What's new in Azure Virtual Desktop?

  • Article

Azure Virtual Desktop updates regularly. This article is where you find out about:

  • The latest updates
  • New features
  • Improvements to existing features
  • Bug fixes

Make sure to check back here often to keep up with new updates.

Tip

See What's new in documentation, where we highlight new and updated articles for Azure Virtual Desktop.

November 2024

Here's what changed in November 2024:

Deploy App-V apps in Azure Virtual Desktop via integrated experience in now available in preview

Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) for Windows delivers Win32 applications to users as virtual applications. Virtual applications are installed on centrally managed servers and delivered to users as a service in real time and on an as-needed basis. Users launch virtual applications from familiar access points and interact with them as if they were installed locally.

For more information, see App attach and MSIX app attach in Azure Virtual Desktop.

Applications can be delivered from partner solutions with app attach is now available

Several partners provide application delivery solutions to Azure Virtual Desktop via integration with app attach.

For more information, and a list of supported solutions, see Deliver applications from partner solutions to Azure Virtual Desktop with app attach.

October 2024

Here's what changed in October 2024:

AVC Mixed mode support for Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365 session desktop when multimedia redirection is not enabled

AVC Mixed Mode is now available in the default graphics profile. When multimedia redirection isn't enabled, AVC/h.264 is used to encode detected image content instead of the RemoteFX image encoder. This improves performance when encoding images relative to bitrate and framerate in network-constrained scenarios.

For more information, see Graphics encoding over the Remote Desktop Protocol.

New Teams SlimCore changes are now available

Microsoft Teams on Azure Virtual Desktop supports chat and collaboration. With media optimizations, it also supports calling and meeting functionality by redirecting it to the local device when using Windows App or the Remote Desktop client on a supported platform.

There are two versions of Teams, classic Teams and new Teams, and you can use either with Azure Virtual Desktop. New Teams has feature parity with classic Teams, and improves performance, reliability, and security.

New Teams can use either SlimCore or the WebRTC Redirector Service. SlimCore is now available. If you use SlimCore, you should also install the WebRTC Redirector Service. This allows a user to fall back to WebRTC, such as if they roam between different devices that don't support the new optimization architecture. For more information about SlimCore and how to opt into the preview, see New VDI solution for Teams.

For more information, see Use Microsoft Teams on Azure Virtual Desktop.

Multimedia redirection for video playback and calls in a remote session

Multimedia redirection call redirection is now generally available. Multimedia redirection redirects video playback and calls in a remote session from Azure Virtual Desktop, a Windows 365 Cloud PC, or Microsoft Dev Box to your local device for faster processing and rendering.

For more information, see Multimedia redirection for video playback and calls in a remote session.

Standardized naming of selectable images in Azure Virtual Desktop is now available

Image naming is now consistent when selecting images from the dropdown menu. As all new images published are Gen2, we're dropping this post-fix from the display name in the Azure Virtual Desktop dropdowns and will only add Gen1 when it is required. The change doesn’t impact naming in the Azure Marketplace.

September 2024

Here's what changed in September 2024:

Windows App is now available

Windows App is now generally available on Windows, iOS, iPadOS, and web browsers. You can use it to connect to Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365, Microsoft Dev Box, Remote Desktop Services, and remote PCs, securely connecting you to Windows devices and apps. To learn more about what each platform supports, see Compare Windows App features across platforms and devices. Windows App is now available through the appropriate store for each client platform, ensuring a smooth update process.

For more information, see What is Windows App? and Windows App get started.

Enabling HEVC GPU acceleration for Azure Virtual Desktop is now in preview

High Efficiency Video Coding (H.265) hardware acceleration is currently in preview. Azure Virtual Desktop supports graphics processing unit (GPU) acceleration for frame encoding which will result in improved graphical experience when using the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) with a GPU-enabled Virtual Machine. GPU acceleration is crucial for delivering high-fidelity graphical experiences in graphics-intensive applications, such as those used by graphic designers, video editors, and 3D modelers.

For more information, see Enable GPU acceleration for Azure Virtual Desktop.

August 2024

Here's what changed in August 2024:

Configure the session lock behavior for Azure Virtual Desktop is now available

You can choose whether the session is disconnected or the remote lock screen is shown when a remote session is locked, either by the user or by policy. When the session lock behavior is set to disconnect, a dialog is shown to let users know they were disconnected. Users can choose the Reconnect option from the dialog when they're ready to connect again.

For more information, see Configure the session lock behavior for Azure Virtual Desktop.

Configuring the clipboard transfer direction in Azure Virtual Desktop is now available

Clipboard redirection in Azure Virtual Desktop allows users to copy and paste content between the user's local device and the remote session in either direction. You might want to limit the direction of the clipboard for users, to help prevent data exfiltration or malicious files being copied to a session host. You can configure whether users can use the clipboard from session host to client, or client to session host, and the types of data that can be copied.

For more information see Configure the clipboard transfer direction in Azure Virtual Desktop.

Support for FIDO devices and passkeys on macOS and iOS is now available

Windows App and the Remote Desktop app now support FIDO devices and passkeys for Microsoft Entra ID sign in on macOS and iOS.

For more information see Azure Virtual Desktop identities and authentication.

July 2024

Here's what changed in July 2024:

New Teams available on Windows Enterprise multi-session images with Microsoft 365 apps pre-installed

Our Windows Enterprise multi-session images with Microsoft 365 apps have been updated with the new Teams app pre-installed. Users accessing newly provisioned session hosts with the latest images, updated late July, enjoy the new experience. Learn more about What's changing in the new Microsoft Teams.

Learn more about Windows Enterprise multi-session in our FAQ.

June 2024

Here's what changed in June 2024:

Configuring the default chroma value for Azure Virtual Desktop is now in preview

The chroma value determines the color space used for encoding. By default, the chroma value is set to 4:2:0, which provides a good balance between image quality and network bandwidth. You can increase the default chroma value to 4:4:4 to improve image quality. You don't need to use GPU acceleration to change the default chroma value.

For more information, see Configure default chroma value for Azure Virtual Desktop.

New Teams SlimCore changes are now available in preview

Microsoft Teams on Azure Virtual Desktop supports chat and collaboration. With media optimizations, it also supports calling and meeting functionality by redirecting it to the local device when using Windows App or the Remote Desktop client on a supported platform.

There are two versions of Teams, Classic Teams and New Teams, and you can use either with Azure Virtual Desktop. New Teams has feature parity with Classic Teams, and improves performance, reliability, and security.

New Teams can use either SlimCore or the WebRTC Redirector Service. SlimCore is available in preview and you need to opt in to the preview to use it. If you use SlimCore, you should also install the WebRTC Redirector Service. This allows a user to fall back to WebRTC, such as if they roam between different devices that don't support the new optimization architecture. For more information about SlimCore and how to opt into the preview, see New VDI solution for Teams.

For more information, see Use Microsoft Teams on Azure Virtual Desktop.

Preferred application group type behavior for pooled host pools in Azure Virtual Desktop has been updated

An application group is a logical grouping of applications that are available on session hosts in a host pool. Application groups control whether a full desktop or which applications from a host pool are available to users to connect to. An application group can only be assigned to a single host pool, but you can assign multiple application groups to the same host pool. Users can be assigned to multiple application groups across multiple host pools, which enable you to vary the applications and desktops that users can access.

For more information, see Preferred application group type behavior for pooled host pools in Azure Virtual Desktop.

Additional data and metrics for Connection Reliability for Azure Virtual Desktop is now available

Using Azure Virtual Desktop Insights can help you understand your deployments of Azure Virtual Desktop. It can help with checks such as which client versions are connecting, opportunities for cost saving, or knowing if you have resource limitations or connectivity issues.

