Why Microsoft Is Phasing Out Their Remote Desktop App (and What to Use Instead)

Microsoft has announced that it's pulling the old Microsoft Remote Desktop tool that you could get in the Microsoft Store. The company is advising users to move over to the shiny new Windows App instead, which takes care of a lot of the same functions—including connecting to PCs remotely, and accessing Windows 365 computers in the cloud.

The Windows App provides several improvements over Microsoft Remote Desktop, Microsoft says, such as multi-monitor support, dynamic display resolutions, customizable home screens, and a more unified interface. It's designed so you can access the same Windows machines remotely across multiple devices.

If you're a user of Microsoft Remote Desktop, you need to move over by Tuesday, May 27. However, it's not quite as easy as one app fully and completely replacing another—Microsoft has other similar tools available as well, and there are currently some caveats to using the Windows App.

What is and isn't changing

Microsoft is retiring a single, specific utility here: Microsoft Remote Desktop in the Microsoft Store. The Windows App is essentially its new and modern replacement. However, while the Windows App does cover most of what Microsoft Remote Desktop did, it doesn't cover everything on every platform.

What isn't going away is the Remote Desktop Connection feature that's included in Windows: You can still use this as normal. You can also still download and use the more advanced Remote Desktop client for Windows tool, which is aimed at IT administrators and professionals, and comes with features suitable for organizations.

The Microsoft Remote Desktop app is being retired. Credit: Microsoft

Confused yet? While the Windows App for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and Android does allow remote desktop connections at the time of writing, the Windows App for Windows doesn't. For Windows-to-Windows connections, Microsoft recommends using built-in Remote Desktop Connection, "until support for this connection type is available in Windows App"—though it doesn't say when that support is going to roll out.

The Windows App is a good idea, in theory, but it's still a work in progress: Microsoft even has an official known issues and limitations page that you should check if you're moving over from the Microsoft Remote Desktop program (the one that's being retired). It also requires a work or school Microsoft account, so it's not something individual users can access (at least not for now).

How to set up remote connections

You can check out our full guide to the Windows App for more details on what this software package is and what it can do, but if you're moving over from Microsoft Remote Desktop, then you're likely to be most interested in setting up remote PC connections. You can do this by clicking the + (plus) button in the top-right corner of the Devices tab, then choosing Add PC from the list.

You then need to provide a host name or IP address for the computer you're connecting to, as well as setting up the rest of the connection configuration—including how the remote PC is displayed on screen, and which folders are shared with the local PC. When all that's done, click Add to put the computer on your Devices screen, then double-click its thumbnails to establish the connection.

The new Windows App, on Windows. Credit: Lifehacker

There's plenty more to the Windows App as well, including the ability to stream Windows machines running on the Windows 365 platform in the cloud. This is a feature that's aimed at business and organization use, though, and to date Microsoft hasn't said anything about letting ordinary consumers run Windows from the cloud.

If you're connecting to a Windows PC from a Windows PC, then you need to use the old-school method, which is Remote Desktop Connection. First, you need to set up the computer you want to connect to, which must be running a Pro version of Windows. From Settings, choose System and Remote Desktop, then turn on the feature and make a note of the PC name displayed on screen.

The old Remote Desktop Connection tool lives on. Credit: Lifehacker

Over on the computer you're connecting from, type "remote desktop connection" into the search box on the taskbar, then choose the Remote Desktop Connection app when it appears. You'll be prompted for the PC name that was displayed on the other machine, and then the connection is established.

It's all a bit patchy, with multiple tools offering slightly different feature sets and at different stages in their development, but the Windows App is clearly going to be the future—eventually. If you find Microsoft's approach to remote desktop access too confusing, there are plenty of third-party options around as well—including TeamViewer and Chrome Remote Desktop.

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