Short answer: Install Windows App free from the Mac App Store, click + → Add PC, enter the address of your cloud desktop, add your username and password, and double-click the tile. Your Windows desktop opens in a Mac window.
Applies to: macOS · Infosaic cloud desktops · connecting by RDP
A Mac connects to a Windows cloud desktop just as comfortably as a PC does. Microsoft publishes a free client for macOS, and once it is set up your cloud desktop behaves like any other Mac window — full screen it, put it on a second display, or leave it running quietly in the background.
The app used to be called Microsoft Remote Desktop. Microsoft renamed it Windows App, and that is the name to search for today. If you already have the older Microsoft Remote Desktop installed it will keep working, but the newer app is the one that gets updates.
This guide covers installing it, adding your desktop, and switching on the three things people miss most on a Mac: their own folders, their own printer, and sound.
Which app do I need on a Mac?
You need Windows App, published by Microsoft Corporation, from the Mac App Store. It is free, there is nothing to buy inside it, and it does not need a Microsoft account for the kind of connection you are making.
Search the Mac App Store for Windows App and check that the publisher line reads Microsoft Corporation before you install — several unrelated apps use similar names.
If the App Store tells you the app needs a newer version of macOS than you are running, update macOS first. Older Macs that cannot update can still reach the desktop through browser access, which needs nothing installed at all.
How to add your cloud desktop to Windows App
You do this once. After that, connecting is a double-click.
- Open Windows App and, if it offers a tour, skip it.
- Click the + button in the toolbar and choose Add PC.
- In PC name, type the address of your cloud desktop exactly as it appears in your control panel. It will look like a host name or an IP address.
- Next to User account, choose Add User Account. Enter your Windows username and password — the ones for the desktop itself, not the ones you use to sign in to the control panel. Saving them here means you will not be asked again.
- Give it a Friendly name such as Work desktop so the tile is easy to recognise.
- Click Add, then double-click the new tile to connect.
The first time you connect, macOS may warn that the certificate could not be verified. That warning is normal for a desktop that uses a self-signed certificate. Confirm you want to continue, and tick the option to remember the choice so it does not reappear.
How do I make my Mac folders appear inside Windows?
This is the single most useful setting in the app, and it is switched off by default.
Right-click your desktop tile, choose Edit, then open the Folders tab. Tick Redirect folders and use + to add the Mac folders you want available — Downloads and Documents cover most needs.
Reconnect, and those folders appear inside Windows under This PC as redirected drives. You can drag files in either direction in File Explorer, with no uploading and no email to yourself.
Printing, sound and the clipboard on a Mac
Open Edit on the tile again and look at the Devices & Audio tab. Three settings matter:
- Printers — tick this and the printers set up on your Mac appear in the print dialog inside Windows. Print from the cloud, collect the page from the printer next to you.
- Clipboard — tick this and ordinary Cmd+C on the Mac becomes Ctrl+V inside Windows. No clipboard box, no extra step.
- Play sound — set this to play on your own device so audio from the cloud desktop comes out of your Mac speakers or headphones.
Mac keys inside Windows: Windows App maps Cmd to Ctrl for you, so Cmd+C and Cmd+V do the right thing. The Windows key is Cmd held down on its own, and Ctrl+Alt+Del is sent from the app menu rather than typed.
If it does not connect
- Check the address character by character. A single wrong character produces exactly the same error as a desktop that is switched off.
- Try browser access. If the desktop opens in a browser but not in Windows App, the desktop is running and your network is blocking the RDP port. Cafe, hotel, school and corporate networks do this routinely.
- Try a phone hotspot. If it connects over mobile data, the problem is the network you were on, not your account.
- Check the username. Windows usernames and control panel usernames are separate. Use the Windows one here.
There is a longer walkthrough in RDP will not connect: how to fix it.
Questions and answers
Is Windows App free?
Yes. Microsoft publishes it free on the Mac App Store, and connecting to your Infosaic cloud desktop with it costs nothing extra.
What happened to Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac?
It was renamed Windows App. Existing installations continue to work, but new features and fixes go to Windows App, so it is the one to install.
Do I need a Microsoft account to use Windows App?
No. Adding a PC by address and signing in with your Windows username and password does not require a Microsoft account.
Can I copy and paste between my Mac and my cloud desktop?
Yes, once the clipboard option is ticked under Devices & Audio. Cmd+C on the Mac then pastes with Ctrl+V inside Windows, and the reverse works too.
Can I print from my cloud desktop to a printer at home?
Yes. Tick Printers under Devices & Audio, reconnect, and your Mac printers appear in the Windows print dialog.
Why can I not find my Mac files inside Windows?
Folder redirection is off by default. Edit the connection, open the Folders tab, tick Redirect folders, add the folders you want, then reconnect.
Can I use two monitors from a Mac?
Yes. Edit the connection, open the Display tab, and choose the option to use all displays. Both screens must be connected before you start the session.
What if my Mac is too old for Windows App?
Use browser access instead. It works in Safari, Chrome and Firefox, needs nothing installed, and reaches the same desktop.
Related articles
- What you need to connect to your cloud desktop by RDP
- Browser access or RDP: which should you use?
- How to open your cloud desktop in a web browser
- RDP will not connect: how to fix it
Still stuck?
Open a support request from your control panel — that is the fastest route, because it reaches the team who can already see your account and your desktop. You can also email [email protected].