The reliability of a connection can have a significant impact on the end-user experience. Azure Virtual Desktop Insights can help you understand disconnection events and correlations between errors that affect end users.

For more information and instructions, see Use cases for Azure Virtual Desktop Insights.

Adding and managing app attach applications in Azure Virtual Desktop is now available

App attach enables you to dynamically attach applications from an application package to a user session in Azure Virtual Desktop. Applications aren't installed locally on session hosts or images, making it easier to create custom images for your session hosts, and reducing operational overhead and costs for your organization. Delivering applications with app attach also gives you greater control over which applications your users can access in a remote session.

For more information and instructions, see Add and manage app attach and MSIX app attach applications.

May 2024

Here's what changed in May 2024:

Support for Trusted Launch virtual machines support in Microsoft Azure operated by 21Vianet

Trusted Launch virtual machines are now available in Microsoft Azure operated by 21Vianet. Deploying Trusted Launch virtual machines in your Azure Virtual Desktop environment improves the security posture of your session hosts by helping protect against advanced and persistent attack techniques. You can select Trusted Launch when you create a new host pool with machines or add a new virtual machine to an existing host pool.

For more information about the benefits of Trusted Launch, see our Trusted Launch documentation.

April 2024

Here's what changed in April 2024:

Updated the administrative template for Watermarking in Intune and Group Policy

The administrative template for Azure Virtual Desktop now includes updated template settings for watermarking, which are available in Microsoft Intune and Group Policy. For more information, along with instructions, see Enable watermarking and

March 2024

Here's what changed in March 2024:

ms-avd Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) scheme for Azure Virtual Desktop with the Remote Desktop client now generally available

The Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) scheme ms-avd, which is used to invoke the Remote Desktop client with specific commands, parameters, and values designed for using Azure Virtual Desktop, is now generally available. For example, you can use a URI to subscribe to a workspace or connect to a particular desktop or RemoteApp.

For more information and examples, see Uniform Resource Identifier schemes with the Remote Desktop client for Azure Virtual Desktop.

Every time sign-in frequency Conditional Access option is now in preview

Using Microsoft Entra sign-in frequency with Azure Virtual Desktop prompts users to reauthenticate when launching a new connection after a period of time. You can now require reauthentication after a shorter period of time.

For more information, see Configure sign-in frequency.

Configuring the clipboard transfer direction is now in preview

Clipboard redirection in Azure Virtual Desktop allows users to copy and paste content in either direction between the user's local device and the remote session. However, in some scenarios you might want to limit the direction of the clipboard for users to prevent data exfiltration or copying malicious files to a session host. You can configure users to only be able to use the clipboard to copy data from session host to client or client to session host, as well as what kind of data they can copy.

For more information, see Configure the clipboard transfer direction in Azure Virtual Desktop.

Azure Proactive Resiliency Library (APRL) for Azure Virtual Desktop workload now available

The ARPL now has recommendations for Azure Virtual Desktop, which can help you can meet resiliency targets for your applications through a holistic self-serve resilience experience. APRL recommendations cover Azure Virtual Desktop requirements and definitions, letting you run automated configuration checks against workload requirements. APRL also contains supporting Azure Resource Graph queries that you can use to identify resources that aren't fully compliant with APRL guidance and recommendations.

For more information about these recommendations, see the Azure Proactive Resiliency Library (APRL).

February 2024

Here's what changed in February 2024:

New Azure Virtual Desktop web client is now available

We've updated the Azure Virtual Desktop web client to the new web client. All users automatically migrate to this new version of the web client to access their resources.

For more information about the new features available in the new web client, see Use features of the Remote Desktop Web client.

January 2024

There were no major releases or new features in January 2024.

December 2023

Here's what changed in December 2023:

New app attach features for Azure Virtual Desktop in preview

The preview of app attach is now available. App attach brings many benefits over MSIX app attach, including assigning applications per user, using the same application package across multiple host pools, upgrading applications, and being able to run two versions of the same application concurrently on the same session host.

For more information, see New app attach features for Azure Virtual Desktop in preview and MSIX app attach and app attach in Azure Virtual Desktop.

The new Microsoft Teams desktop client is now generally available to use with Azure Virtual Desktop

The new Microsoft Teams desktop client is now generally available to use with Azure Virtual Desktop. The new Teams desktop client has feature parity with the classic Teams app and improved performance, reliability, and security.

For more information, see Use Microsoft Teams on Azure Virtual Desktop.

November 2023

Here's what changed in November 2023:

Administrators can now easily start, stop, and restart session hosts

You can now stop, start and restart session hosts directly in the Azure portal. You can also choose whether to perform the operation on a single session host or on multiple session hosts in your host pool at the same time.

Use community images and directed shared images when deploying session hosts

You can now select community images and directed shared images to use for your session hosts when you deploy Azure Virtual Desktop in the Azure portal, or add session hosts to a host pool.

Community images and associated publisher information aren't verified or tested by Microsoft, so make sure to verify any custom images you deploy using this method.

For more information on preparing, storing and sharing images to be used to create virtual machines, see Store and share VM images in a compute gallery.

Windows 11 version 23H2 and 22H2 images added to the Azure Marketplace

Windows 11 Enterprise multi-session, versions 23H2 and 22H2 with Microsoft 365 apps preinstalled are now available in the Azure Marketplace. You can use these images when you deploy Azure Virtual Desktop in the Azure portal, or add session hosts to a host pool).

October 2023

Here's what changed in October 2023:

New article about Azure Virtual Desktop service architecture and resilience

We've published a new article about the service architecture for Azure Virtual Desktop and how it provides a resilient, reliable, and secure service for organizations and users. Most components are Microsoft-managed, but some are customer-managed.

You can learn more at Azure Virtual Desktop service architecture and resilience.

OneDrive with RemoteApp in preview

You can now use Microsoft OneDrive alongside a RemoteApp in preview. You can use this feature to access and synchronize your files while using a RemoteApp. When you connect to a RemoteApp, OneDrive can automatically launch as a companion to the RemoteApp.

For more information about prerequisites and configuration, see Use Microsoft OneDrive with a RemoteApp in Azure Virtual Desktop (preview).

September 2023

Here's what changed in September 2023:

Updates to Azure Virtual Desktop overview page in the Azure portal

We've updated the overview page in the Azure Virtual Desktop administrator portal to include new visuals and tile links. These updates make it easier to navigate to documentation, find the forums for collaboration and discussion, submit feedback, and locate release notes for Azure Virtual Desktop.

The latest version of FSLogix is now included in Windows Enterprise multi-session images

We added the latest version of FSLogix to Windows 10 and 11 Enterprise multi-session images in the Azure Marketplace. As of September 12, 2023, all images come preinstalled with the latest version of FSLogix.

For more information about what's new in FSLogix, see the FSLogix Release Notes.

Azure Virtual Desktop Insights support for the Azure Monitor Agent is now generally available

Azure Virtual Desktop Insights is a dashboard built on Azure Monitor workbooks that helps you understand your Azure Virtual Desktop environments. Azure Virtual Desktop Insights support for the Azure Monitor agent is now generally available. For more information, see Use Azure Virtual Desktop Insights to monitor your deployment.

The Log Analytics agent for Azure Monitor is deprecating on August 31, 2024. We recommend you migrate monitoring your virtual machines (VMs) and servers to Azure Monitor Agent before that date. For more information about how to migrate, see Migrate to Azure Monitor Agent from Log Analytics agent.

