Device and app actions in Windows App

Once you're connected to your devices and apps using Windows App, it's important to know how to use its features and configure settings. This article shows you how to perform certain actions on your devices and apps in Windows App. The actions you can take depends on what you're connecting to.

Prerequisites

Before you can configure display settings, you need:

  • Windows App installed on your local device, or access to Windows App in a web browser, with at least one device or app added. To learn more, see Get started with Windows App

Device actions

Select a tab for the platform you're using.

Here are the actions you can perform on devices and apps in Windows App for Windows. The following table shows which actions you can take, depending what you're connecting to. Select an action menu item to learn more.

Action menu item Azure Virtual Desktop Windows 365 Microsoft Dev Box*
Add to Task view
Inspect connection
Pin to
Rename
Reset
Restart
Restore
Settings
View details

* For more actions to take on a dev box, use the Microsoft Dev Box developer portal.

Add to Task view

You can add Cloud PCs and dev boxes to the Windows 11 Task view to. You can use the Windows Task view icon to:

  • Quickly connect to your Cloud PC or dev box without having to open Windows App.
  • Switch between your local device and Cloud PC.

A screenshot showing a Cloud PC added to Task view in Windows 11.

To add a Cloud PC or dev box to the Windows 11 Task view:

  1. Open Windows App, then select the Devices tab.

  2. Select the ellipses (...) on the card of the device to want to add, then select Add to Task view.

  3. To remove a Cloud PC or dev box from the Windows 11 Task view, repeat steps 1 and 2, then select Remove from Task view.

Inspect connection

You can inspect the connection a device has with its service to help troubleshoot issues you might be experiencing with the remote device. Inspecting the connection will:

  • Check that the device is ready to connect.
  • Check that the appropriate service is working properly.
  • Try to resolve any issues that are detected.

During an inspection, you can't connect to the device and it might restart. An inspection might take several minutes. To inspect the connection of a device:

  1. Open Windows App, then select the Devices tab.

  2. Select the ellipses (...) on the card of the device you want to inspect, then select Inspect connection.

  3. In the Inspect connection dialog box, check the box to indicate you want to inspect the connection, then select Inspect connection.

Pin to

You can pin devices and apps to the Windows App Favorites tab. To pin a device or app:

  1. Open Windows App, then select the Devices or App tab.

  2. Select the ellipses (...) on the card of the device or app you want to pin, then select Pin to...

  3. Select Favorite to pin the device or app on the Windows App Favorites tab. For Windows 365 and Microsoft Dev Box, you can also select Pin to taskbar to pin the device to the Windows taskbar.

  4. To unpin a device or app, repeat the steps, selecting Unfavorite again to uncheck it. If you pinned a device to the Windows taskbar, select Unpin from taskbar to unpin the device.

Rename

You can rename a device to make it easier for you to identify. When you rename a device, the new name is synchronized across all your local devices running Windows App. The device is only renamed in Windows App for you. It doesn't rename the device for administrators. To rename a device:

  1. Open Windows App, then select the Devices tab.

  2. Select the ellipses (...) on the card of the device you want to rename, then select Rename.

  3. In the Rename dialog box, note the naming tips, type a new name for the device, then select Rename.

Reset

If you're having trouble with a device, you can reset it. The Reset action:

  • Reinstalls Windows 11.
  • Removes all your personal files and apps.
  • Resets all changes you made to settings.
  • Removes any saved restore points

Caution

Resetting your device deletes all your files on the device. Before you reset a device, make sure you back up any important files that you want to keep to another storage location. The reset action is irreversible.

To reset a device:

  1. Open Windows App, then select the Devices tab.

  2. Select the ellipses (...) on the card of the device you want to reset, then select Reset.

  3. In the Reset dialog box, check the box to indicate you want to reset the device, then select Reset.

Restart

You can restart your device from Windows App without having to connect to it. To restart a device:

  1. Open Windows App, then select the Devices tab.

  2. Select the ellipses (...) on the card of the device you want to restart, then select Restart.

  3. In the Restart dialog box, confirm you want the device to restart by selecting Restart.

Restore

If you're having trouble with a device, you can restore a device to the exact state it was in at an earlier point in time.

Caution

Restoring your device deletes all your data (files and apps) that were saved between the date and time chosen and the present. Before restoring a device, make sure you back up any important files that you want to keep to another storage location. The restore action is irreversible.

To restore a device:

  1. Open Windows App, then select the Devices tab.

  2. Select the ellipses (...) on the card of the device you want to restore, then select Restore.

  3. In the Restore dialog box, check the box to indicate you want to restore the device.

  4. In the Select a restore point drop-down list, select the date and time you want to restore your device to, then select Restore.

Settings

To view and edit settings of a device:

  1. Open Windows App, then select the Devices tab.

  2. Select the ellipses (...) on the card of the device you want to edit settings, then select Settings or Edit.

  3. To learn about the settings you can change, see the following articles:

View details

You can view details about a device. Details include:

  • OS (operating system)
  • OS version
  • Device name (the hostname of the device your connecting to)
  • Name (the name of the device in Windows App)
  • License
  • Last sign-in (the date and time you last signed in to the device)

To view details of a device:

  1. Open Windows App, then select the Devices tab.

  2. Select the ellipses (...) on the card of the device you want to view, then select View details.

Learn more about how to use Windows App: