anyweb Posted October 30, 2022 Report post Posted October 30, 2022 Introduction This is Part 4 in a new series of guides about getting started with Windows 365. This series of guides will help you to learn all about Windows 365 in a clear and insightful way. This series is co-written by Niall & Paul, both of whom are Enterprise Mobility MVP’s with broad experience in the area of modern management. At the time of writing, Paul is a 6 times Enterprise Mobility MVP based in the UK and Niall is a 12 times Enterprise Mobility MVP based in Sweden. In this series we aim to cover everything we learn about Windows 365 and share it with you to help you to deploy it safely and securely within your own organization. In Part 1 we introduced you to Windows 365, selecting the right edition with the level of management that you need, choosing the plan that suits your users needs at a cost you can afford, or modifying the configuration to make it more suited to your individual needs, purchasing licenses and saving money for your organization via the Windows Hybrid Benefit. In Part 2 you learned how to provision an Azure Ad joined Cloud PC and take a look at the different network options available when provisioning an Azure Ad joined Cloud PC. In Part 3 you learned about the steps needed to successfully provision a Hybrid Azure Ad Joined Cloud PC. Below you can find all parts in this series: Getting started with Windows 365 - Part 1. Introduction Getting started with Windows 365 - Part 2. Provisioning an Azure Ad Joined Cloud PC Getting started with Windows 365 - Part 3. Provisioning a Hybrid Azure Ad Joined Cloud PC Getting started with Windows 365 - Part 4. Connecting to your Cloud PC <- you are here Getting started with Windows 365 - Part 5. Managing your Cloud PC Getting started with Windows 365 - Part 6. Point in time restore Getting started with Windows 365 - Part 7. Patching your Cloud PCs with Windows Autopatch Getting started with Windows 365 - Part 8. Windows 365 boot Getting started with Windows 365 - Part 9. Windows 365 switch Getting started with Windows 365 - Part 10. Windows 365 offline In this part we'll cover the following: Connections available Windows 365 app Remote desktop client Web browser Windows Installing the Remote Desktop client Subscribe to the Cloud PC Accessing remote desktop features Windows 365 app macOS Installing the Remote Desktop client Adding a workspace Accessing remote desktop features iOS (iPad/iPhone) Installing the Remote Desktop client Adding a workspace Accessing remote desktop features Android Installing the Remote Desktop client Adding a workspace Accessing remote desktop features Linux Related reading Summary Connections available At the time of writing you can connect to your Windows 365 Cloud PC using the following methods: Using the Windows 365 app (Windows 11, Windows 10 coming soon) Using a Remote Desktop client (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS) Using a HTML 5 capable web browser (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, ChromeOS) Windows 365 app The Windows 365 app is currently Windows 11 only and available for download via the Microsoft Store. Search for Windows 365, get the app and click Open once done. In later versions of Windows 11 it'll come bundled as a built-in app and Windows 10 support is coming. The Windows 365 app was introduced during the Microsoft Ignite 2022 Keynote (by Satya Nadella) and it allows a seamless way of connecting to your Cloud PC. There's no need to copy a subscribe URL, just login and your Cloud PC is available. The app can be launched from your start menu or taskbar. For a deeper look at the Windows 365 app (which is still in preview) please click here. Currently the capabilities are not yet on par with the Remote Desktop client but we think that'll change soon. Remote desktop client If you are using Windows, macOS, Android or iOS device then there are remote desktop apps available to download for those devices. At the time of writing the Remote Desktop app is the most feature rich method of connecting to your Cloud PC but it's not without issues, for example on iOS, macOS and Android, you have to copy the subscribed URL and add that to your workspace, it's not automatic. Using the Remote desktop agent will give you the power to use multiple monitors (up to 16 with Windows/macOS) and other hardware, as detailed in the following table. Web browser To access your Cloud PC from any device using a web browser, navigate to https://windows365.microsoft.com using the credentials of a user that has been assigned a provisioned Cloud PC. Click on Open in browser to launch the connection using your web browser. Even though the web browser connection method allows you to connect to your Cloud PC