How to Change the Alias in AnyDesk

Aliases are an excellent way to assign a more descriptive identification to each AnyDesk ID. But if you don’t like the alias you set up the first time you used AnyDesk, don’t worry. There’s a simple way to change the AnyDesk alias, and this article will tell you how to do it.

How to Change an AnyDesk Alias

Unfortunately, only some AnyDesk users will be able to change their alias. Those using the free version of the software won’t have this option. If you’re using the software for free, you’ll be able to set your ID when you first install AnyDesk. After that, you’re stuck with the set ID unless you switch to using the paid version of AnyDesk.

If you purchase an AnyDesk Solo license, you’ll be able to change your ID and alias up to three times. But if you’re a user who frequently changes your mind, it may make more sense to go for the Standard or Advanced license. These licenses allow you to set up a custom namespace, which lets you change your alias an unlimited number of times.

Changing an alias in AnyDesk is pretty straightforward and involves a few simple steps:

1. Launch the AnyDesk app.
   
2. Click on the hamburger icon in the upper-right corner of the window.
   
3. Select “Settings” from the drop-down menu.
   
4. Go to “User Interface” on the left panel.
   
5. Navigate to the “Alias” section.
   
6. Click on the “Choose Alias…” button.
   
   • If the button is greyed out, you’re running the free version of AnyDesk.
7. Type in your new alias in the pop-up window.
   
8. Complete the change by pressing the “Register” button.
   

Besides your alias, you can change any AnyDesk alias associated with your account using the “Clients” tab on the AnyDesk customer portal.

To change a client’s alias, do the following:

1. Right-click on the client’s AnyDesk ID.
2. Select the “Choose Alias…” option.
3. Enter the desired alias in the pop-up window.
4. Click on “Save.”

Each AnyDesk ID can be linked to a maximum of three aliases in a public namespace.

Where Can You See the AnyDesk Alias?

Suppose you need to find out which aliases are currently associated with an AnyDesk ID. There are several ways to find out this information.

When requesting the alias from a remote client, you should instruct them to head to the “This Desk” or “Your Address,” depending on their AnyDesk version. There, they can find information about their ID and alias.

You can also check this information by yourself by accessing the AnyDesk customer portal. This portal is the primary interface for viewing and modifying the properties of a customer’s account.

Once you enter the customer portal, head to the “Clients” tab. This tab will display all the clients registered to your account. You’ll be able to see the current AnyDesk alias of the client under the “Alias” tab.

Sometimes, you might need information about the client’s alias while in session with the client. If that’s the case, you can visit the “Sessions” in the customer portal. This tab showcases all the current and past sessions with clients registered to your account. If you look under the “To” field, you’ll see the remote client’s AnyDesk ID and alias. The “From” field, meanwhile, will display your information.

If you have a custom namespace, you’ll be able to see the details about the concurrent number of aliases allowed under the “License” tab. In general, this tab allows you to manage general administrative information.

What Can You Use as an AnyDesk Alias?

When changing an AnyDesk alias, there are a few rules to keep in mind.

Every alias is comprised of a name and namespace in the “name@namespace” format. If you have a public namespace, your alias will end in “@ad,” referring to AnyDesk. Users with a custom namespace can end the alias with their company’s name.

Besides being a more personalized alias, switching to a custom namespace allows you to change or reassign aliases registered to it an unlimited number of times. A custom namespace also helps secure your devices.

As for the name portion of the alias, it can consist of the following characters:

• Numbers from zero to nine
• Lower and upper-case letters from a to z
• The minus symbol (-)
• The period symbol (.)
• The underscore symbol (_)

Any other character is forbidden and regarded as invalid, so you won’t be able to use it in your AnyDesk alias.

How to Register an AnyDesk Alias in a Custom Namespace

By choosing a custom namespace, all your clients will receive a personalized name that typically ends in your company’s name. When all clients under a license appear the same, it can give customers a seamless brand experience.

