Use features of the Remote Desktop client for Windows when connecting to Azure Virtual Desktop

Once you've connected to Azure Virtual Desktop using the Remote Desktop client, it's important to know how to use the features. This article shows you how to use the features available in the Remote Desktop client for Windows.

There are multiple options:

• Remote Desktop client for Windows: A standalone MSI installer. When installed, the application name is Remote Desktop.

• Remote Desktop app for Windows: Comes from the Microsoft Store. When installed, the application name is Remote Desktop.

Tip

To ensure a seamless experience, you should download Windows App, which replaces the Remote Desktop client. Windows App is the gateway to securely connect to any devices or apps across Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365, and Microsoft Dev Box. For more information, see What is Windows App.

Note

Your admin can choose to override some of these settings in Azure Virtual Desktop, such as being able to copy and paste between your local device and your remote session. If some of these settings are disabled, please contact your admin.

Select a tab for the platform you're using.

Remote Desktop client (MSI)

Refresh or unsubscribe from a workspace or see its details

Select a tab below for the version of the Remote Desktop client for Windows that you're using.

To refresh or unsubscribe from a workspace or see its details:

1. Open the Remote Desktop application on your device.

2. Select the three dots to the right-hand side of the name of a workspace where you'll see a menu with options for Details, Refresh, and Unsubscribe.

   • Details shows you details about the workspace, such as:
     • The name of the workspace.
     • The URL and username used to subscribe.
     • The number of desktops and apps.
     • The date and time of the last refresh.
     • The status of the last refresh.
   • Refresh makes sure you have the latest desktops and apps and their settings provided by your admin.
   • Unsubscribe removes the workspace from the Remote Desktop client.

User accounts

Select a tab below for the version of the Remote Desktop client for Windows that you're using.

Manage user accounts

You can save a user account and associate it with workspaces to simplify the connection sequence, as the sign-in credentials will be used automatically. You can also edit a saved account or remove accounts you no longer want to use.

User accounts are stored and managed in Credential Manager in Windows as a generic credential.

To save a user account:

1. Open the Remote Desktop app on your device.

2. Double-click one of the icons to launch a session to Azure Virtual Desktop. If you're prompted to enter the password for your user account again, enter the password and check the box Remember me, then select OK.

To edit or remove a saved user account:

1. Open Credential Manager from the Control Panel. You can also open Credential Manager by searching the Start menu.

2. Select Windows Credentials.

3. Under Generic Credentials, find your saved user account and expand its details. It will begin with RDPClient.

4. To edit the user account, select Edit. You can update the username and password. Once you're done, select Save.

5. To remove the user account, select Remove and confirm that you want to delete it.

Display preferences

Select a tab below for the version of the Remote Desktop client for Windows that you're using.

Display settings for each remote desktop

If you want to use different display settings to those specified by your admin, you can configure custom settings.

1. Open the Remote Desktop application on your device.

2. Right-click the name of a desktop connection, for example SessionDesktop, then select Settings.

3. Toggle Use default settings to off.

4. On the Display tab, you can select from the following options:

   Display configuration	Description
   All displays	Automatically use all displays for the desktop. If you have multiple displays, all of them will be used. For information on limits, see Compare the features of the Remote Desktop clients.
   Single display	Only a single display will be used for the remote desktop.
   Select displays	Only select displays will be used for the remote desktop.

   Each display configuration in the table above has its own settings. Use the following table to understand each setting:

   Setting	Display configurations	Description
   Single display when in windowed mode	All displays Select displays	Only use a single display when running in windows mode, rather than full screen.
   Start in full screen	Single display	The desktop will be displayed full screen.
   Fit session to window	All displays Single display Select displays	When you resize the window, the scaling of the desktop will automatically adjust to fit the new window size. The resolution will stay the same.
   Update the resolution on resize	Single display	When you resize the window, the resolution of the desktop will automatically change to match. If this is disabled, a new option for Resolution is displayed where you can select from a pre-defined list of resolutions.
   Choose which display to use for this session	Select displays	Select which displays you want to use. All selected displays must be next to each other.
   Maximize to current displays	Select displays	The remote desktop will show full screen on the current display(s) the window is on, even if this isn't the display selected in the settings. If this is off, the remote desktop will show full screen the same display(s) regardless of the current display the window is on. If your window overlaps multiple displays, those displays will be used when maximizing the remote desktop.

