rustdesk / rustdesk/rustdesk-server-pro

Make RustDesk start “Always on Top” for Windows touch-only POS/Kiosk use (QuickSupport-style)

Open
#761 3 comments 1 reaction 0 assignees View on GitHub

Nobody has claimed this yet.

Dominant language
Shell
Stars
317
Forks
119
PR merge metrics
No merged PRs in 30d

Description

Bug Description
On Windows touch-only POS/kiosk systems, RustDesk launched interactively as a “QuickSupport”-style client opens behind the fullscreen POS application. End users cannot see the ID or the consent (“Allow”) prompt, so they cannot approve the session. The devices have no keyboard/mouse and no desktop access, so the user cannot Alt-Tab or bring RustDesk to the foreground.

How to Reproduce
1. Remote (controlled) device: Windows POS terminal running a fullscreen/kiosk cash-register app; touch-only, no keyboard/mouse, no desktop access.
2. Configure a button inside the POS UI to launch RustDesk (portable or custom client).
3. Tap the button to start RustDesk while the POS app remains in the foreground.
4. Observe that RustDesk’s window stays behind the POS app; the user cannot see the ID or consent prompt.

Expected Behavior
When started interactively on kiosk/touch POS systems, the RustDesk connection/consent window should appear in the foreground (topmost) during the initial pairing/consent phase so the user can read the ID and tap “Allow.” Normal z-order can resume after consent or when the window is closed.

Operating system(s) on local (controlling) side and remote (controlled) side
Windows 11 / macOS 14 / iPadOS 18 (local, various) → Windows 10 22H2 or Windows 11 23H2 (remote POS, touch-only)

RustDesk Version(s) on local (controlling) side and remote (controlled) side
1.3.6 (local) → 1.3.6 (remote; portable or custom client)

Screenshots
N/A (issue occurs in locked-down kiosk environments; can provide a short video if needed)

Additional Context
• Workarounds like wrapper scripts (AutoHotkey/PowerShell using SetWindowPos TopMost) can force RustDesk to the front, but they add deployment overhead and may be blocked on locked-down devices.
• Some customers do not allow unattended access; therefore a reliable consent-based “QuickSupport” flow is required.
• A built-in solution such as a temporary topmost consent/ID window, a command-line flag/config (e.g., --always-on-top / always_on_top=true), or a minimal floating “ID strip” would resolve the issue for kiosk/touch deployments.

Contributor guide

No contributing guide indexed for this repository

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

The payload names no source file, test, or entry point; first confirm whether the Windows client behavior is implemented in this server-pro repository or elsewhere, then locate the interactive consent/ID window. Reproduce the kiosk scenario and define done as the consent view appearing above the fullscreen POS app during pairing, with normal z-order afterward.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Domain
desktop
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
25/100

Get new issues in your inbox

A short digest of beginner-friendly GitHub issues.