Keep Tailscale running when I'm not logged in to my computer
Linux
On Linux, Tailscale runs as the system, and is available even when no users are logged in.
For other platforms Tailscale runs as the logged in user, not as the system. This means that if a device is restarted, or multiple users are logged in at the same time, Tailscale won't automatically connect.
Windows
On Windows, you can solve this by using "Run Unattended" mode. This configures Tailscale to run as the system instead of the currently logged in user. For example, a machine running Windows Server Edition might want to enable this to permit multiple users to connect via RDP at once.
You may be required to be logged in as a user with elevated permissions for this to work properly.
Set unattended mode on Windows with the client:
- Right-click the Tailscale icon in the Windows system tray.
- Hover over Preferences.
- Select the Run unattended option.
Or with the command line:
-
Open PowerShell or
cmd.exe. -
Run the following command:
tailscale up --unattended=true
macOS
On macOS, there's no ability to run as the system just yet. You can follow this GitHub issue for updates.