anywhereinput 1.1.6

Remote control your PC from any browser.

AnywhereInput

Control your Windows, Linux, or macOS PC from any browser. No app install, no account, no cloud dependency.

AnywhereInput is a lightweight open-source remote control tool. Run a Python server on your PC and control it from any browser — no app or account needed. It supports mouse, keyboard, scrolling, real-time screen capture, and zero-config tunnel support with 5 providers plus a local-only mode.

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Why AnywhereInput?

Every remote control tool forces you through friction:

Tool	Friction
TeamViewer / Chrome Remote Desktop	Account creation, bloated client, corporate telemetry
VNC / RDP	Port forwarding, firewall rules, VPN setup
Dedicated apps	App store, permissions, updates

AnywhereInput does none of that. Open a browser, paste a link, control your PC. The server is yours. The connection is direct. The client is the web.

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Quick Start

Windows (Recommended)

scripts\windows\setup.bat
scripts\windows\run.bat

Linux / macOS

chmod +x scripts/unix/setup.sh scripts/unix/run.sh
./scripts/unix/setup.sh
./scripts/unix/run.sh

pip — install from PyPI (any platform)

pip install anywhereinput
anywhereinput
anywhereinput --tunnel cloudflare
anywhereinput --tunnel local
anywhereinput --help-tunnels

Ubuntu (recommended): pipx install from PyPI

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y pipx
pipx ensurepath

# Open a new terminal, then install and run
pipx install anywhereinput
anywhereinput --tunnel cloudflare

Package on PyPI: https://pypi.org/project/anywhereinput/

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Important Notes

• See docs/IMPORTANT.md for critical security, tunnel, and troubleshooting notes.
• See IMPORTANT.md in the repository root for quick operator guidance before first run.
• Client monitor selection supports all detected displays from the monitor dropdown (including Auto mode).

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Tunnel Providers

Provider	Cost	Account	Setup	Notes
Cloudflare Tunnel	Free	❌ No	Auto-downloaded	Fastest globally, random URL per session
Tailscale	Free	✅ Yes (free)	Install + log in once	Peer-to-peer via tailnet IP — both devices on same tailnet
Pinggy.io	Free	❌ No	Uses SSH client	60 min session timeout, works behind firewalls
Zrok2	Free (5 GB/day)	✅ Yes	Manual install	Open source, zero-trust architecture
ngrok	Free tier	✅ Yes	Download + config	Reliable, large ecosystem, session limits on free

Local-only mode is also available via --tunnel local (no tunnel process, same WiFi/LAN).

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Features at a Glance

Control

• Mouse — Move, click (left/right), double-click, scroll
• Keyboard — Single keys, hotkey combos (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+Alt+Del, etc.)
• Screen Capture — Real-time JPEG stream from server to browser
• Screen Overlay Click — Tap anywhere on the live screen to move cursor there
• Touchpad Gestures — Two-finger scroll, long-press right click, tap-to-click

Settings

• Adjustable mouse sensitivity (0.3x – 3.0x)
• FPS counter overlay
• Stream quality & scale control
• Screen capture toggle
• Live engine recovery status banner during capture interruptions

Performance

• ~60 Hz mouse updates
• Configurable screen stream FPS (1–120), JPEG quality (1–95), scale (0.1–1.0)
• Multi-monitor support with auto cursor tracking across monitors

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Architecture

┌─────────────────+─────────────────────────────────┐
│                 │                                 │
│  Your Device    │      Your PC                    │
│  (Any Browser)  │      (Python Server)            │
│                 │         - aiohttp HTTP/WS        │
│  Screen Stream  ├──────►|  - MSS/PIL capture       │
│  <─────────────+------►|  - pyautogui input       │
│                 │         └─────────────────────────┘
└─────────────────+─────────────────────────────────┘
                    │
                    ▼
          +─────────────────+
          │ Tunnel Provider │ (Optional, for remote)
          │ Cloudflare /    │
          │ Tailscale /     │
          │ Pinggy /        │
          │ Zrok2 / ngrok   │
          └─────────────────+

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CLI Options

Flag	Default	Description
--host HOST	127.0.0.1	Server host bind address
--port PORT	8008	Server port
--fps FPS	120	Screen capture FPS (1–120)
--quality Q	85	JPEG quality (1–95)
--scale F	1.0	Screen scale factor (0.1–1.0)
--no-capture	—	Disable screen capture entirely
--monitor N	0	Monitor to capture (0=auto, 1+=fixed)
--tunnel P	interactive menu	Tunnel provider: cloudflare, tailscale, pinggy, zrok2, ngrok, local
--help-tunnels	—	Show tunnel provider quick help and exit
--version	—	Show installed version and exit

Example:

anywhereinput --fps 15 --quality 75 --scale 0.7 --tunnel cloudflare

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How It Works

1. Run the server on your PC (anywhereinput, run.sh, or run.bat)
2. Select your tunnel provider from the menu
3. Open a browser on any device (phone, tablet, laptop)
4. Paste the URL displayed in the terminal
5. Enter the access token and tap Connect
6. Use the touchpad to control your PC, or tap the screen stream to move the cursor

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Client Controls

Action	How
Move cursor	Drag on the touchpad area
Left click	Tap touchpad or tap Left Click button
Right click	Long-press touchpad (600ms) or Right Click button
Double click	Double Click button
Scroll	Two-finger drag, or Scroll Up/Down buttons
Keyboard	Tap Keyboard, type text, send
Hotkeys	Pre-mapped: Ctrl+A through Ctrl+F, Ctrl+Alt+Del
Center mouse	Tap Center button
Screen overlay click	Tap anywhere on the live screen stream