from practically any device, your abilities in that session are limited. Below is a table showing redirection of various devices using different connection methods, look at what the web browser is missing compared to the remote desktop app. For example, when using a web browser, you won't have the same fine control that you have with the Remote Desktop client or via the Windows 365 app. Not only that but things like multi-media redirection or multi-monitor support or using a web camera to enable video for Teams meetings won't be an option if you choose the web browser as the method of connection. To get the most out of your Cloud PC and to use the hardware features of the computer (or tablet/phone) that you are accessing it from, you'll need to install a Remote Desktop client agent or use the Windows 365 app (currently Windows 11 only). You can see the other available connection options by clicking on the download icon shown below. The web page automatically detects the operating system you are running and highlights a suitable client agent if one exists for that operating system. Windows We've already covered the connection types available for Windows in the Connections Available section above, as Windows can handle all three connection methods with ease. To summarize, Windows can connect to Cloud PCs using Windows 365 app (Windows 11 currently, but Windows 10 coming soon) Remote Desktop client Web browser Installing the Remote Desktop client To install the Remote Desktop client for Windows, go to https://windows365.microsoft.com, click on the download icon and select the download for the architecture matching your version of Windows. That will allow you to install the Remote Desktop client. Subscribe to the Cloud PC Once installed you'll need to Subscribe to your Cloud PC. To do that, click Subscribe and enter your Cloud PC credentials. Once you have subscribed to your workspace, your Cloud PC will be listed in the Remote Desktop client. Note: It is also possible to also add the feed URL to a "_msradc" DNS entry to automate the feed discovery for a domain. See the following for more info. Thanks to @novafunction Accessing remote desktop features You can configure settings by right clicking the Cloud PC. You'll get access to settings allowing you to (for example) configure multiple monitors. Multiple monitors are great with Windows 365 (up to 16 supported with Windows/macOS) Windows 365 app If you want the easiest/seamless experience, go for the Windows 365 app but keep in mind that it's still in preview at the time of writing so is subject to change. For an in-depth look at the Windows 365 app (which is still in preview) please click here. macOS Apple's macOS computers are very popular indeed especially with the Apple silicon (M1/M2) chipset. There are two options of connecting to your Cloud PCs from macOS, by using a web browser session or via the Remote Desktop client. Note that web browser session lacks the same abilities as the Remote Desktop client. To access the web browser session, simply open your web browser to https://windows365.microsoft.com and login using the credentials of a user that is licensed to use a provisioned Cloud PC. Installing the Remote Desktop client The Remote Desktop client is available in the Mac App Store. To easily find the download, click on the download link and you'll see the Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac download link. It will be highlighted as shown in the screenshot below. click on Go to Mac App Store and get the app. The Microsoft Remote Desktop app will launch after installation is complete. Adding a workspace After the app is installed, you'll need to add a workspace. To do that, go back to the web browser session and copy the subscription URL. Then in the app click on the + drop down menu and select Add Workspace. paste in the subscription URL and enter your Windows 365 Cloud PC credentials when prompted. Once done adding the workspace your Cloud PC will be listed in the app. Accessing remote desktop features To access or change the Remote Desktop app features, you'll need to right click the Cloud PC icon in the app (2 fingers on the touch pad). This brings up a drop-down menu with 2 options Connect Edit Select Edit to review or change the connection settings. Next, place a check mark in the box beside your Cloud PC name (by default it's not checked). and this brings up the settings you want to see/change. For example, to add a folder on your Mac for copying files, select Folders and add it as appropriate, it will then appear in Windows File Explorer on your Cloud PC. macOS can also use multiple monitors via the Remote Desktop client, if you want to see that in action click here. iOS (iPad/iPhone) With iOS you have two