Why the Windows App for Mac (v11.1.4) is a personal highlight for me

TL;DR: The new Windows App for Mac (Version 11.1.4) introduces two key features that are barely or not at all mentioned in the official release notes, but make a big difference:

1. YubiKey/Passkey support directly inside the AVD session
2. Much improved behavior when resizing across one or multiple monitors
This version finally makes AVD on Mac truly usable for me – an unexpectedly big step forward.

For over two years, I’ve been hoping that Microsoft would bring the Windows App for macOS (the successor to the old Remote Desktop App) up to the level of the Windows version – especially regarding authentication options like FIDO2/YubiKey (WebAuthn).

In the company I work for, we actively use AVD, for example, as virtual development environments. Within our internal network, we rely on secure authentication with YubiKey – which works flawlessly on Windows devices or with Citrix, but not with the Windows App for Mac.

I also addressed this issue directly with Microsoft folks – namely Christiaan Brinkhoff and Sandeep Patnaik – at the Workplace Ninja Summit 2023. I love how at such events you can speak directly with PMs and give instant feedback. But it seemed to me that the macOS version wasn’t exactly a top priority at Microsoft. There was also a Microsoft User Voice for this topic, but since it didn’t receive many votes, it wasn’t given a high priority within Microsoft.

All the more surprising, then, when just a few days ago I stumbled upon the new version 11.1.4 – without any big announcement or fanfare. And suddenly, almost everything that had been missing just worked.

My personal highlights – not found in the release notes:

The official release notes mention some UI and session stability improvements – which is nice, but my real highlights are barely mentioned:

🔐 YubiKey and Passkey support in AVD sessions

A feature I’ve wanted for years: The ability to authenticate directly inside the session using a FIDO2 key, for example in internal portals or apps.
Previously, the Mac system would block the key or not recognize it at all:

Now it finally works – seamlessly and without hacks, Key Pinpad appears:

And if you have multiple identities on one Key, even the identity selector appears:

🖥️ Dynamic resizing across multiple monitors

Previously, minimizing a fullscreen session from 2 monitors down to 1 looked like this:

Here’s another subtle but noticeable improvement: The session now adjusts much better when switching between fullscreen and windowed mode, or when working across multiple monitors.
Previously, this often caused incorrect resolutions or frozen layouts – now it just works smoothly.

Who should update? Conclusion

If you’re accessing AVD or Windows 365 from a Mac, this update is absolutely essential. (The update is availible over the Apple AppStore)

While the Windows App for macOS may not yet be a full replacement for Citrix, it’s becoming an increasingly serious alternative.

One more thing … my current opininon

Citrix is still the technological leader – especially when it comes to feature set and protocol flexibility. But it’s also worth asking: do you always need everything Citrix has to offer?

Microsoft has clearly made significant progress recently, particularly in terms of protocol performance and display rendering. With updates like this, the gap is closing rapidly – faster than many might expect.

Just today, I ran a quick comparison using Remote Display Analyzer. I played my employer’s latest promotional video in fullscreen mode on one display and measured data transfer over 15 and 18 seconds respectively. The result? RemoteFX is no longer significantly behind ICA when it comes to data transmission.

Citrix HDX aka ICA: 163.3 MB in 15 sec

Microsoft RDP RemoteFX: 168.9 MB in 18 sec