Input methods

You can use touch input, or a built-in or external PC keyboard, trackpad and mouse to control desktops or apps. Select a tab below for the version of the Remote Desktop client for Windows that you're using.

Use touch gestures and mouse modes in a remote session

You can use touch gestures to replicate mouse actions in your remote session. If you connect to Windows 10 or later with Azure Virtual Desktop, native Windows touch and multi-touch gestures are supported.

The following table shows which mouse operations map to which gestures:

Mouse operation	Gesture
Left-click	Tap with one finger
Right-click	Tap and hold with one finger
Left-click and drag	Double-tap and hold with one finger, then drag
Right-click	Tap with two fingers
Right-click and drag	Double-tap and hold with two fingers, then drag
Mouse wheel	Tap and hold with two fingers, then drag up or down
Zoom	With two fingers, pinch to zoom out and move fingers apart to zoom in

Keyboard

There are several keyboard shortcuts you can use to help use some of the features. Some of these are for controlling how the Remote Desktop client displays the session. These are:

Key combination	Description
CTRL+ALT+HOME	Activates the connection bar when in full-screen mode and the connection bar isn't pinned.
CTRL+ALT+PAUSE	Switches the client between full-screen mode and window mode.

Most common Windows keyboard shortcuts, such as CTRL+C for copy and CTRL+Z for undo, are the same when using Azure Virtual Desktop. When you're using a remote desktop or app in windowed mode, there are some keyboard shortcuts that are different so Windows knows when to use them in Azure Virtual Desktop or on your local device. These are:

Windows shortcut	Azure Virtual Desktop shortcut	Description
CTRL+ALT+DELETE	CTRL+ALT+END	Shows the Windows Security dialog box. Also applicable in fullscreen mode.
ALT+TAB	ALT+PAGE UP	Switches between programs from left to right.
ALT+SHIFT+TAB	ALT+PAGE DOWN	Switches between programs from right to left.
WINDOWS key, or CTRL+ESC	ALT+HOME	Shows the Start menu.
ALT+SPACE BAR	ALT+DELETE	Shows the system menu.
PRINT SCREEN	CTRL+ALT++ (plus sign)	Takes a snapshot of the entire remote session, and places it in the clipboard.
ALT+PRINT SCREEN	CTRL+ALT+- (minus sign)	Takes a snapshot of the active window in the remote session, and places it in the clipboard.

Note

Keyboard shortcuts will not work when using remote desktop or RemoteApp sessions that are nested.

Keyboard language

By default, remote desktops and apps will use the same keyboard language, also known as locale, as your Windows PC. For example, if your Windows PC uses en-GB for English (United Kingdom), that will also be used by Windows in the remote session.

You can manually set which keyboard language to use in the remote session by following the steps at Managing display language settings in Windows. You might need to close and restart the application you're currently using for the keyboard changes to take effect.

Redirections

Select a tab below for the version of the Remote Desktop client for Windows that you're using.

Folder redirection

The Remote Desktop client can make local folders available in your remote session. This is known as folder redirection. This means you can open files from and save files to your Windows PC with your remote session. Redirected folders appear as a network drive in Windows Explorer.

Folder redirection can't be configured using the Remote Desktop client for Windows. This behavior is configured by your admin in Azure Virtual Desktop. By default, all local drives are redirected to a remote session.

Redirect devices, audio, and clipboard

The Remote Desktop client can make your local clipboard and local devices available in your remote session where you can copy and paste text, images, and files. The audio from the remote session can also be redirected to your local device. However, redirection can't be configured using the Remote Desktop client for Windows. This behavior is configured by your admin in Azure Virtual Desktop. Here's a list of some of the devices and resources that can be redirected. For the full list, see Compare the features of the Remote Desktop clients when connecting to Azure Virtual Desktop.

• Printers
• USB devices
• Audio output
• Smart cards
• Clipboard
• Microphones
• Cameras

App display modes

Select a tab below for the version of the Remote Desktop client for Windows that you're using.

