Unlike Windows, macOS and iOS/iPadOS do not have built-in clients for Microsoft"s Remote Desktop Services (obviously), so Microsoft gracefully made an app for that, fittingly calling it Microsoft Remote Desktop. However, it appears that the company now has an interesting alternative to that name, and customers are not happy about it.
Mac users recently noticed that Microsoft placed a small banner inside the app to warn about the upcoming renaming. Future updates will change the app from Microsoft Remote Desktop to just Windows App. Here is what the banner says:
In an upcoming update for Remote Desktop the client will have a new name, Windows App!
There is also a link to the official Microsoft Learn website where customers can find more information about what the "Windows App" app can do on different platforms. In a nutshell, if you have a Mac, iPhone, or iPad, Windows App will let you work with Azure Virtual Desktops, Windows 365, Microsoft Dev Box, Remote Desktop Services, and Remote PCs.
As of right now, Windows App is in preview, and you can get it for Mac from the Download Center. It is also available in the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 and 11 systems.
This quiet announcement generated quite a lot of negativity among users. Many claim the new name would be very confusing when searching, working with the application, or providing tech support for inexperienced customers.
Microsoft heard Google had stolen the crown for naming products terribly and just dropped the nuke of terrible product naming decisions to get the crown back. pic.twitter.com/jxiMJFgUSK
— Dare Obasanjo🐀 (@Carnage4Life) August 31, 2024
On the other hand, some say changing Microsoft Remote Desktop to Windows App on non-Windows platforms is actually reasonable because it is literally a gateway to remote Windows systems or Windows in the cloud.
What do you think? Does changing Microsoft Remote Desktop to Windows App on Apple"s platforms make sense to you? Share your thoughts in the comments.