Token Authentication

Secure, credential-free authentication for every connection

Each license comes with a unique token. Paste it into the app — no account credentials stored on your device.

HelloControlDesk uses a token-based authentication model instead of username and password combinations. When you subscribe, your dashboard generates a unique license token tied to your subscription. This token is the only thing needed to authenticate a connection between server and client machines.

The key advantage is that no account credentials ever touch your devices. If a machine is compromised, an attacker cannot extract your HelloControlDesk account password from it — only a revocable token. You can manage and regenerate tokens from your dashboard at any time, instantly invalidating old ones.

Both the server and client machine must use the same token to establish a session. This shared-token model ensures that only authorised machines on your network can connect, adding a layer of access control on top of network-level security. Combined with TLS encryption, token authentication makes HelloControlDesk safe to run on shared office or home networks.

How it works

1
Your licence comes with a token, available in your dashboard. It is tied to your subscription, not to a particular computer.
2
Paste the token into the server application and into each client application, on macOS or Windows.
3
When a client joins the session, the token is what authenticates it. No account credentials are stored on any of the machines.
4
The exchange that follows is TLS-encrypted, so authentication and encryption cover the whole connection on your local network.

When it is useful

Work laptop next to a personal PC

The company machine never holds your HelloControlDesk account password: only the token, which is enough to join the session.

A test machine that gets reinstalled often

Reinstall the system, reinstall the client, paste the token again: there is no account to log into on that machine.

A shared office network

Only machines holding your token can join your session. Other devices on the same Wi-Fi or Ethernet network cannot send input to your computers.

Limits and requirements

The token must be entered on every machine of the set-up, up to 5 per licence.
Token authentication works between machines on the same local network only; it does not open access over the internet.
Server and client are available for macOS and Windows. No Linux or BSD version is listed.
The licence is per user. The terms of service do not allow sharing your token with third parties.

Frequently asked questions

What is stored on my computers?

Only your licence token. No account credentials are stored on the device: the token is what authenticates each machine when it joins the session.

Is the token used on every machine?

Yes. The same licence covers up to 5 machines, and each of them authenticates with the token before it can send or receive keyboard and mouse input.

Is authentication enough on its own?

Token authentication controls who can join; TLS encryption protects what is exchanged. Both are included in every plan and work together on your local network.

Can I add a machine later?

Yes, as long as you stay within 5 machines for the licence: install the application on the new machine and paste the same token.

Is token authentication included in both plans?

Yes. The monthly and the annual plan include the same product: token authentication, TLS encryption, automatic reconnection, shared clipboard and multi-monitor support.

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