Welcome to the confusing world of Windows App  

Introduction 

Remember the good old days when “remote desktop” meant fighting tooth-and-nail against a clunky interface, juggling multiple windows, and wishing you had a spare monitor or three?  

The world has come a long way since then, and while remote desktop has been fairly straightforward for a while now, Microsoft are nonetheless making some changes. And they’re a bit… complex.  

The new Windows App (note, there’s no ‘the’—it’s just “Windows App”) is Microsoft’s replacement for the Remote Desktop application which has been built into Windows since the early days of Windows XP.  

What is Windows App? 

The idea behind Windows App is that it’s a ‘gateway’ to remote connections, bringing together various different remote desktop services into a singular experience.  

To get a bit more specific, Windows App will allow you to connect to: 

• Windows 365, which is a “PC in the cloud” which is accessible via almost any device.  
• Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktops, which are also virtualised Windows experiences which run in your Azure environment.  
• Microsoft Dev Box, which is a preconfigured cloud-based workstation built around coding for developers.  
• Windows PCs, like your Windows 11 PC at work.  

Windows App is available on Windows (naturally), macOS, iOS, Android, and web browsers.  

What is happening to the existing Remote Desktop app? 

This is where things get a bit confusing, so bear with us.  

There are a couple of different ways you might already be using remote desktop: 

1. The Remote Desktop app downloaded from the Microsoft Store. This will continue to work until May 27^th 2025. At that point, you won’t be able to download or install it anymore and you’ll need to use Windows App instead.  
2. The Remote Desktop Connection client for Windows. This is a standalone MSI installer which is still available for download and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. That said, Microsoft specifically states that “we recommend those users also transition to Windows App for the best experience.” 

To add to the confusion, both of these apps show up as “Remote Desktop” when installed on a Windows 10 or Windows 11 machine. Because of course they do.  

What about the “Remote Desktop Connection” app? 

The changes mentioned above apply to the “Remote Desktop” (Microsoft Store) and “Remote Desktop” (MSI installer) versions of this service. But if you’re using Windows 10 or 11 and you type ‘remote desktop’ into your start menu search bar, you’ll probably see an app called “Remote Desktop Connection”.  

And you thought this was confusing before! 

These are essentially the same thing, but the newer version is simply optimised for touch screens and tablets.  

Should your business make any changes? 

Whether or not this change, and the May 27^th deadline, will apply to you really depends on how you use remote desktop.  

If you’re an everyday user and often connect to different virtual or local machines using these remote desktop connections, you’re likely better off switching to Windows App right away. You can download it right now here.  

If you don’t use Remote Desktop often, or you have a specific reason that you need to stick with the MSI installer version of the app, there’s no action required right now.  

Have a question about remote desktop (or anything else)? 

These changes are small, but you never know how they might impact your business. 

If you’re concerned or have questions about Windows App, remote desktop, or anything else, just ask your Get Support Customer Success Manager, or call the team on 01865 594000. We’re here to help.