Microsoft Renames Remote Desktop (RD) to Windows App, Potentially Increasing User Confusion

For a long time, Microsoft Remote Desktop has been the go-to for connections using the Windows Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). However, Microsoft is now renaming Remote Desktop to Windows App.

This change has already been hinted at in the Microsoft Remote Desktop app for Mac, with Microsoft indicating in an upcoming update that the app will adopt the new name of Windows App.

Typically, Remote Desktop users are professionals, with ordinary users less likely to use the service. Therefore, this renaming by Microsoft is perplexing, especially since the name Windows App could potentially increase confusion among users. "Windows" refers to the operating system, and "App" to applications, making the new name seem less related to Remote Desktop functionality at first glance.

Besides the Windows App, there's also a Windows 365 App, which is a dedicated app for Microsoft's Windows 365 Cloud PC. The use of this name is less problematic.

The good news is that, for now, the renaming only affects non-Windows platforms, meaning that the iOS, Android, and Mac versions will be renamed to Windows App, while the Remote Desktop Connection will retain its name within the Windows system.

Finally, this renaming has sparked considerable discussion on X/Twitter, with some users suspecting the news to be fake, questioning why Microsoft would choose such a generic and potentially confusing name as Windows App. However, this is indeed a fact, not fiction.