July 2023

Here's what changed in July 2023:

Watermarking is now generally available

Watermarking, when used with screen capture protection, helps protect your sensitive information from capture on client endpoints. When you enable watermarking, QR code watermarks appear as part of remote desktops. The QR code contains the connection ID of a remote session that admins can use to trace the session. You can configure watermarking on session hosts and enforce it with the Remote Desktop client.

Audio call redirection for Azure Virtual Desktop in preview

Call redirection, which optimizes audio calls for WebRTC-based calling apps, is now in preview. Multimedia redirection redirects media content from Azure Virtual Desktop to your local machine for faster processing and rendering. Both Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome support this feature when using the Windows Desktop client.

For more information about which sites are compatible with this feature, see Call redirection.

June 2023

Here's what changed in June 2023:

Azure Virtual Desktop Insights support for the Azure Monitor Agent now in preview

Azure Virtual Desktop Insights is a dashboard built on Azure Monitor workbooks that helps IT professionals understand their Azure Virtual Desktop environments. Azure Virtual Desktops Insights support for the Azure Monitor agent is now in preview. For more information, see Use Azure Virtual Desktop Insights to monitor your deployment.

Administrative template for Azure Virtual Desktop now available in Intune

We've created an administrative template for Azure Virtual Desktop to help you configure certain features in Azure Virtual Desktop. This administrative template is now available in Intune, which enables you to centrally configure session hosts that are enrolled in Intune and Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) joined or hybrid Azure AD joined.

For more information, see Administrative template for Azure Virtual Desktop.

April 2023

Here's what changed in April 2023:

Azure Virtual Desktop Store app for Windows in preview

The Azure Virtual Desktop Store app for Windows is now in preview for Windows 10 and 11. With the Store App, you can now automatically update the client, unlike with the Remote Desktop client. You can also pin a RemoteApp to your Start menu to personalize your desktop and reduce clutter.

For more information about the preview release version, check out Use features of the Azure Virtual Desktop Store app for Windows when connecting to Azure Virtual Desktop (preview), What's new in the Azure Virtual Desktop Store App (preview), or read our blog post.

March 2023

Here's what changed in March 2023:

Redesigned connection bar for the Windows Desktop client

The latest version of the Windows Desktop client includes a redesigned connection bar. For more information, see Updates for version 1.2.4159.

Shutdown session host status

The Shutdown session host status is now available in the Azure Virtual Desktop portal and the most recent API version. For more information, see Session host statuses and health checks.

Windows 10 and 11 22H2 images now visible in the image drop-down menu

Windows 10 and 11 22H2 Enterprise and Enterprise multi-session images are now visible in the image dropdown when creating a new host pool or adding a VM in a host pool from the Azure Virtual Desktop portal.

ms-avd Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) scheme in preview

A Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) scheme for Azure Virtual Desktop that you can use with the Remote Desktop client for Azure Virtual Desktop. You can use ms-avd to subscribe to a workspace or connect to a particular desktop or RemoteApp. URI schemes provide fast and efficient end-user connection to Azure Virtual Desktop resources. For more information, see our blog post and URI schemes with the Remote Desktop client for Azure Virtual Desktop (preview).

Azure Virtual Desktop Insights at Scale now generally available

Azure Virtual Desktop Insights at Scale is now generally available. This feature gives you the ability to review performance and diagnostic information in multiple host pools at the same time in a single view. If you're an existing Azure Virtual Desktop Insights user, you get this feature without having to do any extra configuration or setup. For more information, see our blog post and Use Azure Virtual Desktop Insights to monitor your deployment.

February 2023

Here's what changed in February 2023:

Multimedia redirection enhancements now generally available

Multimedia redirection is now generally available. Multimedia redirection enables smooth video playback while viewing videos in a browser running on Azure Virtual Desktop. For more information, see our blog post or Multimedia redirection for video playback and calls in a remote session.

New User Interface for Azure Virtual Desktop web client now in preview

The Azure Virtual Desktop web client has a new user interface (UI) that's now in preview. This new UI gives the web client a cleaner, more modern look and feel. For more information, see our blog post or Use features of the Remote Desktop Web client.

January 2023

Here's what changed in January 2023:

Watermarking for Azure Virtual Desktop now in preview

Watermarking for Azure Virtual Desktop is now in preview for the Windows Desktop client. This feature protects sensitive information from being captured on client endpoints by adding watermarks to remote desktops. For more information, see our blog post or Watermarking in Azure Virtual Desktop.

Give or Take Control for macOS Teams on Azure Virtual Desktop now generally available

Version 1.31.2211.15001 of the WebRTC Redirector service includes support for Give or Take Control for macOS users. This version includes performance improvements for Give or Take Control on Windows. For more information, see Updates for version 1.31.2211.15001.

Microsoft Teams application window sharing on Azure Virtual Desktop now generally available

Previously, users could only share their full desktop windows or a Microsoft PowerPoint Live presentation during Teams calls. With application window sharing, users can now choose a specific window to share from their desktop screen and help reduce the risk of displaying sensitive content during meetings or calls. For more information, see our blog post.

Windows 7 End of Support

Starting January 10, 2023, Azure Virtual Desktop no longer supports Windows 7 as a client or host. We recommend upgrading to a supported Windows release. For more information, see our blog post.

December 2022

Here's what changed in December 2022:

FSLogix 2210 now generally available

FSLogix version 2210 is now generally available. This version introduces new features like VHD Disk Compaction, a new process that improves user experience with AppX applications like built-in Windows apps (inbox apps) and Recycle Bin roaming. For more information, see our blog post or What's new in FSLogix.

India metadata service now generally available

The Azure Virtual Desktop region in India is now generally available. Customers can now store their Azure Virtual Desktop objects and metadata within a database located in the India geography. For more information, see our blog post.

Confidential Virtual Machine support for Azure Virtual Desktop now in preview

Azure Confidential VM support is now in preview. Azure Confidential VMs increase data privacy and security by protecting data in use. The preview update also adds support for Windows 11 22H2 to Confidential VMs. For more information, see our blog post.

November 2022

Here's what changed in November 2022:

Azure Virtual Desktop Insights at Scale in preview

The ability to review performance and diagnostic information across multiple host pools in one view with Azure Virtual Desktop Insights at Scale is now in preview. For more information, see our blog post or Use Azure Virtual Desktop Insights to monitor your deployment.

Azure Active Directory Join VMs with FSLogix profiles on Azure Files now generally available

FSLogix profiles with Azure Active Directory (AD)-joined Windows 10, 11, and Windows Server 2022 VMs for hybrid users in Azure Virtual Desktop are now generally available. These FSLogix profiles let you seamlessly access file shares from Azure AD-joined VMs and use them to store your FSLogix profile containers. For more information, see our blog post.

October 2022

Here's what changed in October 2022:

Host pool deployment support for Azure availability zones now generally available

We've improved the host pool deployment process. You can now deploy host pools into up to three availability zones in supported Azure regions. For more information, see our blog post.

FSLogix version 2210 now in preview

FSLogix version 2210 is now preview. This new version includes new features, bug fixes, and other improvements. One of the new features is Disk Compaction, which lets you remove white space in a disk to shrink the disk size. Disk Compaction saves you significant amounts of storage capacity in the storage spaces where you keep your FSLogix disks. For more information, see What's new in FSLogix or the FSLogix Disk Compaction blog post.

Universal Print for Azure Virtual Desktop now generally available

The release of Windows 11 22H2 includes an improved printing experience that combines the benefits of Azure Virtual Desktop and Universal Print for Windows 11 multi-session users. Learn more at Printing on Azure Virtual Desktop using Universal Print.

