Windows App Reviews

I used to enjoy WindowsApp a lot. Since several months ago I’ve never been able to connect to any of the computers using WindowsApp. Every time I try to connect to a computer, it tells me that it couldn’t be found after only two seconds.

I used to think it’s because I didn’t set up the Remote Desktop on the computer I want to connect to correctly. I fiddled with that several times and finally gave up.

I downloaded the remote desktop client on macOS today and tried to connect to a desktop. It worked perfectly (which is where I want this star to be awarded to make it a 6-star app). I immediately tried to connect to the same desktop under the same Wi-Fi using this phone. The problem persists, even after I deleted and reinstalled it.

Of course I’ve checked that every privilege WindowsApp asks, especially being able to find devices under the same network, is granted. I tried with another phone with iOS 14.4 and unsurprisingly that doesn’t work either.
I don’t understand how people in this review section are able to get this thing working. I have no intention to ruin this product’s rating. I only want WindowsApp to work again😔.

The new keyboard they added ruined WindowsApp - it’s buggy and unreliable. Often cropped and zoomed in which makes it not only useless, but you can’t dismiss it, so it blocks your screen. You can still manually open the Apple Keyboard, which works perfectly, but the new buggy keyboard opens automatically when you tap any text field and it’s infuriating. Also, while the Apple keyboard used to open automatically, now you have to manually open it, the screen scroll control stays on after you dismiss the Apple keyboard and the automatic screen adjustment when a keyboard comes up is buggy and sometimes leaves a huge black blank area at the top.

This new two keyboard design is terrible, buggy, confusing, obnoxious and was not ready to be released. I wish there was a way to revert to the old version. I loved WindowsApp before, but now it actually makes it easier to actually just physically go to my PC instead.

All the respect to app developers, but what happened to WindowsApp?? The last update introduced a myriad of bugs and removed helpful features. Whenever I reopen WindowsApp after a few hours, it crashes at least three times. The connection randomly freezes and requires a hard restart of WindowsApp . This is all on a home network, too, not RDP over the internet. A long press used to perform a right-click, but they did away with that and now you must click with two fingers. The long press was great because I'm handicapped and have a hard time extending two fingers. All these issues began with version 10.0.1. It is helpful that they increased the mouse pointer for increased visibility, though. There's not many options for RDP in WindowsApp store, please fix WindowsApp!

As a systems and network pro, WindowsApp is super handy for remote working on an iPad Pro. Mouse support would be even better, but the Apple Pencil works ok. The main issue is a lingering Keyboard issue. The keyboard works ok when you first launch WindowsApp , but if you switch to another iPad app, even in the side bar, the keyboard no longer enters text in the remote machine window. The only way to restore is to swipe close Microsoft Remote Desktop app completely, then relaunch. Keyboard works again until the next time you interact with any other app, then you have to kill the MRD app again. Quick Google search shows this is happening to lots of people. Microsoft - can you fix it??

Audio is constantly cutting out but that doesn't bother me. I tried messing around with games, so I pulled up the keyboard but using WASD or 1234 doesn't do anything :/ But I guess games weren't really why this program was made, so that's understandable. If the audio could be fixed, that'd be awesome! The graphics are very nice and moving the mouse is very smooth. I don't really like that the keyboard takes up half the screen, so maybe add a function to zoom out or something. I understand updates take time and RD Client may not be your main focus, but please work on updates in the future.

App works extremely well with latest iOS on 3rd gen iPad Air and i7 laptop with Windows 10 Pro (fully patched)...
...except, no matter the resolution, when a session is active and I move the mouse pointer to the bottom of the screen, the whole remote display moves up a couple about a 1/2”, leaving blank/black space at bottom. Does not seem to be case that the screen display is too large, since when I move the mouse pointer to the top of the screen, the whole remote display fits (shifts back down) again. Never had this problem before (I stopped using WindowsApp for about a year).

Still no 3D Touch. Taptic touch shouldn’t replace it on iPhone X and below.

Developer response: I understand your reasoning but it’s still false to say force touch has been “replaced” on iPhone X, as it still works to use force touch to do all those things you mentioned, with press + hold as an alternative method. It is quicker and less error-prone for users to do a force touch to right-click rather than hold and wait, which is less intuitive and not as efficient. There’s also no haptic feedback so it just doesn’t feel right.