options of connecting, namely a web browser session and the Remote Desktop client. Keep in mind that the web browser session lacks the same abilities as the Remote Desktop client. Installing the Remote Desktop client For more features use the Remote Desktop client which is available in the App Store. If you browse to https://windows365.microsoft.com and login using the credentials of a Cloud PC user that has a Cloud PC provisioned, you'll see that Microsoft Remote Desktop for iOS is highlighted, and it links to the App Store. clicking on that link opens the App Store. Click Get and install the app. you'll get a few prompts, answer them as appropriate. and Adding a workspace After the app is installed, you'll need to add a workspace. To do that, go back to the web browser session and copy the subscription URL. In the Remote Desktop client, click on Add workspace and paste in the copied subscription URL. Click Next and enter your credentials when prompted. The Cloud PC will be listed in your Workspaces. Accessing remote desktop features After launching the Cloud PC from the Remote Desktop client, you'll notice a toolbar at the top of the screen (screenshot from iPad). There's a magnifier icon to zoom in on sections (useful on a small screen) and a keyboard icon to get a virtual keyboard. Clicking the Remote Desktop icon in the center brings up some additional options. It's useful to note that the touch icon gives you easy control of the mouse pointer, but if you have a Bluetooth mouse connected to your iPad you can use the mouse icon. We tested a Teams video meeting from the iPad Cloud PC and it worked, and streamed video via the iPad camera as you can see here. You can always verify what settings are enabled for the Remote Desktop client in the iPad/iPhone settings. Android (tablet/phone) We also tested connecting to Cloud PCs from Android phones and an Android tablet. You can again access your Cloud PCs via a web browser or via a Remote Desktop client. You'll need a recent release of Android OS however to run the Remote Desktop client. Installing the Remote Desktop client To download the Remote Desktop client, you can get it directly from the Windows 365 web page shown below by clicking on the link or download it from Google Play Store. After installing the Remote Desktop client, you'll be prompted to allow audio etc. Adding a workspace Once again, as with other supported operating systems, you have to subscribe to a workspace URL in order for this to work as simply downloading the app is not sufficient. Copy the URL by clicking on Get subscription URL in the web page. Click on the + symbol, then select Add workspace, Paste in the subscription URL copied from the windows365 web page. Approve the MFA request, and the Cloud PC will appear in the client. Accessing remote desktop features It became obvious quite quickly that Android did not support video (camera) for Teams meetings (or anything else), even with the Remote Desktop client. keep that in mind if you intend to support Android devices for Windows 365. Apart from that missing feature, it acted quite like the iOS equivalent with a toolbar at the top of the screen and worked well in our tests. Linux Niall has taken a look at accessing Windows 365 Cloud PC's using a web browser in various Linux distros here. Linux based Windows 365 support is via a web browser connection, meaning that you are limited to what that provides (no video meetings for example). Related reading Redirection options with Remote Desktop - Remote Desktop - compare the client apps redirections | Microsoft Learn Multi-monitor support - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/remote/remote-desktop-services/clients/windowsdesktop Multi-media redirection - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/multimedia-redirection?tabs=edge Using multiple monitors with Windows 365 - https://www.windows-noob.com/forums/topic/23081-how-can-i-use-multiple-monitors-with-windows-365/ Configure DNS Feed Lookup for RemoteApp and Desktop Connections - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2012-R2-and-2012/hh831442(v=ws.11)#configure-dns-feed-lookup-for-remoteapp-and-desktop-connections Summary Using a Windows 365 Cloud PC gives you the power to get your work done anywhere via the operating system of your choice. We did note some short comings such as the lack of a Remote desktop client from Microsoft for the Linux OS and the lack of video support in the Remote Desktop client for Android. Web based sessions can only do so much and the lack of these features on Linux/Android will leave you with the inability to host video meetings in Teams, Webex or Zoom, so keep that in mind if it's important to you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