September 2022

Here's what changed in September 2022:

Single sign-on and passwordless authentication now in preview

The ability to enable an Azure Active Directory (AD)-based single sign-on experience and support for passwordless authentication, using Windows Hello and security devices (like FIDO2 keys) is now in preview. This feature is available for Windows 10, Windows, 11 and Windows Server 2022 session hosts with the September Cumulative Update Preview installed. The single sign-on experience is currently compatible with the Windows Desktop and web clients. For more information, see our blog post.

Connection graphics data logs for Azure Virtual Desktop now in preview

The ability to collect graphics data for your Azure Virtual Desktop connections through Azure Log Analytics is now in preview. This data can help administrators understand factors across the server, client, and network that contribute to slow or choppy experiences for a user. For more information, see our blog post.

Multimedia redirection enhancements now in preview

An upgraded version of multimedia redirection for Azure Virtual Desktop is now in preview. We've made various improvements to this version, including more supported websites, RemoteApp browser support, and enhancements to media controls for better clarity and one-click tracing. Learn more at Multimedia redirection on Azure Virtual Desktop (preview) and our blog post.

Grouping costs by Azure Virtual Desktop host pool now in preview

Microsoft Cost Management has a new feature in preview that lets you group Azure Virtual Desktop costs with Azure tags by using the cm-resource-parent tag key. Cost grouping makes it easier to understand and manage costs by host pool. Learn more at Tag Azure Virtual Desktop resources to manage costs and our blog post.

August 2022

Here's what changed in August 2022:

Azure portal updates

We've made the following updates to the Azure portal:

  • Improved search, filtering, and performance.
  • Added Windows Server 2022 images to the image selection list.
  • Added "Preferred group type" to the "Basics" tab in the host pool creation process.
  • Enabled custom images for Trusted Launch VMs.
  • New selectable cards, including the following:
    • Unavailable machines.
    • User session.
  • Removed the "Advanced" tab for the process to add a VM to the host pool.
  • Removed the storage blob image option from the host pool creation and adding VM processes.
  • Bug fixes.
  • Made the following improvements to the "getting started" setup process:
    • Unchecked link Azure template.
    • Removed validation on existing domain admins.

Updates to the preview version of FSLogix profiles for Azure AD-joined VMs

We've updated the preview version of the Azure Files integration with Azure AD Kerberos for hybrid identities so that it's now simpler to deploy and manage. The update should give users using FSLogix user profiles on Azure AD-joined session host an overall better experience. For more information, see the Azure Files blog post.

Single sign-on and passwordless authentication now in Windows Insider preview

In the Windows Insider build of Windows 11 22H2, you can now enable a preview version of the Azure AD-based single sign-on experience. This Windows Insider build also supports passwordless authentication with Windows Hello and security devices like FIDO2 keys. For more information, see our blog post.

Universal Print for Azure Virtual Desktop now in Windows Insider preview

The latest Windows Insider build of Windows 11 22H2 also includes a preview version of the Universal Print for Azure Virtual Desktop feature. This feature provides an improved printing experience that combines the benefits of Azure Virtual Desktop and Universal Print for Windows 11 multi-session users. Learn more at Printing on Azure Virtual Desktop using Universal Print and our blog post.

Azure Virtual Desktop with Trusted Launch update

Azure Virtual Desktop now supports provisioning Trusted Launch virtual machines with custom images stored in an Azure Compute Gallery. For more information, see our blog post.

July 2022

Here's what changed in July 2022:

Scheduled agent updates now generally available

Scheduled agent updates on Azure Virtual Desktop are now generally available. This feature gives IT admins control over when the Azure Virtual Desktop agent, side-by-side stack, and Geneva Monitoring agent get updated. For more information, see our blog post.

FSLogix 2201 hotfix 2

The FSLogix 2201 hotfix 2 update includes fixes to multi-session VHD mounting, Cloud Cache meta tracking files, and registry cleanup operations. This update doesn't include new features. Learn more at What's new in FSLogix and our blog post.

Japan and Australia metadata service now generally available

The Azure Virtual Desktop metadata database located in Japan and Australia is now generally available. This update allows customers to store their Azure Virtual Desktop objects and metadata within a database located within that geography. For more information, see our blog post.

Azure Virtual Desktop moving away from Storage Blob image type

Storage Blob images are created from unmanaged disks, which means they lack the availability, scalability, and frictionless user experience that managed images and Shared Image Gallery images offer. As a result, Azure Virtual Desktop will be deprecating support for Storage Blobs image types by August 22, 2022. For more information, see our blog post.

Azure Virtual Desktop Custom Configuration changing to PowerShell

Starting July 21, 2022, Azure Virtual Desktop will replace the Custom Configuration Azure Resource Manager template parameters for creating host pools, adding session hosts to host pools, and the Getting Started feature with a PowerShell script URL parameter stored in a publicly accessible location. This replacement includes the parameters' respective Azure Resource Manager templates. For more information, see our blog post.

June 2022

Here's what changed in June 2022:

Australia metadata service in preview

The Azure Virtual Desktop metadata database located in Australia is now in preview. This allows customers to store their Azure Virtual Desktop objects and metadata within a database located within our Australia geography, ensuring that the data will only reside within Australia. For more information, see our blog post.

Teams media optimizations for macOS now generally available

Teams media optimizations for redirecting audio and video during calls and meetings to a local macOS machine is now generally available. To use this feature, you need to update or install, at a minimum, version 10.7.7 of the Azure Virtual Desktop macOS client. Learn more at Use Microsoft Teams on Azure Virtual Desktop and our blog post.

May 2022

Here's what changed in May 2022:

Background effects with Teams on Azure Virtual Desktop now generally available

Users can now make meetings more personalized and avoid unexpected distractions by applying background effects. Meeting participants can select an available image in Teams to change their background or choose to blur their background. For more information, see our blog post.

Multi-window and "Call me with Teams" features now generally available

The multi-window feature gives users the option to pop out chats, meetings, calls, or documents into separate windows to streamline their workflow. The "Call me with Teams" feature lets users transfer a Teams call to their phone. Both features are now generally available in Teams on Azure Virtual Desktop. For more information, see our blog post.

Japan metadata service in preview

The Azure Virtual Desktop metadata database located in Japan is now in preview. This allows customers to store their Azure Virtual Desktop objects and metadata within a database located within our Japan geography, ensuring that the data will only reside within Japan. For more information, see our blog post.

FSLogix 2201 hotfix

The latest update for FSLogix 2201 includes fixes to Cloud Cache and container redirection processes. No new features are included with this update. Learn more at What's new in FSLogix and our blog post.

April 2022

Here's what changed in April 2022:

Scheduled Agent Updates preview

Scheduled Agent Updates is a new feature in preview that lets IT admins specify the time and day the Azure Virtual Desktop agent, side-by-side stack, and Geneva Monitoring agent will update. For more information, see our blog post.

The Azure Virtual Desktop web client has a new URL

Starting April 18, 2022, the Azure Virtual Desktop and Azure Virtual Desktop (classic) web clients will redirect to a new URL. For more information, see our blog post.

March 2022

Here's what changed in March 2022:

Live Captions with Teams on Azure Virtual Desktop now generally available

Accessibility has always been important to us, so we're pleased to announce that Teams for Azure Virtual Desktop now supports real-time captions. Learn how to use live captions at Use live captions in a Teams meeting. For more information, see our blog post.

Multimedia redirection enhancements now in preview

An upgraded version of multimedia redirection for Azure Virtual Desktop is now in preview. We've made various improvements to this version, including more supported websites and media controls for our users. Learn more at Multimedia redirection for Azure Virtual Desktop and our blog post.

FSLogix version 2201 is now generally available

FSLogix version 2201 is now generally available. This version includes improved sign-in and sign-out times, cloud cache performance improvements, and accessibility updates. For more information, see the FSLogix release notes and our blog post.

