In addition to the release of Windows 8.1, Microsoft today launched Microsoft Remote Desktop for Android and iOS, bringing the Windows desktop to phones and tablets. You can download the new app now directly from Apple’s App Store and Google Play.
As its name implies, the app lets you can connect to a remote PC while on the go. This is mainly aimed at business users looking to get their work done from wherever they are, but you can use the Remote Desktop client for your own purposes.
Here’s the official feature list for both Android and iOS:
- Access to remote resources through the Remote Desktop Gateway.
- Rich multi-touch experience with remote desktop protocol (RDP) and RemoteFX supporting Windows gestures.
- Secure connection to your data and applications with breakthrough Network Layer Authentication (NLA) technology.
- Simple management of all remote connections from the connection center.
- High quality video and sound streaming with improved compression and bandwidth usage.
Interestingly, the iOS app has an extra bullet point: “Easy connection to external monitors or projectors for presentations.” It’s not clear if the Android app is missing this feature and will be added in a subsequent update, or if it’s just not listed.
Here’s the Android app showing the Windows 8 desktop:
Here’s the iOS app in the same view:
More to follow.