You can configure the Remote Desktop client to be displayed in light or dark mode, or match the mode of your system:

1. Open the Remote Desktop application on your device.

2. Select Settings.

3. Under App mode, select Light, Dark, or Use System Mode. The change is applied instantly.

Views

You can view your remote desktops and apps as either a tile view (default) or list view:

1. Open the Remote Desktop application on your device.

2. If you want to switch to List view, select Tile, then select List view.

3. If you want to switch to Tile view, select List, then select Tile view.

Update the client

Select a tab below for the version of the Remote Desktop client for Windows that you're using.

By default, you'll be notified whenever a new version of the client is available as long as your admin hasn't disabled notifications. The notification will appear in the client and the Windows Action Center. To update your client, just select the notification.

You can also manually search for new updates for the client:

1. Open the Remote Desktop application on your device.

2. Select the three dots at the top right-hand corner to show the menu, then select About. The client will automatically search for updates.

3. If there's an update available, tap Install update to update the client. If the client is already up to date, you'll see a green check box, and the message You're up to date.

Tip

Admins can control notifications about updates and when updates are installed. For more information, see Update behavior.

Enable Insider releases

Select a tab below for the version of the Remote Desktop client for Windows that you're using.

If you want to help us test new builds of the Remote Desktop client for Windows before they're released, you should download our Insider releases. Organizations can use the Insider releases to validate new versions for their users before they're generally available.

Note

Insider releases shouldn't be used in production.

Insider releases are made available in the Remote Desktop client once you've configured the client to use Insider releases. To configure the client to use Insider releases:

1. Add the following registry key and value:

   • Key: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\MSRDC\Policies
   • Type: REG_SZ
   • Name: ReleaseRing
   • Data: insider

   You can do this with PowerShell. On your local device, open PowerShell as an administrator and run the following commands:

   New-Item -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSRDC\Policies" -Force
   New-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSRDC\Policies" -Name ReleaseRing -PropertyType String -Value insider -Force
   

2. Restart your local device.

3. Open the Remote Desktop client. The title in the top left-hand corner should be Remote Desktop (Insider):

   

If you already have configured the Remote Desktop client to use Insider releases, you can check for updates to ensure you have the latest Insider release by checking for updates in the normal way. For more information, see Update the client.

Admin management

Enterprise deployment

To deploy the Remote Desktop client in an enterprise, you can use msiexec from a command line to install the MSI file. You can install the client per-device or per-user by running the relevant command from Command Prompt as an administrator:

• Per-device installation:

  msiexec /i <path to the MSI> /qn ALLUSERS=1
  

• Per-user installation:

  msiexec /i <path to the MSI> /qn ALLUSERS=2 MSIINSTALLPERUSER=1
  

Important

If you want to deploy the Remote Desktop client per-user with Intune or Configuration Manager, you'll need to use a script. For more information, see Install the Remote Desktop client for Windows on a per-user basis with Intune or Configuration Manager.

Update behavior

You can control notifications about updates and when updates are installed. The update behavior of the client depends on two factors:

• Whether the app is installed for only the current user or for all users on the machine

• The value of the following registry key:

  • Key: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\MSRDC\Policies
  • Type: REG_DWORD
  • Name: AutomaticUpdates

The Remote Desktop client offers three ways to update:

• Notification-based updates, where the client shows the user a notification in the client UI or a pop-up message in the taskbar. The user can choose to update the client by selecting the notification.

• Silent on-close updates, where the client automatically updates after the user has closed the Remote Desktop client.

• Silent background updates, where a background process checks for updates a few times a day and will update the client if a new update is available.

To avoid interrupting users, silent updates won't happen while users have the client open, have a remote connection active, or if you've disabled automatic updates. If the client is running while a silent background update occurs, the client will show a notification to let users know an update is available.

You can set the AutomaticUpdates registry key to one of the following values:

Value	Update behavior (per user installation)	Update behavior (per machine installation)
0	Disable notifications and turn off auto-update.	Disable notifications and turn off auto-update.
1	Notification-based updates.	Notification-based updates.
2 (default)	Notification-based updates when the app is running. Otherwise, silent on-close and background updates.	Notification-based updates. No support for silent update mechanisms, as users may not have administrator access rights on the client device.