February 2022

Here's what changed in February 2022:

Network data for Azure Virtual Desktop user connections

You now collect network data (both round trip time and available bandwidth) throughout a user's connection in Azure Virtual Desktop with Azure Log Analytics. For more information, see our blog post.

Unassigning and reassigning personal desktops now generally available

The feature that lets you reassign or unassign personal desktops is now generally available. You can unassign or reassign desktops using the Azure portal or REST API. For more information, see our blog post.

Teams media optimizations for macOS now in preview

Teams media optimizations for redirecting audio and video during calls and meetings to a local macOS machine are now in preview. To use this feature, you'll need to update your Azure Virtual Desktop macOS client to version 10.7.7 or later. For more information, see our blog post or Use Microsoft Teams on Azure Virtual Desktop.

January 2022

Here's what changed in January 2022:

FSLogix version 2201 preview

FSLogix version 2201 is now in preview. For more information, see our blog post or the FSLogix release notes.

Increased application group limit

We've increased number of Azure Virtual Desktop application groups you can have on each Azure Active Directory tenant from 200 to 500. For more information, see our blog post.

Updates to required URLs

We've updated the required URL list for Azure Virtual Desktop to accommodate Azure Virtual Desktop agent traffic. For more information, see our blog post.

December 2021

Here's what changed in December 2021:

Azure portal updates

You can now automatically create Trusted Launch virtual machines through the host pool creation process instead of having to manually create and add them to a host pool after deployment. To access this feature, select the Virtual machines tab while creating a host pool. Learn more at Trusted Launch for Azure virtual machines.

Azure Active Directory Join VMs with FSLogix profiles on Azure Files

Azure Active Directory-joined session hosts for FSLogix profiles on Azure Files in Windows 10 and 11 multi-session is now in preview. We've updated Azure Files to use a Kerberos protocol for Azure Active Directory that lets you secure folders in the file share to individual users. This new feature also allows FSLogix to function within your deployment without an Active Directory Domain Controller. For more information, check out our blog post.

Azure Virtual Desktop pricing calculator updates

We've made some significant updates to improve the Azure Virtual Desktop pricing experience on the Azure pricing calculator, including the following:

  • You can now calculate costs for any number of users greater than zero.
  • The calculator now includes storage and networking or bandwidth costs.
  • We've added new info messages for clarity.
  • Fixed bugs that affected storage configuration.

For more information, see the pricing calculator.

November 2021

Here's what changed in November 2021:

Azure Virtual Desktop for Azure Stack HCI

Azure Virtual Desktop for Azure Stack HCI is now in preview. This feature is for customers who need desktop virtualization for apps that have to stay on-premises for performance and data security reasons. To learn more, see our blog post and the Azure Virtual Desktop for Azure Stack HCI documentation.

Autoscale preview

We're pleased to introduce the new autoscale feature, which lets you stop or start session hosts automatically based on a schedule you set. Autoscale lets you optimize infrastructure costs by configuring your shared or pooled desktops to only charge for the resources you actually use. You can learn more about the autoscale feature by reading our documentation

Azure Virtual Desktop starter kit for Power Automate

Your organization can now use the Azure Virtual Desktop starter kit to manage its robotic process automation (RPA) workloads. Learn more by reading our documentation.

Tagging with Azure Virtual Desktop

We recently released new documentation about how to configure tags for Azure Virtual Desktop to track and manage costs. For more information, see Tag Azure Virtual Desktop resources.

October 2021

Here's what changed in October 2021:

Azure Virtual Desktop support for Windows 11

Azure Virtual Desktop support for Windows 11 is now generally available for single and multi-session deployments. You can now use Windows 11 images when creating host pools in the Azure portal. For more information, see our blog post.

Screen capture protection updates

Screen capture protection is now supported Microsoft Azure operated by 21Vianet. For more information, see our blog post.

Azure Active Directory domain join

Azure Active Directory domain join for Azure Virtual Desktop VMs is now available in the Microsoft Azure operated by 21Vianet.

Breaking change in Azure Virtual Desktop Azure Resource Manager template

A breaking change has been introduced into the Azure Resource Manager template for Azure Virtual Desktop. If you're using any code that depends on the change, then you need to follow the directions in our blog post to address the issue.

September 2021

Here's what changed in September 2021.

Azure portal updates

You can now use Azure Resource Manager templates for any update you want to apply to your session hosts after deployment. You can access this feature by selecting the Virtual machines tab while creating a host pool.

You can also now set host pool, application group, and workspace diagnostic settings while creating host pools instead of afterwards. Configuring these settings during the host pool creation process also automatically sets up reporting data for Azure Virtual Desktop Insights.

Azure Active Directory domain join

Azure Active Directory domain join is now generally available. This service lets you join your session hosts to Azure Active Directory.

Azure operated by 21Vianet

Azure Virtual Desktop is now generally available in the Azure operated by 21Vianet cloud. For more information, see our blog post.

August 2021

Here's what changed in August 2021:

Windows 11 (Preview) for Azure Virtual Desktop

Windows 11 (Preview) images are now available in the Azure Marketplace for customers to test and validate with Azure Virtual Desktop. For more information, see our announcement.

Multimedia redirection is now in preview

Multimedia redirection gives you smooth video playback while watching videos in your Azure Virtual Desktop web browser and works with Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. Learn more at our blog post.

Windows Defender Application Control and Azure Disk Encryption support

Azure Virtual Desktop now supports Windows Defender Application Control to control which drivers and applications are allowed to run on Windows VMs, and Azure Disk Encryption, which uses Windows BitLocker to provide volume encryption for the OS and data disks of your VMs. For more information, see our announcement.

Signing into Azure Active Directory using smart cards are now supported in Azure Virtual Desktop

While this isn't a new feature for Azure Active Directory, Azure Virtual Desktop now supports configuring Active Directory Federation Services to sign in with smart cards. For more information, see our announcement.

Screen capture protection is now generally available

Prevent sensitive information from being screen captured by software running on the client endpoints with screen capture protection in Azure Virtual Desktop. Learn more at our blog post.

July 2021

Here's what changed in July 2021:

Azure Virtual Desktop images now include optimized Teams

All available images in the Azure Virtual Desktop image gallery that include Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise now have the media-optimized version of Teams for Azure Virtual Desktop pre-installed. For more information, see our announcement.

Azure Active Directory Domain Join for Session hosts is in preview

You can now join your Azure Virtual Desktop VMs directly to Azure Active Directory (Azure AD). This feature lets you connect to your VMs from any device with basic credentials. For certain scenarios, this helps eliminate the need for a domain controller, reduce costs, and streamline your deployment.

FSLogix version 2105 is now available

FSLogix version 2105 is now generally available. This version includes improved sign-in times and bug fixes that weren't available in the preview version (version 2105). For more detailed information, you can see the FSLogix release notes and our blog post.

Azure Virtual Desktop in China has entered preview

With Azure Virtual Desktop available in China, we now have more rounded global coverage that helps organizations support customers in this region with improved performance and latency. Learn more at our announcement page.

The getting started feature for Azure Virtual Desktop

This feature offers a streamlined onboarding experience in the Azure portal to set up your Azure Virtual Desktop environment. You can use this feature to create deployments that meet system requirements for automated Azure Active Directory Domain Services the simple and easy way. For more information, check out our blog post.

Start VM on connect is now generally available

The start VM on connect feature is now generally available. This feature helps you optimize costs by letting you turn off deallocated or stopped VMs, letting your deployment be flexible with user demands. For more information, see Start Virtual Machine on Connect.

