Windows 11 just became an app for your iPhone — here's how it works

Microsoft has released a caller app that's designed to fto you entree Windows connected Android devices arsenic good arsenic iPhones, iPads and Macs, perchance making Windows 11 much accessible than ever.

This could beryllium a large woody because it whitethorn soon beryllium nan astir convenient measurement to entree Windows erstwhile you're distant from your PC, arsenic nan app tin efficaciously watercourse a transcript of Windows 10 aliases 11 from Azure Virtual Desktop, Microsoft Dev Box, Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Service, Windows 365 aliases a distant PC.

This app fundamentally replaces and improves upon nan Microsoft 365 app, and it has features to make Windows usable connected different devices for illustration solution scaling, rodent and keyboard support, and redirection for peripherals for illustration webcams and printers. That intends you could efficaciously watercourse a transcript of Windows to your iPad and usage nan front-mounted camera arsenic your webcam, for example. 

You tin besides do neat things for illustration link your iPhone to an outer show wirelessly via AirPlay, past usage nan Windows app to tally a transcript of Windows connected nan show while utilizing your iPhone arsenic a touchscreen to power nan rodent pointer. While you tin already kludge together akin moving arrangements by downloading apps, fiddling pinch streaming settings and mostly driving yourself somewhat batty, this caller app looks apt to make nan process of utilizing Microsoft services connected non-Microsoft devices measurement simpler.

The Windows App was unveiled during Microsoft's Ignite conference, and it's presently only disposable successful a constricted preview shape connected prime platforms and only supports business aliases schoolhouse accounts. However, it says correct connected nan login surface that you request to "sign successful pinch [a] work, school, aliases individual account" truthful it seems highly apt that you'll beryllium capable to log successful pinch your individual Windows relationship by nan clip nan app is retired of preview.

When you do log in, you'll onshore connected a hub page that gives you options for doing things for illustration logging into different Microsoft accounts, accessing different virtual PCs aliases launching Microsoft apps for illustration Excel, PowerPoint and Word.

You'll besides person entree to platform-specific settings you tin usage to tailor nan acquisition to your device, for illustration a fastener to "optimize for Retina displays" (which scales nan solution to lucifer nan solution scaling successful macOS but eats up much bandwidth) aliases a mounting to auto-lock nan app truthful erstwhile you rotate your iPhone aliases iPad it doesn't rotation your Windows convention on pinch it.

However, correct now nan Windows App is hardly usable arsenic Microsoft useful to robust retired nan kinks and rotation it retired to much platforms. In summation to only supporting acquisition aliases business accounts astatine this stage, nan Windows App is presently only easy accessible successful nan Microsoft Store connected your Windows PC, pinch nan Android type yet to look connected nan Google Play Store and nan iOS/iPadOS type successful constricted testing via Apple's TestFlight service. 

It should go easier to entree arsenic we inch person to 2024, but if you conscionable can't hold to effort it retired you tin cheque retired Microsoft's guideline to getting started pinch Windows App.

Outlook

The caller Windows App is breathtaking for those of america who for illustration nan thought of getting activity done from an iPad, but there's a batch much going connected present too a revamp of Microsoft's Windows streaming services.

While you've agelong been capable to entree Microsoft services for illustration Excel and Word connected non-Windows platforms acknowledgment to apps for illustration Microsoft 365, nan caller Windows App looks for illustration it'll beryllium easier to usage and much functional than thing that came earlier it. The truth that it besides incorporates a cardinal hub which lets you quickly entree copies of Windows streaming from distant PCs (your ain aliases Microsoft's) is bully too, arsenic it efficaciously marries nan functionality of 2 erstwhile apps (Microsoft 365 and  Microsoft Remote Desktop) into one, much user-friendly Windows App. 

But look past nan aboveground benefits and you whitethorn drawback a glimpse of Microsoft's bigger ambitions for Windows. As The Verge helpfully points out, disclosures successful nan caller FTC v. Microsoft proceeding (when Microsoft successfully defended its Activision Blizzard acquisition) revealed Microsoft intends to make user versions of Windows afloat streamable from nan cloud, to immoderate device—just for illustration it's already doing for businesses pinch Microsoft 365.

This is intelligibly a large measurement successful that direction, and you should expect Windows to go ever much cloud-centric arsenic we measurement into 2024. Remember, that's nan twelvemonth Apple will reportedly let third-party app stores connected nan Apple App Store, which intends Microsoft will beryllium capable to waste things for illustration Microsoft 365 and Xbox Game Pass subscriptions wrong nan Windows app connected your iPhone aliases iPad.

More from Tom's Guide

• Microsoft could beryllium bringing its AI Copilot to billions of Windows 10 users
• Microsoft is fixing 1 of nan things I dislike astir about Windows 11
• ‘Windows 12’ leak conscionable teased powerful AI upgrades — here’s what we know