Microsoft is once again changing things up and making things confusing for users of its products. After the failure of Microsoft Teams, it is now renaming the Remote Desktop app to a Windows app on some platforms.
On Windows, it is launching Windows apps without replacing the classic Remote Desktop apps, at least that is what it seems like so far.
Windows App
What is the Windows app? Microsoft says it is “a gateway to Azure Virtual Desktops, Windows 365, Microsoft Dev Boxes, Remote Desktop Services, and Remote PCs”. The app is available for a variety of devices including Windows, macOS, and iOS, with a web browser version also available.
The app is currently in preview. Mac OS and iOS users who run the classic Microsoft Remote Desktop app on their devices get a banner at the top informing them about the name change. It reads: “The upcoming update for Remote Desktop will have a new name for the client, the Windows app!”.
Microsoft published launch Visit the support page. There Microsoft has not given any explanation for the name change. However, it lists several features of the application that are designed to enhance the remote experience.
It is listed in:
- Multiple monitor support.
- Custom display resolution.
- Dynamic display resolution and scaling.
- Device redirection, such as webcams, audio, storage devices, and printers.
- Microsoft Teams customization.
Obviously, these have nothing to do with the name change.
Some features, which Microsoft calls experiences, are not available for all platforms. In fact, the Windows app is the only one that supports all the listed features. The macOS version lacks support for localization and Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) schemes. The iOS app lacks these and support for integrated apps, and the web version lacks support for integrated apps and URI schemes.
Functionality is limited in other areas too, the Windows app for Windows supports all the features and the apps for all other platforms lack them in some way or the other. You can check out the feature comparison list Here,
Not everyone is happy with the name change. reddit and talk about it too Twitter About the change. Not everyone is against the name. Some argue that the name is helpful for users who are not so technically savvy. It may make it easier for them to find the right apps to connect with the Windows-world.
The Windows app is also available for Windows. You can download and install it Microsoft Store Now. It is then available alongside the operating system's existing remote desktop apps.
Microsoft hasn’t yet revealed if the new app will replace classic apps, or if it will be an alternative that won’t replace anything on Windows.
The situation is different on macOS and iOS. Microsoft has clearly stated that the Windows app will replace existing apps.
Is Windows App a great name for a remote desktop app? Leave a comment below to let us know!
Thanks for reading..