RemoteApp streaming

We recently announced a new pricing option for RemoteApp streaming for using Azure Virtual Desktop to deliver apps as a service to your customers and business partners. For example, software vendors can use RemoteApp streaming to deliver apps as a software as a service (SaaS) solution that's accessible to their customers. To learn more about RemoteApp streaming, check out our documentation.

New Azure Virtual Desktop handbooks

We recently released four new handbooks to help you design and deploy Azure Virtual Desktop in different scenarios:

June 2021

Here's what changed in June 2021:

Windows Virtual Desktop is now Azure Virtual Desktop

To better align with our vision of a flexible cloud desktop and application platform, we've renamed Windows Virtual Desktop to Azure Virtual Desktop. Learn more at the announcement post in our blog.

EU, UK, and Canada geographies are now generally available

Metadata service for the European Union, UK, and Canada is now in general availability. These new locations are very important to data sovereignty outside the US. For more information, see our blog post.

The Getting Started tool is now in preview

We created the Azure Virtual Desktop Getting Started tool to make the deployment process easier for first-time users. By simplifying and automating the deployment process, we hope this tool helps make adopting Azure Virtual Desktop faster and more accessible to a wider variety of users. Learn more at our blog post.

Azure Virtual Desktop pricing calculator updates

We've made some significant updates to improve the Azure Virtual Desktop pricing experience on the Azure pricing calculator, including the following:

  • We've updated the service name to Azure Virtual Desktop
  • We also updated the layout with the following new items:
    • A Storage section with both managed disk and file storage bandwidth
    • A custom section that shows cost-per-user

You can access the pricing calculator at this page.

Single Sign-on (SSO) using Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS)

The AD FS single-sign on feature is now generally available. This feature lets customers use AD FS to give a single sign-on experience for users on the Windows and web clients. For more information, see Configure AD FS single sign-on for Azure Virtual Desktop.

May 2021

Here's what's new for May 2021:

Smart card authentication

We've now officially released the Key Distribution Center (KDC) Proxy Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) properties. These properties enable Kerberos authentication for the RDP portion of an Azure Virtual Desktop session, which includes permitting Network Level Authentication without a password. Learn more at our blog post.

The web client now supports file transfer

Starting with the preview version of the web client, version 1.0.24.7 (preview), users can now transfer files between their remote session and local computer. To upload files to the remote session, select the upload icon in the menu at the top of the web client page. To download files, search for Remote Desktop Virtual Drive in the Start menu on your remote session. After you've opened your virtual drive, just drag and drop your files into the Downloads folder and the browser will begin downloading the files to your local computer.

Start VM on connect support updates

Start VM on connect (preview) now supports pooled host pools and the Azure Government Cloud. To learn more, read our blog post.

Latency improvements for the United Arab Emirates region

We've expanded our Azure control plane presence to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), so customers in that region can now experience improved latency. Learn more at our Azure Virtual Desktop roadmap.

Ending Internet Explorer 11 support

On September 30, 2021, the Azure Virtual Desktop web client will no longer support Internet Explorer 11. We recommend you start using the Microsoft Edge browser for your web client and remote sessions instead. For more information, see the announcement in this blog post.

FSLogix version 2105 preview

We have released a preview of the latest version of the FSLogix agent. Check out our blog post for more information and to submit the form you need to access the preview.

May 2021 updates for Teams for Azure Virtual Desktop

For this update, we resolved an issue that caused the screen to remain black while sharing video. We also fixed a mismatch in video resolutions between the session client and the Teams server. Teams on Azure Virtual Desktop should now change resolution and bit rates based on input from the Teams server.

Azure portal deployment updates

We've made the following updates to the deployment process in the Azure portal:

  • Added new images (including GEN2) to the drop-down list box of "image" when creating a new Azure Virtual Desktop session host VM.
  • You can now configure boot diagnostics for virtual machines when creating a host pool.
  • Added a tool tip to the RDP proxy in the advanced host pool RDP properties tab.
  • Added an information bubble for the icon path when adding an application from an MSIX package.
  • You can no longer do managed boot diagnostics with an unmanaged disk.
  • Updated the template for creating a host pool in Azure Resource Manager so that the Azure portal can now support creating host pools with third-party marketplace images.

Single sign-on using Active Directory Federation Services preview

We've started a preview for Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) support for single sign-on (SSO) per host pool. Learn more at Configure AD FS single sign-on for Azure Virtual Desktop.

Enterprise-scale support

We've released an updated section of the Cloud Adoption framework for Enterprise-scale support for Azure Virtual Desktop.

Customer adoption kit

We've recently released the Azure Virtual Desktop Customer adoption kit to help customers and partners set up Azure Virtual Desktop for their customers. You can download the kit here.

April 2021

Here's what's new for April:

Use the Start VM on Connect feature (preview) in the Azure portal

You can now configure Start VM on Connect (preview) in the Azure portal. With this update, users can access their VMs from the Android and macOS clients. To learn more, see Start VM on Connect.

Updates to the Azure portal UI for Azure Virtual Desktop

Here's what changed in the latest update of the Azure portal UI for Azure Virtual Desktop:

  • Fixed an issue that caused an error to appear when retrieving the session host while drain mode is enabled.
  • Upgraded the Portal SDK to version 7.161.0.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the resource ID missing error message to appear in the User Sessions tab.
  • The Azure portal now shows detailed sub-status messages for session hosts.

April 2021 updates for Teams on Azure Virtual Desktop

Here's what's new for Teams on Azure Virtual Desktop:

  • Added hardware acceleration for video processing of outgoing video streams for Windows 10-based clients.
  • When joining a meeting with both a front facing camera and a rear facing or external camera, the front facing camera is selected by default.
  • Resolved an issue that made Teams crash on x86-based machines.
  • Resolved an issue that caused striations during screen sharing.
  • Resolved an issue that prevented meeting members from seeing incoming video or screen sharing.

MSIX app attach is now generally available

MSIX app attach for Azure Virtual Desktop has now come out of preview and is available to all users. Learn more about MSIX app attach at our TechCommunity announcement.

The macOS client now supports Apple Silicon and Big Sur

The macOS Azure Virtual Desktop client now supports Apple Silicon and Big Sur. The full list of updates is available in What's new in the macOS client.

March 2021

Here's what changed in March 2021.

Updates to the Azure portal UI for Azure Virtual Desktop

We've made the following updates to Azure Virtual Desktop for the Azure portal:

  • We've enabled new availability options (availability set and zones) for the workflows to create host pools and add VMs.
  • We've fixed an issue where a host with the "Needs assistance" status appeared as unavailable. Now the host has a warning icon next to it.
  • We've enabled sorting for active sessions.
  • You can now send messages to or sign out specific users on the host details tab.
  • We've changed the maximum session limit field.
  • We've added an OU validation path to the workflow to create a host pool.
  • You can now use the latest version of the Windows 10 image when you create a personal host pool.

Generation 2 images and Trusted Launch

The Azure Marketplace now has Generation 2 images for Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Enterprise multi-session. These images enable you to use Trusted Launch VMs. Learn more about Generation 2 VMs at Should I create a generation 1 or 2 virtual machine. To learn how to provision Azure Virtual Desktop Trusted Launch VMs, see our TechCommunity post.

FSLogix is now preinstalled on Windows 10 Enterprise multi-session images

Based on customer feedback, we've released a new version of the Windows 10 Enterprise multi-session image that has an unconfigured version of FSLogix already installed. We hope this makes your Azure Virtual Desktop deployment easier.

Azure Virtual Desktop Insights is now in General Availability

Azure Virtual Desktop Insights is now generally available to the public. This feature is an automated service that monitors your deployments and lets you view events, health, and troubleshooting suggestions in a single place. For more information, see our documentation or check out our TechCommunity post.

