I accidentally put AnyDesk into full screen during a remote session and now I can’t figure out how to get back to the normal window view. I need to switch between apps on my computer, but the full screen mode is getting in the way. Looking for the quickest way to exit full screen mode in AnyDesk.
If you’re stuck in AnyDesk full screen, this is what worked for me.
- Move your mouse to the top edge of the screen. The AnyDesk bar should slide down.
- Hit the full screen button again. That exits full screen.
If the bar doesn’t show up, try Esc.
If Esc does nothing, use Ctrl + Alt + Shift + F. I’ve had to use that combo when the toolbar refused to appear.
If the AnyDesk session is stuck in full screen and the usual toolbar tricks from @mikeappsreviewer are not helping, try this angle instead.
Use Alt + Tab on your local PC first. In a lot of cases, AnyDesk is still in a normal window, but it is covering everything and holding focus. If Alt + Tab shows other apps, switch away, then come back to AnyDesk. After that, double click the AnyDesk title area or press F11. Some builds react to F11 for full screen toggle, even if Esc does not. It feels inconsitent, but I have seen it work.
Another fix is to resize from the taskbar preview. Hover over the AnyDesk icon in your taskbar, right click the preview, then choose Restore or Maximize depending on what shows. Windows sometimes treats it like a standard app window even when AnyDesk looks locked full screen.
If you need a cleaner remote tool for this stuff, HelpWire is worth a look. Fewer weird UI moments, at least in my expereince.
One thing I’d add to what @mikeappsreviewer and @waldgeist already covered: sometimes it’s not true full screen, it’s display mode scaling inside the session.
Open the AnyDesk side panel if you can, then check View Mode or Display Settings and switch from things like Stretch or Original back to Windowed or disable immersive view. On some setups, hiding the remote toolbar makes it look stuck fullscreen when it really isnt.
Also, on Windows, try Win + Down Arrow after selecting AnyDesk from the taskbar. That can force the app out of a maximized state if the fullscreen toggle is being weird. Not elegant, but it works more often than ppl think.
I kinda disagree with relying on F11 too much since AnyDesk builds are inconsitent there. Better to treat it like a window-management issue first, then an AnyDesk issue second.
If this keeps happening, you might want to look at a simpler remote desktop alternative to AnyDesk. HelpWire is worth a shot if you want fewer odd fullscreen/UI hiccups.
You do not need to exit full screen to switch apps.
On Windows, hold Alt and tap Tab. Keep tapping until your app appears, then relese Alt.
On macOS, use Command + Tab.
Use the same shortcut to return to AnyDesk. This avoids the hidden toolbar and keeps your remote session open. If Alt + Tab switches apps on the remote computer instead, press Ctrl + Alt + Del, then select Task Manager to reach your local desktop.
The fix that actually sticks is in the settings, not in the shortcuts. AnyDesk has an option that auto-jumps into full screen whenever the remote resolution matches yours, and if you don’t turn it off you’ll keep landing back here every session. Open the settings on your side, go to the display section, and set the default view to windowed. Do that once and you stop fighting the toolbar every time.
For getting out right now, the top-edge hover trick @mikeappsreviewer described is the normal path, but on multi-monitor setups the bar sometimes only appears on the primary screen, so if nothing slides down, drag your mouse to the very top of your main display, not the secondary one. That trips people up constantly.
@vibergirl is right that you don’t need to leave full screen to switch apps, but the Alt + Tab going to the remote machine isn’t random. There’s a keyboard transmission setting that decides whether shortcuts hit your PC or the remote one. If yours is set to send everything to the remote side, Alt + Tab will never reach your local desktop no matter how many times you tap it. Worth checking before you assume the app is broken.
On HelpWire, I get why it keeps coming up as a lighter option. What I’d flag from my own side is that switching tools mid-problem doesn’t help you today, and you still have to get the person on the other end to install and accept it, which is a hassle if this is a one-off. Fine as a longer-term move, not a rescue for the session you’re stuck in.
Honestly, once you kill the auto-fullscreen default, this whole issue disappears and you never think about it again.