Update 3: crashes fixed! But force touch removed?? I see a response that says iOS13 removed force touch but that is false.. it is still supported on iPhone X and right-click was much better with it.

Update 2: still crashes twice upon opening..

Update: taking off a star because it crashes a lot now

After years of waiting we got the update we were waiting for, and it’s a big one! WindowsApp is overall much improved and even supports dark mode.

When connected, the display still does not fill the full display of iPhone X with no option to change that. It does use a larger portion of the screen than before though. Overall great update and looking forward to future improvements!

Microsoft hasn’t been known in the past for smoothly interoperating with products from other software companies, but their Remote Desktop clients are an exception. Connections are smooth even over LTE and most of the Windows client features and options are available.

There are two input methods: a simple tap-based method which works well for UWP apps, and a cursor-based method that more or less uses your phone screen as a trackpad. The input method can be switched with two taps, and the keyboard can be shown with one tap.

The only thing I would like to see is a way to access certain keyboard keys that aren’t present on iOS, such as arrow keys. You can open the On-screen Keyboard in Windows, but a virtual keyboard being clicked by a virtual mouse being controlled by a touchscreen becomes pretty laborious to get anything done with.

I like the simplicity of this Remote Desktop program from Microsoft which does not require to install additional software on the server site. For occasional use, it is sufficient although the features are not as rich as some other program I have used before, including Logmein. I need to access to office desktops with central administration not allowing individuals to install network-traffic programs, so RDP satisfies the requirement. However, keyboard (apple magic keyboard or smarter keyboard) both do not work properly under iPadOS 15.4 RC. In particular, the space key and arrow keys are not working ( space can be inserted by option+space though discovered after random search). Please hurry up and update WindowsApp ! Overall, it works well enough!

Microsoft's Remote Desktop Client for iPad has always been a solid (and free) app that made it easy to connect to windows machines.

WindowsApp had some issues in the beginning but with every update Microsoft has really improved WindowsApp and added some neat features. WindowsApp is so good now it works nearly flawlessly. The latest release has a great new my Desktop page, and is very responsive to inputs.

I would give WindowsApp five stars if it weren't for the lack of Touch ID security (it’s very surprising and annoying that WindowsApp doesn’t have any security feature to launch it). It’s also limited to Windows machines. Adding Touch ID and the ability to remotely connect to Macs on my network would make this the best Remote Desktop app on the market.

This RDP client is excellent. Very smooth and intuitive! Performance and graphics is pretty great. I give it 4-stars because there are two issues that kind of bother me.

Issue #1: Once connected to the session, you can’t hide the tool bar at the top. In older versions, you were able to hide it, and it would simply have a small-transparent pulldown to select the keyboard. Now, it cannot be hidden and instead can just slide left or right. If you have a browser open with multiple tabs, the toolbar is big enough to cover one of the tabs.

Issue #2: If you’re connected to a session, and you switch apps on the iPhone, when you jump back to Remote Desktop, sometimes the display is messed up. The session will only show half of the screen, or the remote images will tear and essentially won’t refresh and stay partially stuck on the previous image. The only way to correct it is to disconnect from the session and reconnect.

First, I have used this for years. It has barely improved, barely any new features in5 years. My biggest gripe though, how do I turn the crosshairs in the middle for moving my screen around? Randomly it goes away if I go to the menu a few times, I even was able to move it a couple of times but not all the time. Most times you push it you just jiggle the screen around, it isn’t like or just moves after long pressing which it should be. there seems to be no way to remove it completely other than not having touch mode on which is useless on an iPad.

Let me remove completely the useless crosshairs! If I want it on temporarily (I don’t) you can add it to the menu to be turned on or off!

WindowsApp is great for IT professionals. It works great for accessing any Windows Pro OS that’s listening on TCP port 3389 (it even allows you to use Remote Desktop gateway). If you are NOT an IT professional, this application is most likely not for you - it will obviously work when on the same network, but it will require port forwarding/routing when outside the network (this can be quite dangerous, especially if your workstation is not patched to protect you from the current RDP exploits).