March 2021 updates for Teams on Azure Virtual Desktop

We've made the following updates for Teams on Azure Virtual Desktop:

  • We've improved video quality performance on calls and 2x2 mode.
  • We've reduced CPU utilization by 5-10% (depending on CPU generation) by using hardware offload of video processing (XVP).
  • Older machines can now use XVP and hardware decoding to display more incoming video streams smoothly in 2x2 mode.
  • We've updated the WebRTC stack from M74 to M88 for better AV sync performance and fewer transient issues.
  • We've replaced our software H264 encoder with OpenH264 (OSS used in Teams on the web), which increased the video quality of the outgoing camera.
  • We enabled 2x2 mode for Teams Server for the general public on March 30. 2x2 mode shows up to four incoming video streams at the same time.

Start VM on Connect preview

The new host pool setting, Start VM on Connect, is now available in preview. This setting lets you turn on your VMs whenever you need them. If you want to save costs, you need to deallocate your VMs by configuring your Azure Compute settings. For more information, check out our blog post and our documentation.

Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty certification

We've released a beta version of the AZ-140 exam that will let you prove your expertise in Azure Virtual Desktop in Azure. To learn more, check out our TechCommunity post.

February 2021

Here's what changed in February 2021.

Portal experience

We've improved the Azure portal experience in the following ways:

  • Bulk drain mode on hosts in the session host grid tab.
  • MSIX app attach is now available for preview.
  • Fixed host pool overview info for dark mode.

EU metadata storage now in preview

We're now hosting a preview of the Europe (EU) geography as a storage option for service metadata in Azure Virtual Desktop. Customers can choose between West or North Europe when they create their service objects. The service objects and metadata for the host pools will be stored in the Azure geography associated with each region. To learn more, read our blog post announcing the preview.

Teams on Azure Virtual Desktop plugin updates

We've improved video call quality on the Azure Virtual Desktop plugin by addressing the most commonly reported issues, such as when the screen would suddenly go dark or the video and sound desynchronized. These improvements should increase the performance of single-video view with active speaker switching. We also fixed an issue where hardware devices with special characters weren't available in Teams.

January 2021

Here's what changed in January 2021:

New Azure Virtual Desktop offer

New customers save 30 percent on Azure Virtual Desktop computing costs for D-series and Bs-series virtual machines for up to 90 days when using the native Microsoft solution. You can redeem this offer in the Azure portal before March 31, 2021. Learn more at our Azure Virtual Desktop offer page.

networkSecurityGroupRules value change

In the Azure Resource Manager nested template, we changed the default value for networkSecurityGroupRules from an object to an array. This prevents errors if you use managedDisks-customimagevm.json without specifying a value for networkSecurityGroupRules. This wasn't a breaking change and is backward compatible.

FSLogix hotfix update

We've released FSLogix, version 2009 HF_01 (2.9.7654.46150) to solve issues in the previous release (2.9.7621.30127). We recommend you stop using the previous version and update FSLogix as soon as possible.

For more information, see the release notes in What's new in FSLogix.

Azure portal experience improvements

We've made the following improvements to the Azure portal experience:

  • You can now add local VM admin credentials directly instead of having to add a local account created with the Active Directory domain join account credentials.
  • Users can now list both individual and group assignments in separate tabs for individual users and groups.
  • The version number of the Azure Virtual Desktop Agent is now visible in the Virtual Machine overview for host pools.
  • Added bulk delete for host pools and application groups.
  • You can now enable or disable drain mode for multiple session hosts in a host pool.
  • Removed the public IP field from the VM details page.

Azure Virtual Desktop Agent troubleshooting

We recently set up the Azure Virtual Desktop Agent troubleshooting guide to help customers who have encountered common issues.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint integration

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint integration is now generally available. This feature gives your Azure Virtual Desktop VMs the same investigation experience as a local Windows 10 machine. If you're using Windows 10 Enterprise multi-session, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint supports up to 50 concurrent user connections, giving you the cost savings of Windows 10 Enterprise multi-session and the confidence of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. For more information, check out our blog post.

Azure Security baseline for Azure Virtual Desktop

We've recently published an article about the Azure security baseline for Azure Virtual Desktop that we'd like to call your attention to. These guidelines include information about how to apply the Azure cloud security benchmark to Azure Virtual Desktop. The Azure cloud security benchmark describes the settings and practices we recommend you use to secure your cloud solutions on Azure.

December 2020

Here's what changed in December 2020:

Azure Virtual Desktop Insights

The preview for Azure Virtual Desktop Insights is now available. This new feature includes a robust dashboard built on top of Azure Monitor Workbooks to help IT professionals understand their Azure Virtual Desktop environments. Check out the announcement on our blog for more details.

Azure Resource Manager template change

In the latest update, we've removed all public IP address parameter from the Azure Resource Manager template for creating and provisioning host pools. We highly recommend you avoid using public IPs for Azure Virtual Desktop to keep your deployment secure. If your deployment relied on public IPs, you need to reconfigure it to use private IPs instead, otherwise your deployment won't work properly.

MSIX app attach preview

MSIX app attach is another service that began its preview this month. MSIX app attach is a service that dynamically presents MSIX applications to your Azure Virtual Desktop Session host VMs. Check out the announcement on our blog for more details.

Screen capture protection

This month also marked the beginning of the preview for screen capture protection. You can use this feature to prevent sensitive information from being captured on the client endpoints. Give screen capture protection a try by going to this page.

Built-in roles

We've added new built-in roles for Azure Virtual Desktop for admin permissions. For more information, see Built-in roles for Azure Virtual Desktop.

Application group limit increase

We've increased the default application group limit per Azure Active Directory tenant to 200 groups.

November 2020

Azure portal experience

We've fixed two bugs in the Azure portal user experience:

  • The Desktop application friendly name is no longer overwritten on the "Add VM" workflow.
  • The session host tab will now load if session hosts are part of scale sets.

FSLogix client, version 2009

We've released a new version of the FSLogix client with many fixes and improvements. Learn more at our blog post.

Az.DesktopVirtualization, version 2.0.1

We've released version 2.0.1 of the Azure Virtual Desktop cmdlets. This update includes cmdlets that let you manage MSIX App Attach. You can download the new version at the PowerShell gallery.

Azure Advisor updates

Azure Advisor now has a new recommendation for proximity guidance in Azure Virtual Desktop, and a new recommendation for optimizing performance in depth-first load balanced host pools. Learn more at the Azure website.

October 2020

Here's what changed in October 2020:

Improved performance

We've optimized performance by reducing connection latency in the following Azure geographies:

  • Switzerland
  • Canada

Azure Government Cloud availability

The Azure Government Cloud is now generally available. Learn more at our blog post.

Azure Virtual Desktop Azure portal updates

We've made some updates to the Azure Virtual Desktop Azure portal:

  • Fixed a resourceID error that prevented users from opening the "Sessions" tab.
  • Streamlined the UI on the "Session hosts" tab.
  • Fixed the "Defaults," "Usability," and "Restore defaults" settings under RDP properties.
  • Made "Remove" and "Delete" functions consistent across all tabs.
  • The portal now validates app names in the "Add an app" workflow.
  • Fixed an issue where the session host export data wasn't aligned in the columns.
  • Fixed an issue where the portal couldn't retrieve user sessions.
  • Fixed an issue in session host retrieval that happened when the virtual machine was created in a different resource group.
  • Updated the "Session host" tab to list both active and disconnected sessions.
  • The "Applications" tab now has pages.
  • Fixed an issue where the "requires command line" text didn't display correctly in the "Application list" tab.
  • Fixed an issue when the portal couldn't deploy host pools or virtual machines while using the German-language version of the Shared Image Gallery.

