It's no secret that Microsoft sees a future in the cloud. For years, the company has pushed Xbox further and further into the cloud, and now Windows will follow suit in the form of a new app dubbed Windows App.
To start, Microsoft released a preview version of the Windows App for iPadOS, iOS, Windows, and web browsers. Android isn't here yet, but that's likely on the way.
With the preview app, you can remotely access an instance of Windows through the cloud. For the app to work, you'll need Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, Microsoft Dev Box, or a personal Remote Desktop PC. And while the sign-in page suggests you can use a personal Microsoft account to log in, that's not working in our testing currently. You'll need a business account for now, though that could change.
And while Microsoft says you can connect your iPad or iPhone to Remote Desktop Services on a personal Remote Desktop PC, it doesn't officially support those connections. That's still better than using the Windows App on Windows or a browser, which won't connect to either of those options at all. This is still a preview, so expect plenty of items not to work as intended or at all.
This isn't Microsoft's first venture into remote desktop apps either, but this is the most cohesive version yet, bundling in services from across the spectrum of business and personal, all in a single Windows branding. The app already supports accessories so you can connect your keyboard and mouse, along with resolution scaling and multiple monitor setups. It's well on its way to replacing your PC at home with a Windows instance in the cloud.
That could be useful if you don't really need a PC at home, but your workplace provides one in the office. On the rare occasion you need to work from a PC at home, you can log into your workplace PC and have all your files, programs, and more. Similarly, if you're traveling, this could serve as a way to access your personal PC back at home while you are out of state. The biggest bottleneck will, of course, be the speed of the internet, both where you are and where the Windows machine you're connecting to resides.
But down the road, it's not hard to picture Microsoft offering "personal cloud computers" you can rent, allowing you to skip buying hardware altogether. Microsoft already offers Xbox machines in the cloud and even experimented with a streaming stick device before shelving those plans. It's too soon to tell if that's where Microsoft is going with Windows, but all signs point that way.
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