My only gripe at the moment is the application does not take advantage of displays larger than that of the iPhone 6+ (the display ratio and size is very small on the iPhone XS, XS Max, 11Pro, etc). This will get my 5 stars when it’s updated.

WindowsApp is seamless for running your home desktop through the LAN or WAN. For anyone trying to do much else than that tempter your expectations here. Much respect to the developers who made this an easy and free process to work remotely from this device. Hats off!!

I am currently teleworking and would be bound to my computer by my smart card. Being on my desktop made this kind of a drag. After using WindowsApp I can now become a productive member of the household...kinda...

Fast integration, easy WAN Setup and touch controls for windows make this a game changer.

Real Title: This Would Be Amazing If It Worked.

I got RemoteDesktop as a way to access my PC remotely. That is what WindowsApp is supposed to do, and that is what it failed to do.
The setup process was surprisingly easy; And I’m able to connect to my PC without error. However, it’s not actually connected. I only see a picture of my desktop, and am completely unable to interact with it in any way; Not only that, but it doesn’t show any of the apps I had open when I last used my PC, nor does my live wallpaper show up. I am able to glide the mouse around fine, but can’t click on anything. I can’t even highlight the desktop or use my external keyboard.
This software would be amazing.. if it worked.

Now, I am away from my PC, completely unable to use it, and therefore not able to download a different remote access software. Thanks a lot, Microsoft; Please fix this ASAP.

Update, First of all, the Dev feedback so quickly is much appreciated. Even more so is that the issue has already been resolved before the major update coming in December! The RD app no longer takes over all keyboard inputs when using slide over, works just as it should. Thank you very much for the quick resolve to this that helps my workflow go more smoothly! -Brad I’ve got an IPad Pro with attached magic keyboard. I use WindowsApp to run a virtual PC for a program for work. With my RD app open, if I have slide over open to type down notes for example, the RD app takes control of the keyboard inputs after about 3 seconds. It used to do this only if I clicked the little keyboard symbol at the top of the RD app but now its each time. I’ve uninstalled and re configured my virtual pc’s but it remained. There have been 2 RD app updates since I’ve noticed it and it keeps occurring. This is very frustrating for some of the tasks I have to complete on this, almost requires me to buy a laptop to be able to actually multitask like I used to a month or so ago. Also, this is more of a wish but please try to configure WindowsApp to support true split screen and not just slide over! It would be very helpful if WindowsApp could resize the way other apps do but RD app will not resize, stays full screen and says its not supported. Thanks for the useful app!

Can’t stress enough how useful WindowsApp is for Windows/iPad users. Incredibly easy to set up and use. I use it at work and home. I can access all my servers, even legacy ones.

I have a Bluetooth mouse that I pair with my 12.9 iPad. All of the buttons work as they would on my desktop. With a keyboard case my iPad becomes my iPad. I use slide-over for iPad apps. I created Windows VMs on my desktop for my family to connect with their iPads as well.

Not for games but there are GPU registry tweaks that allow you to utilize your dedicated GPU hardware for Adobe CC software.

WindowsApp does everything it needs to. It seems like most negative reviews are from people who are expecting WindowsApp to do more than what is is made to do. WindowsApp is a simple RDP client. Just like on Windows, RDP works best over the local network. If you want to access RDP outside of a local network- there are two main options. By default, RDP operates over port 3389. For access outside of your local network, you must open port 3389 on your firewall. Doing this however, leaves your PC (and any devices on network) vulnerable and is not recommended. The best way in my opinion to access RDP from the internet is to use a VPN (such as OpenVPN) to tunnel into your local network, and access your RDP PCs over their local IP or Hostname.

I regularly use Remote Desktop from inside my network and outside my network with port forwarding. Primarily for software development. I also use teamviewer since one of my computers has an issue where it will only connect from windows Remote Desktop one time before needing the WiFi card disabled and reenabled. I can tell you that using this on an iPad and iPhone is like having the computer right in front of you. When away, it depends on your network connection speed, but I regularly use windows RDP for work, school, and leisure. If you’re going to use it via port forwarding though, I recommend reviewing your security settings on your router, because it is a risk...but necessary sometimes.

