Screen sharing without installation

You want to help someone — parents, grandparents, customers — and no one should have to deal with downloads and accounts? With Auffi, the person helping just opens their browser, types a 9-digit code and is connected: no installation, no account. Free, open source, servers in Germany.

Connected in three steps

  1. Open auffi.app — in the browser, no download, no account.
  2. Enter the code — the 9-digit code the other person gives you.
  3. Connect — the other person confirms, and the session starts.

Note: The person whose screen is shared runs the small Auffi sharer once (Windows or Linux) and reads out their code. The helping side stays entirely in the browser — that is the difference from TeamViewer, AnyDesk or RustDesk, which require an app on both sides.

Why this makes things easier for the person helping

Screen sharing without installation: what happens underneath

The helping side installing nothing is not a convenience bolted on afterwards — it is an architectural decision. Through WebRTC the browser already carries everything needed to receive a video stream: negotiation, encryption, playback. An extra program on that side would add nothing the browser cannot already do.

The sharing side is different. A browser may hand over a single window, but for good security reasons it may not drive the operating system's mouse and keyboard. Remote control therefore needs a small program there — the sharer. The asymmetry is deliberate: the hurdle sits with the person organising help, not with the one stepping in spontaneously.

What the server sees. Only the connection setup is brokered: both sides exchange, via the signalling server, how they can reach each other. After that, video, input and files flow directly between the two machines, encrypted with DTLS-SRTP. Only when a firewall blocks the direct path does a TURN server relay the traffic — and even then the content stays unreadable to the server.

Why the code expires. Nine digits are short enough to read aloud and too short for lasting security. So a code is valid for at most ten minutes, the server rate-limits guessing per IP address, and the sharing person confirms every incoming connection explicitly. Three barriers instead of one long password nobody can dictate over the phone.

What you actually say on the phone

The whole procedure fits into two sentences — which is precisely the point:

  1. "Open auffi.app in your browser."
  2. "Type in these nine digits and click Connect."

No download, no account, no security warning that needs explaining. Anyone who has tried to talk someone through an installation over the phone — "no, not the big green button, the other one" — knows the difference.

The other direction does need the sharer: sharing your own screen and allowing remote control means installing a small program. The hurdle therefore sits with the person organising help, not with the one stepping in on the spot — which is the right way round, because the organiser is the one who can prepare and the helper is the one who cannot.

Frequently asked questions

Can you really share a screen without installing anything?

For the helper, yes: they just open auffi.app in a browser, type a 9-digit code and are connected — no download, no account. Only the person whose screen is shared runs the small Auffi sharer once.

Why does the sharing person still have to run something?

For security, browsers may not silently expose a whole screen plus remote control. So the small Auffi sharer (Windows or Linux) runs on the shared side. The helping side stays entirely in the browser.

Is it free?

Yes, completely. Auffi is open source under the AGPL-3.0 — free for private and commercial use, with no session limit.

Is the connection secure?

Every stream is end-to-end encrypted with DTLS-SRTP (WebRTC). The 9-digit code expires after 10 minutes, the server rate-limits guess attempts per IP, and the sharing person actively confirms every connection.

Does it work on any device?

The helper only needs a modern browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox; Safari with limitations). The sharer for the shared side runs on Windows and Linux (macOS coming).

Try it now

Share your screen — enter a code & connect · Download the sharer · Remote support software compared