I tried Windows 365 Cloud PC on Mac, iPad and Android

Windows 365 Cloud PC streams a Windows 11 virtual machine from Microsoft’s data centers so you can use it on a PC, Mac, iPad, or phone. I ran a Cloud PC during a one-month trial on multiple machines and devices, and the clearest advantage is removing the need to repair or replace physical hardware.

Getting started requires a Microsoft 365 Business or Enterprise account and an administrator to provision users; personal accounts aren’t supported. The dedicated Windows app (formerly Remote Desktop) is available for Windows, MacOS, Android and iOS, supports Windows Hello sign-in, and appears in a browser as well.

On a Mac and Windows laptop the experience felt nearly identical, with keyboard, mouse and touch input behaving as expected. Touch-only use on an iPad was awkward until I added a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and a phone’s small screen made the Cloud PC impractical unless paired with an external display and input devices.

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