_<prefix>\

MSI: %AllUsersProfile%\Application Data\AnyDesk\ad_<prefix>_msi\

macOS

Install Type	Standard Client Location	Custom Client Location (EXE/MSI)
Uninstalled	`~/.anydesk/`	`~/.anydesk_ad_<prefix>/`
Installed	`/etc/anydesk/`	`/etc/anydesk_ad_<prefix>/`

Linux

Install Type	Standard Client Location	Custom Client Location (EXE/MSI)
Uninstalled	`~/.anydesk/`	`~/.anydesk_ad_<prefix>/`
Installed	`/etc/anydesk/`	`/etc/anydesk_ad_<prefix>/`

Android

Version / Storage Type	Standard Client Location	Custom Client Location (EXE/MSI)
Android 7.0 or AnyDesk 5.3.2 or older / Default	`root/data/data/com.anydesk.anydeskandroid/files/.anydesk/`	`root/data/data/com.anydesk.anydeskandroid/files/.anydesk-ad_<prefix>/`
Android 7.0 or AnyDesk 5.3.2 or later / Credential Encrypted, CE	`root/data/user/0/com.anydesk.anydeskandroid/files/.anydesk/`	`root/data/user/0/com.anydesk.anydeskandroid/files/.anydesk-ad_<prefix>/`
Android 7.0 or AnyDesk 5.3.2 or later / Device Encrypted, DE	`root/data/user_de/0/com.anydesk.anydeskandroid/files/.anydesk/`	`root/data/user_de/0/com.anydesk.anydeskandroid/files/.anydesk-ad_<prefix>/`

Restoring from backup

To restore your AnyDesk ID and settings on the same or a new device:

Install AnyDesk (same version if possible).
Replace the new service.conf and/or configuration folder with your backup.
Restart AnyDesk to apply the restored configuration.

🚨 IMPORTANT
If the configuration files are missing or overwritten, the AnyDesk ID and Alias will be irreversibly lost.

Cloned operating systems

When deploying cloned operating systems, ensure that AnyDesk has not been started on the original system before creating the system image (a full copy of the OS and installed software used to set up multiple devices). If AnyDesk is launched before imaging, all cloned devices will include the same configuration files, resulting in duplicate AnyDesk IDs.

This can cause conflicts during Remote Access or device management, as each device must have a unique ID.

To prevent or correct this issue, before cloning:

Ensure AnyDesk has not been run on the system before capturing the image
Or, delete the configuration folders that store the ID and settings, as described in the Back up and Restore section

After cloning, if devices are already cloned with duplicate IDs:

Close AnyDesk completely on each device.
Delete the configuration directories that contain the AnyDesk ID.
Restart AnyDesk to automatically generate a new unique ID for each device.