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WebSocket API

Authentication

Connect to /ws and send:

{"type": "auth", "token": "***"}

Commands

{"type": "move", "mode": "relative", "dx": 10, "dy": 15}
{"type": "move", "mode": "absolute", "dx": 0.5, "dy": 0.5}
{"type": "click", "button": "left", "clicks": 1}
{"type": "scroll", "amount": 15}
{"type": "key", "key": "enter"}
{"type": "hotkey", "keys": ["ctrl", "c"]}
{"type": "screen_toggle", "enabled": true}
{"type": "ping"}

Server Events

{"type": "screen", "data": "<base64-jpeg>"}
{"type": "screen_status", "status": "rebuilding", "message": "Reconnecting to display..."}
{"error": "capture_error", "message": "Input engine is recovering.", "recovering": true}
{"error": "capture_engine_offline", "message": "Input engine is offline. Retry shortly."}

HTTP Endpoints

Endpoint	Description
GET /api/screen	Returns screen dimensions
GET /api/engine	Returns input engine health plus screen_engine state
GET /api/monitors	Returns all monitor info + current selection
POST /api/monitor/{index}	Switch capture monitor

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Access Methods

Local Network (same WiFi)

No tunnel needed. Just open your browser and navigate to:

http://<your-pc-ip>:8008

Remote Access

Use any supported tunnel provider above for secure remote access from anywhere.

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Security

⚠️ Designed for personal/trusted use. Not hardened for production.

• ✅ Auto-generated 32-char token on each server start
• ✅ Token rotation via Ctrl+N or n + Enter
• ✅ HTTPS/WSS encryption when using any tunnel provider
• ✅ No data stored on external servers
• ❌ Single token per session
• ❌ No rate limiting
• ❌ No IP whitelist
• ❌ No logging/monitoring

For enterprise-grade security, add a reverse proxy with OAuth or mTLS.

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System Requirements

Component	Minimum
Server OS	Windows 10/11, Linux, macOS
Python	3.9+
Client	Any browser with WebSocket + Pointer Events + Touch Events
Internet	Required on both devices for remote access

Dependencies

Runtime dependencies are pinned to exact versions in pyproject.toml for reproducible installs.

pyautogui==0.9.54
aiohttp==3.13.4
requests==2.32.5
qrcode[pil]==8.2
mss==10.1.0
Pillow==11.3.0
pyyaml==6.0.2

Packaging note

If new dependencies are required, add them to pyproject.toml (this project does not use a runtime requirements.txt workflow).

Potential optional dependencies (defer until needed):

pydirectinput==1.0.4  # Optional, for DirectInput fallback
pywin32==312; platform_system=="Windows"  # For Windows session APIs

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Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
Tunnel URL not showing	Check internet; verify provider status; try another provider
Can't connect from device	Check firewall allows port 8008; test http://localhost:8008 on PC first
Connection timeout	Verify both devices have internet; check tunnel provider status
Mouse moving too slow / lag	Check network latency; reduce drag distance; try local network
Screen capture shows black cursor	Install mss; on Linux, ensure X11 display is accessible
Screen stream is blank	Check server logs; try --no-capture; ensure Pillow is installed
Keyboard double-typing	Client uses 50ms debounce; check mobile keyboard autocorrect
Zrok2 "not enabled" error	Run zrok2 enable <TOKEN> or use zrok2_repair.py
Cloudflared not found	Auto-downloads on first run; if fails, install manually: winget install --id Cloudflare.cloudflared (Windows) or brew install cloudflared (macOS)
Python not found	Install Python 3.9+ from python.org, ensure it's on PATH

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Getting Started Guide

Cloudflare Tunnel

1. Run run.bat / ./run.sh and select Cloudflare Tunnel
2. The launcher auto-downloads cloudflared if not found
3. Wait 10–20 seconds for the tunnel to establish
4. Copy the URL (https://xxx.trycloudflare.com)

Tailscale

1. Install Tailscale on both PC and device
2. Log in to the same account on both devices
3. Run run.bat / ./run.sh and select Tailscale
4. Your PC displays its Tailnet IP — connect from any other tailnet device

Pinggy.io

1. Ensure you have an SSH client installed:
   • Windows: Enable OpenSSH Client in Settings > Apps > Optional Features
   • Linux: sudo apt-get install openssh-client
   • macOS: Built-in
2. Run run.bat / ./run.sh and select Pinggy
3. If prompted for a password, press ENTER (blank password)
4. Copy the URL (https://xxx.a.free.pinggy.link)

Zrok2

1. Download zrok from github.com/openziti/zrok/releases
2. Run zrok invite to create an account (one-time)
3. Run zrok2 enable <TOKEN> (get token from zrok.io dashboard)
4. Run run.bat / ./run.sh and select Zrok2

ngrok

1. Download ngrok from ngrok.com/download
2. Sign up at dashboard.ngrok.com/signup
3. Get your auth token from your authtoken page
4. Run run.bat / ./run.sh and select ngrok

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Roadmap

• ✅ Unified tunnel launcher (5 providers)
• ✅ Tailscale peer-to-peer support
• ✅ Auto-download cloudflared binary on all platforms
• ✅ Zrok2 environment check and auto-enable
• ✅ Pinggy SSH tunnel with URL parsing
• ✅ Terminal QR code generation
• ❌ Android/iOS companion app
• ❌ Video streaming mode
• ❌ File transfer over tunnel
• ❌ Enterprise SSO integration

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Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for details.

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License

MIT License — See LICENSE