Microsoft has launched a new application for Windows called Windows App to run Windows applications.

Microsoft announced today that it will release New app called Windows App As a Windows app it allows users to run Windows and Windows apps as well (it’s also coming to macOS, iOS, and web browsers, and is in public preview for Android).

On most of these platforms, Windows application Microsoft Remote Desktop is a replacement for the Microsoft Remote Desktop application, which was used to connect to a copy of Windows running on a remote computer or server – for some users and IT organizations, it’s a relatively straightforward way to run Windows programs on devices that don’t run Windows or can’t run Windows natively.

The new name, while perhaps confusing, attempts to sum up the app’s purpose: It’s a unified way to access Windows PCs with Remote Desktop Access turned on, cloud-hosted Windows 365 and Microsoft Dev Box systems, and individual remotely hosted applications provided by your business or school.

This unified app acts as a secure gateway to Windows connectivity across Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, Remote Desktop, Remote Desktop Services, Microsoft Dev Box, and more. Read the post From Microsoft’s Windows 365 Principal Product Manager, Hilary Brown.

Microsoft says that in addition to unifying multiple services into a single app, Windows app improvements include easier account switching, better device management for IT administrators, and support for Windows 365 for frontline workersand support for “Microsoft”RDP Short Relay Path“, which can enable remote desktop on networks that don’t normally allow it.

On macOS, iOS, and Android, the Windows app is a complete replacement for the Remote Desktop Connection app—if you have Remote Desktop installed, an update will change it to the Windows app. On Windows, the Remote Desktop Connection app is still available, and the Windows app is only used for other Microsoft services; it requires some kind of account sign-in on Windows, while it works without a user account on other platforms.

For connections to Remote Desktop-equipped computers, the Windows app has most of the same features and requirements that the Remote Desktop Connection app had before, including multiple monitor support, hardware redirection for devices like webcams and audio input/output, and support for dynamic resolution (so that your Windows desktop changes size as you resize the app window).