Microsoft products and services have been widely used across the globe for decades now. From office environments and universities to people’s homes, Microsoft has consistently provided invaluable service.

As technology has evolved, one of the things that has been at the forefront of a lot of the change that we have witnessed is the issue of access. Considering the popularity of services such as Windows 365 Cloud PC, Azure Virtual Desktop, and Microsoft 365, Microsoft wants its clients to have easy access to devices and applications. Hence the development of the Windows App Portal.

Introducing the Windows App

Windows App is a service that will remotely connect to your Windows devices and apps from Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365 Cloud PCs, Microsoft Dev Box, Remote Desktop Services, and PCs. It aims to guarantee you a secure connection to Windows devices and apps. Windows App comes with a lot of flexibility thus allowing you to use it with various types of devices on different platforms and form factors. The service is available for Windows, macOS, Android, Chrome OS, web browsers, meta quest VR headset, and iOS/iPadOS.

Owing to this flexibility, clients can use their desktops, laptops, tablets, or smartphones. Additionally, individuals that will be using a web browser on a desktop or a laptop won’t need to download and install any software. Below are the services and products you can connect to from different platforms:

Connect To	Windows	macOS	iOS / iPadOS	Android / Chrome OS	Web Browser	Meta Quest
Azure Virtual Desktop	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Windows 365	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Microsoft Dev Box	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Remote Desktop Services	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Remote PC	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes

Benefits of Windows App

Windows App aims to provide organizations with a consistent, reliable experience for all devices, enabling secure access from any location. Whether your platform of choice is Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365, Remote Desktop, or any of the others, the goal with Windows App is to ensure that the process is easier thereby enabling you to manage and utilize these resources from a single, intuitive app.

In addition, this service is not uniquely for IT admins only. End-users can also take advantage of the many features to tailor their experience to fit their personal workflows. On the other hand, admins will find great value in the added security as well as streamlined management. Other exciting features that businesses can look forward to include:

•  Unified access – manage and access multiple Windows services, including cloud PCs, virtual desktops, and local PCs, from a single, streamlined interface.
•  Customizable experience – end-users get the option of personalizing their interfaces thanks to the customizable home screens, multimonitor support, and dynamic display resolutions.
•  Enhanced experience – take advantage of great features including device redirection, Microsoft Teams optimizations, and easy account switching for an efficient remote working experience.

Prerequisites

WINDOWS

There are a few requirements that you need to meet before you can download Windows App and connect to your Cloud PC from Windows:

•  As one would expect, you need an internet connection before you can download Windows App from the Microsoft Store and connect to Windows 365. Most people should have no issues here but if you happen to be on a network that blocks internet access then you’ll have to allow access to the list at Required FQDNs and endpoints.
•  Your user account for Windows 365, and you’re assigned a Cloud PC by your administrator. Users can also sign in with multiple accounts and switch between them when necessary. A personal Microsoft account can’t be used to sign in.
•  Your device must be running a supported version of Windows 11 or Windows 10 (21H2 and later including LTSC and IoT Enterprise). If you are running a version of Windows 10 that no longer has mainstream support, you must have your device enrolled in the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program.

MACOS

Before you can download Windows App and connect to your Cloud PC from macOS, you’ll need to meet the following requirements:

•  An internet connection will be required before you can download Windows App from the Mac App Store and connect to Windows 365. Again, the majority of users won’t have problems here but those using networks that block internet access will have to allow access to the list at Required FQDNs and endpoints.
•  Your user account for Windows 365, and you’re assigned a Cloud PC by your administrator. Users can also sign in with multiple accounts and switch between them when necessary. A personal Microsoft account can’t be used to sign in.
•  Your device must be running macOS 12.0 or later.

iOS/iPadOS

Before you can download Windows App and connect to your Cloud PC from iOS or iPadOS, you need to verify the requirements below:

•  An internet connection is a requirement before you can download Windows App from the App Store and connect to Windows 365. Most users won’t encounter any challenges during this process but those working on networks that block internet access will have to allow access to the list at Required FQDNs and endpoints.
•  Your user account for Windows 365, and you’re assigned a Cloud PC by your administrator. Users can also sign in with multiple accounts and switch between them when necessary. A personal Microsoft account can’t be used to sign in.
•  Your device must be running iOS or iPadOS 16.0 or later.

ANDROID/CHROME OS

There are a few requirements that you need to meet before you can download Windows App and connect to your Cloud PC from Android or Chrome OS:

•  An internet connection will be required before you can download Windows App from the Google Play Store and connect to Windows 365. The majority won’t encounter any challenges during this process but those working on networks that block internet access will have to allow access to the list at Required FQDNs and endpoints.
•  Your user account for Windows 365, and you’re assigned a Cloud PC by your administrator. Users can also sign in with multiple accounts and switch between them when necessary. A personal Microsoft account can’t be used to sign in.
•  Your device must be running Android 10 or later and Chrome 126 or later.