September 2020

Here's what changed in September 2020:

  • We've optimized performance by reducing connection latency in the following Azure geographies:

    • Germany
    • South Africa (for validation environments only)

  • We released version 1.2.1364 of the Windows Desktop client for Azure Virtual Desktop. In this update, we made the following changes:

    • Fixed an issue where single sign-on (SSO) didn't work on Windows 7.
    • Fixed an issue that caused the client to disconnect when a user who enabled media optimization for Teams tried to call or join a Teams meeting while another app had an audio stream open in exclusive mode.
    • Fixed an issue where Teams didn't enumerate audio or video devices when media optimization for Teams was enabled.
    • Added a "Need help with settings?" link to the desktop settings page.
    • Fixed an issue with the "Subscribe" button that happened when using high-contrast dark themes.

  • Thanks to the tremendous help from our users, we've fixed two critical issues for the Microsoft Store Remote Desktop client. We continue to review feedback and fix issues as we broaden our phased release of the client to more users worldwide.

  • We've added a new feature that lets you change VM location, image, resource group, prefix name, network config as part of the workflow for adding a VM to your deployment in the Azure portal.

  • IT Pros can now manage hybrid Azure Active Directory-joined Windows 10 Enterprise VMs using Microsoft Endpoint Manager. To learn more, see our blog post.

August 2020

Here's what changed in August 2020:

  • We've improved performance to reduce connection latency in the following Azure regions:

    • United Kingdom
    • France
    • Norway
    • South Korea

  • The Microsoft Store Remote Desktop Client is now generally available. This version of the Microsoft Store Remote Desktop Client is compatible with Azure Virtual Desktop. We've also introduced refreshed UI flows for improved user experiences. This update includes fluent design, light and dark modes, and many other exciting changes. We've also rewritten the client to use the same underlying remote desktop protocol (RDP) engine as the iOS, macOS, and Android clients. This lets us deliver new features at a faster rate across all platforms. Download the client.

  • We fixed an issue in the Teams Desktop client (version 1.3.00.21759) where the client only showed the UTC time zone in the chat, channels, and calendar. The updated client now shows the remote session's time zone instead.

  • Azure Advisor is now a part of Azure Virtual Desktop. When you access Azure Virtual Desktop through the Azure portal, you can see recommendations for optimizing your Azure Virtual Desktop environment. Learn more at Introduction to Azure Advisor.

  • Azure CLI now supports Azure Virtual Desktop (az desktopvirtualization) to help you automate your Azure Virtual Desktop deployments. Check out desktopvirtualization for a list of extension commands.

  • We've updated our deployment templates to make them fully compatible with the Azure Virtual Desktop Azure Resource Manager interfaces. You can find the templates on GitHub.

  • The Azure Virtual Desktop US Gov portal is now in preview. To learn more, see our announcement.

July 2020

July was when Azure Virtual Desktop with Azure Resource Management integration became generally available.

Here's what changed with this new release:

  • The "Fall 2019 release" is now known as "Azure Virtual Desktop (classic)," while the "Spring 2020 release" is now just "Azure Virtual Desktop." For more information, check out this blog post.

To learn more about new features, check out this blog post.

Autoscaling tool update

The latest version of the autoscaling tool that was in preview is now generally available. This tool uses an Azure Automation account and the Azure Logic App to automatically shut down and restart session host VMs within a host pool, reducing infrastructure costs. Learn more at Scale session hosts using Azure Automation.

Azure portal

You can now do the following things with the Azure portal in Azure Virtual Desktop:

  • Directly assign users to personal desktop session hosts
  • Change the validation environment setting for host pools

Diagnostics

We've released some new prebuilt queries for the Log Analytics workspace. To access the queries, go to Logs and under Category, select Azure Virtual Desktop. Learn more at Use Log Analytics for the diagnostics feature.

Update for Remote Desktop client for Android

The Remote Desktop client for Android now supports Azure Virtual Desktop connections. Starting with version 10.0.7, the Android client features a new UI for improved user experience. The client also integrates with Azure Authenticator on Android devices to enable conditional access when subscribing to Azure Virtual Desktop workspaces.

The previous version of Remote Desktop client is now called "Remote Desktop 8." Any existing connections you have in the earlier version of the client will be transferred seamlessly to the new client. The new client has been rewritten to the same underlying RDP core engine as the iOS and macOS clients, faster release of new features across all platforms.

Teams update

We've made improvements to Microsoft Teams for Azure Virtual Desktop. Most importantly, Azure Virtual Desktop now supports audio and video optimization for the Windows Desktop client. Redirection improves latency by creating direct paths between users when they use audio or video in calls and meetings. Less distance means fewer hops, which makes calls look and sound smoother. Learn more at Use Teams on Azure Virtual Desktop.

June 2020

Last month, we introduced Azure Virtual Desktop with Azure Resource Manager integration in preview. This update has lots of exciting new features we'd love to tell you about. Here's what's new for this version of Azure Virtual Desktop.

Azure Virtual Desktop is now integrated with Azure Resource Manager

Azure Virtual Desktop is now integrated into Azure Resource Manager. In the latest update, all Azure Virtual Desktop objects are now Azure Resource Manager resources. This update is also integrated with Azure role-based access control (Azure RBAC). See What is Azure Resource Manager? to learn more.

Here's what this change does for you:

  • Azure Virtual Desktop is now integrated with the Azure portal. This means you can manage everything directly in the portal, no PowerShell, web apps, or third-party tools required. To get started, check out our tutorial at Create a host pool with the Azure portal.

  • Before this update, you could only publish desktops and applications to individual users. With Azure Resource Manager, you can now publish resources to Azure Active Directory groups.

  • The earlier version of Azure Virtual Desktop had four built-in admin roles that you could assign to a tenant or host pool. These roles are now in Azure role-based access control (Azure RBAC). You can apply these roles to every Azure Virtual Desktop Azure Resource Manager object, which lets you have a full, rich delegation model.

  • In this update, you no longer need to run Azure Marketplace or the GitHub template repeatedly to expand a host pool. All you need to expand a host pool is to go to your host pool in the Azure portal and select + Add to deploy additional session hosts.

  • Host pool deployment is now fully integrated with the Azure Shared Image Gallery. Shared Image Gallery is a separate Azure service that stores VM image definitions, including image versioning. You can also use global replication to copy and send your images to other Azure regions for local deployment.

  • Monitoring functions that used to be done through PowerShell or the Diagnostics Service web app have now moved to Log Analytics in the Azure portal. You also now have two options to visualize your reports. You can run Kusto queries and use Workbooks to create visual reports.

  • You're no longer required to complete Azure Active Directory consent to use Azure Virtual Desktop. In this update, the Azure Active Directory tenant on your Azure subscription authenticates your users and provides Azure RBAC controls for your admins.

PowerShell support

We've added new AzWvd cmdlets to the Azure Az PowerShell module with this update. This new module is supported in PowerShell Core, which runs on .NET Core.

To install the module, follow the instructions in Set up the PowerShell module for Azure Virtual Desktop.

You can also see a list of available commands at the AzWvd PowerShell reference.

For more information about the new features, check out our blog post.

Additional gateways

We've added a new gateway cluster in South Africa to reduce connection latency.

Microsoft Teams on Azure Virtual Desktop (Preview)

We've made some improvements to Microsoft Teams for Azure Virtual Desktop. Most importantly, Azure Virtual Desktop now supports audio and visual redirection for calls. Redirection improves latency by creating direct paths between users when they call using audio or video. Less distance means fewer hops, which makes calls look and sound smoother.

To learn more, see our blog post.