How to download and install Windows App on Mac
Windows App is Microsoft’s free app for connecting to Windows from a Mac. Until 2024 it was called Microsoft Remote Desktop. Here is how to install it from the Mac App Store, add your first PC and fix the usual connection problems.
Windows App
- macOS 14 or later
- One file for Apple Silicon and Intel
- Free
Or the installer straight from the developer’s server:
The links go to the developer’s website (apps.apple.com, go.microsoft.com). MacWashing is not affiliated with the developer and keeps no installers.
Open Terminal (Applications › Utilities) and run:
brew install --cask windows-appHomebrew downloads the app from the developer’s server, checks the file and puts the app in Applications.
No Homebrew yet? How to install Homebrew: one command from brew.sh.
Before you download
Windows App is the same app as Microsoft Remote Desktop under a new name: it has the same Mac App Store page, and an installed Remote Desktop became Windows App with an update. It connects to:
- Your own Windows PC. The PC must run Windows Pro or Enterprise (or Windows Server) with Remote Desktop turned on.
- Work resources. Windows 365 Cloud PCs, Azure Virtual Desktop, Microsoft Dev Box and Remote Desktop Services, with the work or school account your organization gives you.
Windows App needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later. On older macOS, the copy already installed keeps working but gets no more updates. Get it from the Mac App Store or microsoft.com only.
How to install Windows App
- Open the App Store and search for Windows App. Check that the developer is Microsoft Corporation.
- Click Get, then Install, and confirm with your Apple Account password or Touch ID.
- When the download finishes, open Windows App from Applications or Launchpad.
Microsoft also offers Windows App as a .pkg, the file on this page. It installs the same app plus Microsoft AutoUpdate, which keeps it up to date: open it, click Continue and Install, and enter your Mac password.
What to set up after the first launch
- Add a PC. On the Devices tab, click +, choose Add PC, enter the PC’s name or IP address and click Add. Double-click the PC to connect.
- Work resources. For Windows 365 or Azure Virtual Desktop, click + and add your work or school account. Your Cloud PCs and apps appear after you sign in.
- Local network. If macOS asks whether Windows App may find devices on your local network, click Allow: without it, the app can’t reach a PC at home or in the office. You can change it later in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Local Network.
- Microphone and Camera. Allow them only if you want to use your Mac’s microphone or camera inside the remote session.
If Windows App won’t install or connect
- The App Store won’t install it. Check your macOS in About This Mac: Windows App needs macOS 14 or later.
- The PC can’t be reached. Make sure Remote Desktop is turned on in the PC’s settings, the PC is awake and on the same network, and Local Network access is on for Windows App. Windows Home editions can’t accept Remote Desktop connections.
- Windows App crashes or keeps old settings. Remove it completely, with its saved connections and caches, and install it again: see how to uninstall Windows App on Mac.
Alternatives to Windows App
Keep your Mac tidy
System Junk in MacWashing finds the caches apps build up over time and shows how much space they take. And if you no longer need Windows App, the Uninstaller removes it with its files.
Free trial · macOS 14 or later
Questions and answers
Is Windows App free?
Yes. The app is free in the Mac App Store. Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop are paid services your organization provides. Connecting to your own PC costs nothing.
Where did Microsoft Remote Desktop go?
Microsoft renamed it Windows App. It is the same app on the same Mac App Store page, and an installed Remote Desktop turned into Windows App with an update.
Do I need a Microsoft account for Windows App?
Not to connect to your own PC: you sign in with the PC’s Windows user. Work resources need the work or school account from your organization. Personal Microsoft accounts can’t sign in to Windows App.