Earlier this month, Microsoft issued a press release detailing its plans for a number of software releases this fall. Among the titles mentioned was a new Remote Desktop app for iOS and Android, which it said was coming later this month.
And today, Microsoft made good on that promise. The official Remote Desktop app has landed in both Apple and Google app stores, giving Windows users the ability to access their Windows machines from their smartphones and tablets…
With the Microsoft Remote Desktop app, you can remotely connect to any compatible Windows PC from almost anywhere. The connection is completely secure, and the app supports [compressed] high quality video and audio streaming.
Here are some of the app’s top features:
– 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
– Easy connection to external monitors or projectors for presentations
As a Mac user, this doesn’t mean much to me. But it looks great, and I wish Apple would do something similar for OS X users. I know there are hundreds of remote apps available (I use Splashtop), but I imagine it could be done better.
If you’re a Windows user, this seems like a no-brainer. The app is completely free, works on both the iPhone and iPad, and is available now. If you’re interested, you can find Microsoft Remote Desktop in the App Store by clicking here.