It’s too bad so many people are giving WindowsApp poor reviews based on things that have nothing to do with WindowsApp itself. Yes, you need to have a vpn server in your home network to use outside the network. This is true of all rdp connections. Also, keep in mind your upload bandwidth needs to be sufficient to support the connection. I’m running 3 work stations on my home network with a UniFi controller and a usg with radius server for vpn. My upload speed is about 30mbs. WindowsApp lets me flawlessly connect to any computer on my network from anywhere on the planet through an encrypted connection. Oh, and it’s free. Yes, I’m not going to be working on spreadsheets on my iPhone but it is nice to have another way to connect in a pinch. Love it!

App crashes on launch, but luckily it'll work after several attempts to open it.

What's truly disturbing is how in a previous review I discussed how disappointing it is to push an update, and one for an app that's seem zero updates in a very long time, that's not well baked and how it reflects Microsoft's current approach to "testing". I received a developer response telling me how wrong I am and that things are in fact tested in a way that values quality, and yet here we are. I hope the program manager for WindowsApp is taking a moment to post-mortem how these recent updates went out and determine what should be done to improve our experience add end users. Time will tell, but in the meantime, we suffer.

I downloaded this to be able to control my work computer at home while I am traveling. I installed at home and it worked great so I left for my trip. It was not advertised ANYWHERE that WindowsApp only works when the phone and computer are on the same WiFi network?? That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Why would you want to navigate your computer from a small 5 inch phone screen when it’s right in front of you?? You have to set up access to be able to TRULY REMOTE CONTROL a computer from outside your network and that has to be done from the computer itself. No I’m thousands of miles away with no access to my files and I can’t get any work done.

Microsoft Remote Desktop is an ok app on IOS. There is one feature I feel that it is missing, especially on the IPhone. Smart sizing. This I a feature that I take advantage of on my Windows machine all of the time. It would allow users to connect to their windows machine with a resolution that they are used to using. This feature is available for some of the third party applications out there for IOS devices. Zooming in/out is something that would be needed. Another component of smart sizing could allow a user to connect to their local workstation setup, which could be multi-monitor. Again, this is a feature that is available on other remote access apps.

I really love WindowsApp and its a great tool to quickly remote into key devices but I recently upgraded to an iPhone Xs Max and it is now a pain to use. WindowsApp hasn’t been configured to exist without the physical home button and when you exit from a remote session it becomes hung and you are unable to swipe it away as is now the method to close apps. I have to first turn off my phone and then when I power it back on, avoid maximizing WindowsApp (or I have to star the process over) and from there I can swipe it closed. Very frustrating and hope it’s patched soon.

WindowsApp works really well, especially on an iPad. Connections are smooth and easy to set up. One unfortunate thing is that you used to be able to use the Apple Pencil to right click, and this feature does not seem to work anymore. When that was working, it felt like running Windows on your iPad, and it was amazingly useful. Now you have to work around by using the screen-as-trackpad option, which works in a pinch but is not as fluid as the touch controls, especially in windows 10 tablet mode.

So I downloaded WindowsApp on the 8th of December and WindowsApp is really laggy and my computer/laptop is running Windows 10 but WindowsApp overall is really laggy and the status bar with the keyboard is always in the way of things and that’s pretty annoying can you make disappear because we don’t need that and using a 5.5-Inch display is pretty annoying even on my iPad the status is in the way and it’s also laggy so can you please fix and remove these problems please?

Hello, there seems to be an issue when being connected to a VPN and trying to connect to a server by supplying the host name instead of the IP address. Supplying the host name works fine at our company’s location, but it appears over VPN it doesn’t resolve the host name. I’m pretty certain this is an issue with iOS 12, as I could replicate it in mobile Safari and it works fine on all other platforms with your client, so I just wanted to bring it to your attention which is why I still gave 5 stars.

I would rarely go out of my way to rate an app let alone write a review but had to send some good vibes towards the MS Remote Desktop app. I use it daily from my iPhone for work and personal. Saves me from having to lug around a laptop wherever I go. The trick is to use Mouse Cursor mode instead of Touch, way more functionality with that option. Also zooming in and out is your friend on smaller screens like the iPhone. Highly recommend this tool for IT professionals. I would say it’s my favorite Microsoft utility.