Here’s how to register an alias in a custom namespace:

1. Visit the AnyDesk customer portal.
2. Navigate to the “Clients” tab.
3. Go to the “Client Details” page.
4. Head to the “Alias” section.
5. Click on the “Set alias” button.
6. Enter the desired alias.
7. Press “Save.”

If you want to avoid setting the aliases manually, you can do it automatically by accessing the Advanced AnyDesk options:

1. Go to the AnyDesk customer portal.
2. Select “Advanced Settings.”
3. Navigate to the “Auto register Alias to custom namespace” field.
4. Under “key-value pair,” enter the following code:
   ad.anynet.register.add_to_namespace=true

You can only set auto registration for clients with no existing configuration files. Once you enable auto registration, the default alias will consist of the device’s name and your custom namespace.

What Else Can You Customize in AnyDesk?

Besides changing aliases and namespaces, AnyDesk offers plenty of options for customization from the AnyDesk customer portal. These options become available once you register for a premium license. Here are some options that might come in handy.

Client Generator

Thanks to a custom client generator, customers can customize their experience using AnyDesk. To create a custom client, do the following:

1. Select the “Files” option from the top menu.
   
2. Click on the “Create new custom AnyDesk client” option.
   
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to create a custom client configuration.
   

Settings

The “Settings” tab allows you to shape the interface of the AnyDesk window and customize the overall experience. From here, you can do the following:

• Set the default language
• Set the client to show the ID instead of the alias
• Disable access to the custom settings
• Disable the address book feature in the custom client
• Disable TCP listen port to avoid the Windows Firewall notification
• Allow connections in the background when the main AnyDesk window is minimized
• Automatically register aliases
• Automatically register custom clients to your license.
• Automatically add clients to the address book to simplify deployment
• Set a password for unattended access
• Enable AnyDesk on startup
• Whitelist IDs or namespaces that are allowed to request sessions

Logo and Icon

To brand the AnyDesk interface, you can include your or your company’s logo at the top of the main window. You only need to upload a JPEG or PNG image file under the “Logo and Icon” tab. The size will be scaled automatically, but you’ll achieve the best results using a PNG image file with 200×40 pixels.

If you’re a Windows user, you can also choose a different colored icon for each client. The chosen icon will be displayed as the:

• Window icon
• Tray icon
• Installation icon

Customize Texts

Windows users can also customize the appearance of the main window and change the disclaimer displayed upon the startup of an AnyDesk client.

Public Link

AnyDesk account holders control access to custom clients. If you want your custom clients to be able to access AnyDesk without login, you can make them a public URL link. Only users with direct knowledge of this link can download the custom client.

The created link will never change, even if you alter the configuration. The users with the custom link will continue receiving the latest client releases through a notification. For now, AnyDesk doesn’t support automatic updates of the custom clients.

Advanced Settings

If you want to dig deeper and fully customize the AnyDesk experience, the “Advanced Settings” area will come in handy. These mostly contain configuration settings, but you’ll also find the option to override specific settings so that users can’t change them back within their AnyDesk client.

Visit AnyDesk’s website for the complete list of codes you can use to fine-tune AnyDesk clients to your specifications.

Can You Retrieve a Lost AnyDesk Alias?

AnyDesk aliases and IDs are stored locally in the service.conf configuration file. If this file gets lost, the ID and the alias will also be lost. The only way to restore and reclaim these identifications is through the backup configuration file.

To back up your alias, save the service.conf configuration file in a safe location. You can also secure settings and recent sessions by backing up the entire “Installed” folder.

AnyDesk, Any Alias

As long as you purchase a premium AnyDesk license and abide by the set rules, there are no limits to the number of aliases you can create or change. As with almost any AnyDesk customization, the process is simple and requires no more than a few minutes.

Have you tried changing your AnyDesk alias so far? Do you prefer to display your ID or your alias? Let us know in the comments section below.