URI to subscribe to a workspace

The Remote Desktop client for Windows supports the ms-rd and ms-avd (preview) Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) schemes. This enables you to invoke the Remote Desktop client with specific commands, parameters, and values for use with Azure Virtual Desktop. For example, you can subscribe to a workspace or connect to a particular desktop or RemoteApp.

For more information and the available commands, see Uniform Resource Identifier schemes with the Remote Desktop client for Azure Virtual Desktop

Provide feedback

If you want to provide feedback to us on the Remote Desktop client for Windows, you can do so by selecting the button that looks like a smiley face emoji in the client app, as shown in the following image. This will open the Feedback Hub.

To best help you, we need you to give us as detailed information as possible. Along with a detailed description, you can include screenshots, attach a file, or make a recording. For more tips about how to provide helpful feedback, see Feedback.

Next steps

If you're having trouble with the Remote Desktop client, see Troubleshoot the Remote Desktop client.

Remote Desktop app

Refresh or unsubscribe from a workspace or see its details

To refresh or unsubscribe from a workspace or see its details:

1. Open the Remote Desktop app on your device.

2. Select the three dots to the right-hand side of the name of a workspace where you'll see a menu with options for Details, Refresh, and Unsubscribe.

   • Details shows you details about the workspace, such as:
     • The name of the workspace.
     • The URL and username used to subscribe.
     • The number of desktops and apps.
     • The date and time of the last refresh.
     • The status of the last refresh.
   • Refresh makes sure you have the latest desktops and apps and their settings provided by your admin.
   • Unsubscribe removes the workspace from the Remote Desktop app.

Pin desktops and applications to the Start Menu

You can pin your Azure Virtual Desktop desktops and applications to the Start Menu on your local device to make them easier to find and launch:

1. Open the Remote Desktop app on your device.

2. Right-click on a desktop or application, select Pin to Start, then confirm the prompt.

User accounts

Add user credentials to a workspace

You can save a user account and associate it with workspaces to simplify the connection sequence, as the sign-in credentials will be used automatically.

1. Open the Remote Desktop app on your device, then select Workspaces.

2. Select one of the icons to launch a session to Azure Virtual Desktop.

3. When prompted to choose an account, select + for User Account to add a new account, or select an account you've previously added.

4. If you selected to add an account, enter a username, password, and optionally a friendly name, then select Add.

5. Select Save, then select Connect.

Manage user accounts

You can save a user account and associate it with workspaces to simplify the connection sequence, as the sign-in credentials will be used automatically. You can also edit a saved account or remove accounts you no longer want to use.

To save a user account:

1. Open the Remote Desktop app on your device.

2. Select Settings.

3. Select the + (plus) icon next to User account.

4. Enter a username, password, and optionally a display name, then select Save. You can then add this account to a workspace by following the steps in Add user credentials to a workspace.

To remove an account you no longer want to use:

1. Open the Remote Desktop app on your device.

2. Select Settings.

3. Select the user account from the drop-down list you want to remove, then select Edit (pencil icon).

4. Select Remove account, then confirm you want to delete the user account.

To change the user account a remote session is using, you'll need to remove the workspace and add it again.

Display preferences

If you want to use different display settings to those specified by your admin, you can configure custom settings. Display settings apply to all workspaces.

1. Open the Remote Desktop app on your device.

2. Select Settings.

3. You can configure the following settings:

   Setting	Value
   Start connections in full screen	On or off
   Start each connection in a new window	On or off
   When resizing the app	- Stretch the content, preserving aspect ratio - Stretch the content - Show scroll bars
   Prevent the screen from timing out	On or off

Connection bar and command menu

When you've connected to Azure Virtual Desktop, you'll see a bar at the top, which is called the connection bar. This gives you quick access to a zoom control, represented by a magnifying glass icon, and more options. You can move the connection bar around the top edge of the display by tapping and dragging it to where you want it.

The icon with three dots in the connection bar shows the command menu that enables you to:

• Disconnect the remote session.
• Toggle between full screen and a window.
• Toggle between direct touch and mouse input.

Input methods

You can use touch input, or a built-in or external PC keyboard, trackpad and mouse to control desktops or apps.

