Microsoft replaces Remote Desktop app for Windows with an app that is liked even less

[harlan4096]

Windows 11 users and administrators who want remote desktop connectivity can use the baked-in functionality. First, be enabling Remote Desktop on non-Home devices, and then downloading the Remote Desktop app for Windows to PCs to establish connections between the two devices.

This happened: Microsoft announced this week that it is retiring the Remote Desktop app at the end of May 2025. The app will be removed from the Microsoft Store and it won't be supported anymore.



Microsoft says that users need to transition to the Windows app to "ensure continued access to Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, and Microsoft Dev Box".

Microsoft highlights the improvements of the Windows app, stating that the new app provides users with "unified access to multiple Windows services" and offers "customizable home screens, multimonitor support, and dynamic display resolutions".

The problem: The new Windows app supports Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, and Microsoft Dev Box only at this point. It does not support remote desktop connections or services at this stage. To make matters worse, the new Windows app requires a work or school account for use.

Microsoft maintains a list of known issues and limitations of the Windows App. The list includes the following points for the Windows Windows App.

• Resetting user data through the user interface is not supported (needs to be done via the Settings app).
  
• No local Windows Start menu integration.
  
• Private Link to Azure Virtual Desktop is not supported.
  
• SSO with Active Directory Federation Service is not supported.
  
• Connecting to Azure Government, Azure Germany, Azure operated by 21Vianet, or Azure Virtual Desktop (Classic) isn't supported.
  
• Windows App does not work in environments where proxy servers require proxy/HTTP authentication.
  

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