Duo Device Health is now Duo Desktop. The user interface started showing the new name in November 2023.
Duo Desktop is an application installed on your desktop or laptop that performs health checks whenever you access Duo protected applications through the browser-based Duo Universal Prompt or traditional Duo Prompt, ensuring that your computer meets the organization’s security requirements. This helps protect corporate data and make sure your computer is less vulnerable to compromise.
| Has your organization enabled the new Universal Prompt experience? See the Universal Prompt guide for more information. |
Vulnerable laptops or desktops accessing corporate resources exposes organizations to potential attacks, financial damage and compliance issues. Duo Desktop reduces risk by ensuring compliance of corporate devices to business standards and provides visibility into personal devices before granting them access to corporate resources.
Duo Desktop supports the following platforms:
- Linux distributions which support Debian or Red Hat packages:
- Debian: 11, 12
- Ubuntu: 24.04 LTS, 23.04, 22.04 LTS, 20.04 LTS
- CentOS Stream: 8, 9
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux: 8, 9
- macOS 10.15 and later
- macOS virtual machines
- Windows client editions, including Enterprise, Pro, and Home:
- Windows 10 build 1803 and later
- Windows 11
- Windows Server 2016 and later
- Windows virtual machines
Duo Desktop does not support earlier versions of Windows or macOS beta versions.
Contents
- Install Duo Desktop
- Download and Install During Login or Enrollment
- Start Duo Desktop
- Other Install Methods
- Duo Desktop Updates
- Log in with Duo Desktop
- Fix Duo Desktop Issues
Install Duo Desktop
Duo Desktop takes up very little space and will not slow your system or other apps down. It does not erase data, access your personal files, or change your computer settings. Learn what data Duo Desktop collects.
Duo Desktop installation requires that you have administrator privileges on your computer. If you do not have administrative rights on your computer or encounter issues installing Duo Desktop, please contact your organization's Duo administrator or Help Desk.
The steps for downloading and installing Duo Desktop for the first time during Duo enrollment or authentication are essentially the same between the Duo traditional prompt and the Duo Universal Prompt. You'll see the Duo Desktop download and install instructions in the prompt, and once the application is installed and running you can continue.
If your browser prompts you to allow it to open Duo Desktop, be sure to grant that permission and to save that setting for the future.
Download and Install During Login
Install from Traditional Duo Prompt
- When your organization's Duo policy requires Duo Desktop, you'll see a download button within the Duo Prompt during the login or enrollment process. Click it to download the Duo Desktop installer.
If you're using a Linux system, first choose the right type of package for your distribution — either DEB for Debian and Ubuntu or RPM for Red Hat and Centos — and then click to download the installer.
During Authentication:
During Enrollment:
- Locate the Duo Desktop installer in your browser downloads folder. On Windows the installer is an MSI file, and on macOS the installer is a PKG file. On Linux it will be either a DEB or RPM file depending on which type of package you downloaded.
- Run the Duo Desktop installer, following the on-screen prompts. You may be prompted to provide an administrator password.
- Once the Duo Desktop install completes, return to the Duo Prompt and click the link to continue with enrolling your two-factor authentication device.
Install from Duo Universal Prompt
- When your organization's Duo policy requires Duo Desktop, you'll see a download button within the Duo Prompt during the login or enrollment process. Click it to download the Duo Desktop installer.
If you're using a Linux system, first choose the right type of package for your distribution — either DEB for Debian and Ubuntu or RPM for Red Hat and Centos — and then click to download the installer.
During Authentication:
During Enrollment:
- Locate the Duo Desktop installer in your browser downloads folder. On Windows the installer is an MSI file, and on macOS the installer is a PKG file. On Linux it will be either a DEB or RPM file depending on which type of package you downloaded.
- Run the Duo Desktop installer, following the on-screen prompts. You may be prompted to provide an administrator password.
- Once the Duo Desktop install completes, return to the Duo Universal Prompt to continue logging in to the application. If Duo Desktop didn't launch automatically after you installed it, click Open the app.
Start Duo Desktop
Duo Desktop should start automatically after installation, but can also be started manually if needed:
Linux
Run this command from a terminal prompt:
sudo systemctl start duo-desktopmacOS
- Open Spotlight with Command key ⌘ + Space bar.
- Type Duo Desktop and click the application search result.
Windows 10
- Open the Start Menu with Windows key ⊞ key or click the Windows logo on the far left of the taskbar.
- Type Duo Desktop and click the application search result.
Other Install Methods
If your organization manages your computer, your IT team may push Duo Desktop to your computer automatically, without you needing to perform the install steps.
Your Duo administrator might also ask you to install Duo Desktop ahead of time. You can download the installers directly with these links:
View checksums for Duo downloads.
Duo Desktop Updates
Duo Desktop updates automatically. Contact your organization's Duo administrator or Help Desk if your system has issues applying an update.
Log in with Duo Desktop
When you enter your username and password into a Duo protected application, Duo Desktop checks the health of your devicebefore you are able to access the application. This should only take a few seconds.
Once the health check completes you may choose an authentication method to verify your identity and log in to the application.
Duo Traditional Prompt
Duo Universal Prompt
Fix Duo Desktop Issues
If the Duo Desktop check determines that your computer doesn't meet the security requirements for your organization, then you can't access the protected application and you'll see a notification in the Duo Prompt. On macOS and Windows systems, clicking the link in the notification opens Duo Desktop, which shows you what you need to address on your computer before you can access the application.
Click on the setting that needs action to see instructions for how to correct it so your device is healthy. If you need help, your Duo administrator may have added contact information to Duo Desktop, or you should contact your organization's help desk.
Duo Traditional Prompt
Duo Universal Prompt
Duo Desktop for Linux runs as a background service, and does not have a clickable user interface. Use the information shown in the Duo authentication prompt to determine what you need to check on your system before you can access the application.
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