Windows 365 Cloud Apps are now available to all customers during public preview. Thank you to the customers, partners, and MVP’s who provided invaluable feedback during the private preview. Your feedback helps guide and prioritize the Windows 365 Cloud Apps feature roadmap.
What are Windows 365 Cloud Apps?
Windows 365 Cloud Apps allow administrators to give users access to specific apps delivered from the cloud instead of a full Cloud PC. This is ideal for organizations that want to streamline app delivery, reduce overhead, and modernize their virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environments.
Windows 365 Cloud Apps runs on Windows 365 Frontline Cloud PCs in shared mode. The Windows 365 Frontline licensing model enables shared Cloud PC access for shift-based or part-time workers, allowing unlimited users per license with one active session at a time. Since Windows 365 Cloud Apps streams only essential applications like Outlook or Word without loading a full desktop, it is ideal for task-based roles.
Together, Frontline and Cloud Apps deliver a flexible, resource-optimized solution for dynamic workforces, especially in frontline environments like retail, healthcare, and government.
New for public preview
Cloud Apps were previously supported in the Windows App during private preview. Recent changes have improved the experience for end-users, including automatically launching OneDrive and a Windows 365 filter on the Apps page of the Windows App.
Now, organizations can take advantage of a secure, scalable solution to modernize how applications are accessed and managed across their workforce. By streaming only the apps users need—without provisioning full desktop environments—Windows 365 Cloud Apps helps reduce complexity and supports flexible workstyles.
Windows 365 Cloud Apps in Windows AppLooking ahead
As organizations embrace Windows 365 Cloud Apps, Microsoft is focused on simplifying app delivery even further—making it faster, easier, and more intuitive for IT admins to deploy custom line-of-business apps at scale.
Currently, customers must create custom images to deliver custom line-of-business apps as Cloud Apps. While this works, private preview participants complained that the process is outdated.
As requested by customers, we are working to make Intune the single pane of glass for app deployment, enabling them to publish Intune Apps as Cloud Apps. Customers are already using Intune Autopilot in place of custom images, so we will similarly support Intune’s approach to modern app delivery for Windows 365 Cloud Apps. Customers will be able to include custom apps in a Cloud App policy’s Autopilot device preparation to publish them as Cloud Apps.
How to Get Started
To use Windows 365 Cloud Apps with a Windows 365 Frontline license, check out Cloud App documentation and follow the guidelines to try out the feature and evaluate Cloud Apps as an option for migrating apps to the Windows Cloud.
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