WEB BROWSER

You need to meet the requirements listed below before you can download Windows App and connect to your Cloud PC from a web browser:

•  You must have an internet connection to connect to Windows 365. Most people should have no issues here but if you happen to be on a network that blocks internet access then you’ll have to allow access to the list at Required FQDNs and endpoints.
•  Your user account for Windows 365, and you’re assigned a Cloud PC by your administrator.
•  Additionally, you should ensure that your web browser is supported. Unfortunately, Windows App won’t support mobile web browsers. Supported browsers must also:
• Be less than 12 months old on a rolling basis.
• Support the AVC codec, which fortunately has support by default on most desktops and laptops.
• Have WebGL enabled which you will also find enabled by default on most recent browser versions.
•  The table below contains information about the web browsers that you can use.

Web Browser	Supported Platforms	Notes
Microsoft Edge	Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS	Version 79 or later
Google Chrome	Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS	Version 57 or later
Apple Safari	macOS	Version 11 or later
Mozilla Firefox	Windows, macOS, Linux	Version 55 or later

META QUEST

You need to meet the requirements listed below before you can download Windows App and connect to your Cloud PC from Meta Quest:

•  A Meta Quest 3 or Quest 3S headset.
•   Users must also have a Meta Quest for Business subscription installed on their headsets to connect to Windows 365.
•   Users will need to have an internet connection to download Windows App from the Meta Store and connect to Windows 365. In most cases, end-users won’t run into problems, but for those using networks that block internet access, they will have to allow access to the list at Required FQDNs and endpoints.
•   Your user account for Windows 365, and you’re assigned a Cloud PC by your administrator.

Connect To Your Cloud PC

•  To connect to your Cloud PC on Windows, you should start by downloading and installing Windows App from the Microsoft Store. Once installation is complete, open Windows App. Windows App for Windows may also download as a standalone outside of the Microsoft Store as a .msix file. The download links can be found here.
•  Next, you need to select Sign in and sign in with your user account for Windows 365. End-users will be signed in automatically if they’re already signed in to a local Windows device with a work or school account on a managed device.
•  During the first time using Windows App, you can navigate through the tour to learn more about Windows App, then select Done. Alternatively, you can simply select Skip.
•  Once signed in, select Devices to show your Cloud PC and any other services you have access to. If you don’t see a Cloud PC, contact your administrator.
•  A search box and filters are available to help you find the Cloud PC that you want to connect to.
•  Select Connect on a Cloud PC to connect. Once the connection to your Cloud PC is complete, you’re ready to start using it. End-users can benefit from quick access by adding their favorite Cloud PCs to Task view in Windows 11 or the Favorites tab of Windows App.
•  The process for connecting to a Cloud PC on macOS, iOS/iPadOS, Android/Chrome OS, web browser, and Meta Quest are similar to this one. The specifics for each process are in this article.

End-users should expect to find a customizable home screen that should be perfectly adaptable to one’s workflow needs. As mentioned earlier, flexibility is one of the key aspects of Windows App and this will allow end-users Windows access across multiple different services and remote PCs from a single place.

Features

Not only that, but end-users can also pin the favorites they access most. And for those with multiple accounts, the account switching feature makes switching between accounts a simple, seamless process. End-users will get several other features to enhance the remote experience and these include:

• Multiple monitor support – end-users get the option to use multiple monitors thereby enabling them to work more efficiently.
• Custom display resolutions – the display resolution of a Cloud PC or remote app is customizable so that it fits the unique needs of the user.
• Dynamic display resolutions and scaling – to perfectly match your device, Windows App will automatically adjust the display resolution and scaling of your Cloud PC or remote app.
• Device redirection, such as webcams, audio, storage devices, and printers – devices can redirect to a Cloud PC or remote app.
• Microsoft Teams optimizations – Windows App is optimized for Microsoft Teams thus ensuring a great user experience.
• Sign in with multiple accounts and easily switch between them.

Wrap Up

Microsoft has made the transition from the Remote Desktop app to Windows App to provide businesses with a portal that delivers a better experience. End-users will benefit from unified access to multiple Windows services as well as customizable home screens, multimonitor support, and dynamic display resolutions. All of these are crucial to giving Windows 365 Cloud PC users a more seamless experience. And as Cloud PC users move away from windows365.microsoft.com, they will benefit from the enhanced workflows that the versatile Windows App will provide.