Use touch gestures and mouse modes in a remote session

You can use touch gestures to replicate mouse actions in your remote session. Two mouse modes are available:

• Direct touch: where you tap on the screen is the equivalent to clicking a mouse in that position. The mouse pointer isn't shown on screen.
• Mouse pointer: The mouse pointer is shown on screen. When you tap the screen and move your finger, the mouse pointer will move.

If you connect to Windows 10 or later with Azure Virtual Desktop, native Windows touch and multi-touch gestures are supported in direct touch mode.

The following table shows which mouse operations map to which gestures in specific mouse modes:

Mouse mode	Mouse operation	Gesture
Direct touch	Left-click	Tap with one finger
Direct touch	Right-click	Tap and hold with one finger
Mouse pointer	Left-click	Tap with one finger
Mouse pointer	Left-click and drag	Double-tap and hold with one finger, then drag
Mouse pointer	Right-click	Tap with two fingers
Mouse pointer	Right-click and drag	Double-tap and hold with two fingers, then drag
Mouse pointer	Mouse wheel	Tap and hold with two fingers, then drag up or down
Mouse pointer	Zoom	With two fingers, pinch to zoom out and move fingers apart to zoom in

Keyboard

There are several keyboard shortcuts you can use to help use some of the features. Most common Windows keyboard shortcuts, such as CTRL+C for copy and CTRL+Z for undo, are the same when using Azure Virtual Desktop. There are some keyboard shortcuts that are different so Windows knows when to use them in Azure Virtual Desktop or on your local device. These are:

Windows shortcut	Azure Virtual Desktop shortcut	Description
CTRL+ALT+DELETE	CTRL+ALT+END	Shows the Windows Security dialog box.

You can configure the Remote Desktop app whether to send keyboard commands to the remote session:

1. Open the Remote Desktop app on your device.

2. Select Settings.

3. For Use keyboard commands with, select from one of the following:

   • My local PC only.
   • My remote session when it's in full screen (default).
   • My remote session when it's in use.

Keyboard language

By default, remote desktops and apps will use the same keyboard language, also known as locale, as your Windows PC. For example, if your Windows PC uses en-GB for English (United Kingdom), that will also be used by Windows in the remote session.

You can manually set which keyboard language to use in the remote session by following the steps at Managing display language settings in Windows. You might need to close and restart the app you're currently using for the keyboard changes to take effect.

Redirections

The Remote Desktop app can make your local clipboard and microphone available in your remote session where you can copy and paste text, images, and files. The audio from the remote session can also be redirected to your local device. However, redirection can't be configured using the Remote Desktop app for Windows. This behavior is configured by your admin in Azure Virtual Desktop.

Update the app

Updates for the Remote Desktop app are delivered through the Microsoft Store. Use the Microsoft Store to check for and download updates.

App display modes

You can configure the Remote Desktop app to be displayed in light or dark mode, or match the mode of your system:

1. Open the Remote Desktop app on your device.

2. Select Settings.

3. Under Theme preference, select Light, Dark, or Use system setting. Restart the app to apply the change.

Pin to the Start menu

You can pin your remote desktops to the Start menu on your local device to make them easier to launch:

1. Open the Remote Desktop app on your device.

2. Right-click a resource, then select Pin to Start.

Admin link to subscribe to a workspace

The Remote Desktop app for Windows supports the ms-rd Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) scheme. This enables you to use a link that users can help to automatically subscribe to a workspace, rather than them having to manually add the workspace in the Remote Desktop app.

To subscribe to a workspace with a link:

1. Open the following link in a web browser: ms-rd:subscribe?url=https://rdweb.wvd.microsoft.com.

2. If you see the prompt This site is trying to open Remote Desktop, select Open. The Remote Desktop app should open and automatically show a sign-in prompt.

3. Enter your user account, then select Sign in. After a few seconds, your workspaces should show the desktops and applications that have been made available to you by your admin.

Provide feedback

If you want to provide feedback to us on the Remote Desktop app for Windows, you can do so by selecting the button that looks like a smiley face emoji in the app, as shown in the following image. This will open the Feedback Hub.

To best help you, we need you to give us as detailed information as possible. Along with a detailed description, you can include screenshots, attach a file, or make a recording. For more tips about how to provide helpful feedback, see Feedback.

Next steps

If you're having trouble with the Remote Desktop app for Windows, see Troubleshoot the Remote Desktop app for Windows.