Microsoft 'Windows App' Offers Access to Windows PCs From Any Device - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Microsoft 'Windows App' Offers Access to Windows PCs From Any Device

Microsoft is launching a "Windows App" that can remotely connect to a Windows PC and provide access to it from any platform. Available for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, PCs, and web browsers, the app also provides a gateway to Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, Microsoft Dev Box, and the company's Remote Desktop Services.

windows app overview
The Windows app includes a customizable Home Screen from which users can access multiple different cloud services and remote PCs. The app features multiple monitor support, custom display resolutions, dynamic display resolutions and scaling, peripheral redirection, and more.

Microsoft has offered the Remote Desktop Connection app in Windows for years now, but the Windows app signals a broader shift to cloud computing for Windows more generally.

For now the app is only available as a preview for enterprise accounts, but it is likely to support regular customers in time, although the option to sign in using a personal Microsoft account doesn't currently work, according to The Verge. The Mac version requires macOS 12 or later, while the iOS/iPadOS app needs a device running iOS or iPadOS 16 or later. The web version of the app can be accessed by going to windows.cloud.microsoft.

Popular Stories

macOS 27 on MacBook Pro

macOS 27 Will Mark the End of an Era

Saturday April 18, 2026 6:45 am PDT by
During its Platforms State of the Union segment at WWDC 2025, Apple revealed that macOS 26 Tahoe is the final major macOS version for Intel-based Macs. The upcoming macOS 27 release will be compatible with Apple silicon Macs only, meaning that you will need a Mac with an M-series chip or a MacBook Neo with an A18 Pro chip in order to install the software update. macOS 27 should be available...
Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple Says CarPlay Ultra is Coming to These Vehicle Brands

Saturday April 18, 2026 5:59 am PDT by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly a year later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. CarPlay Ultra...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple CEO Tim Cook Stepping Down, John Ternus Taking Over

Monday April 20, 2026 1:33 pm PDT by
Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down as Apple's chief executive officer, and hardware engineering chief John Ternus is set to take over, Apple announced today. Cook will continue on as Apple CEO through the summer, with Ternus set to join Apple's Board of Directors and take over as CEO on September 1, 2026. Cook is going to transition to executive chairman, and he will "assist with certain...

Top Rated Comments

32 months ago
Isn’t this essentially the same as Microsoft Remote Desktop, or what am I missing here?
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bradman83 Avatar
32 months ago

Isn’t this essentially the same as Microsoft Remote Desktop, or what am I missing here?
It builds on remote desktop by adding support for Windows 365 and Azure desktops, so you can access cloud-based Windows VMs in addition to remote access to physical PCs.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
32 months ago

So no more Parallels?
No, this doesn't replace all of the use cases for a virtual machine. This would require some physical machine running Windows to be accessible to you, either locally or via the cloud. It's more like Remote Desktop than Parallels, with the difference being the cloud components built into it.

Parallels would still be useful for when you need to run Windows directly on the same machine.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
32 months ago
Now I can run Windows on my iPhone!



Attachment Image
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chucker23n1 Avatar
32 months ago

Isn’t this essentially the same as Microsoft Remote Desktop, or what am I missing here?
Yes. This is basically a rebrand of their previous RDP client. Some of the previous UI is also still there:



They do seem to have improved a few things. Resizing the window to set the resolution now sort of works, although I find text to be blurry on on-Retina Displays.

Copying files finally seems to be implemented.

I still prefer Royal, but my use cases are more advanced…

Attachment Image
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chucker23n1 Avatar
32 months ago

Oh look. Another way for Windows to run better on a Mac than on a PC.
In this setup, Windows actually does run on a PC, except that drawing the virtual monitor occurs on your Mac.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)