New Windows 365 Boot and Switch features now available

We're excited to announce new features for Windows 365 Boot and Windows 365 Switch including new integrations with Microsoft Intune, the ability to personalize the login page in shared mode, and user experience enhancements. Let's dive in.

New Microsoft Intune integration for Windows 365 Boot dedicated mode

You can now enable Windows 365 Boot dedicated mode via Microsoft Intune. We've added a new configuration option for dedicated mode, providing the same login and customization experiences you'll find with local versions of Windows. This includes people seeing their own user account on the sign-in screen and the ability to sign in with passwordless options like Windows Hello for Business.

Screenshot of the Basics menu for Windows 365 Boot in the Microsoft Intune admin center.

To access a step-by-step guide on this feature, in the Microsoft Intune admin center, navigate to Devices > Windows 365 and select Windows 365 Boot under Windows 365 Guides.

Screenshot of the Overview menu for Windows 365, accessed by selecting Windows 365 under Provisioning in the Devices pane of the Intune admin center.

New personalization options for Windows 365 Boot shared mode

If you're using shared mode, you can now use Intune to customize the login page to feature your organization's name and brand.

Screenshot of the customized login screen with the Contoso logo, name, and wallpaper.

To enable a customized company logo and name in Microsoft Intune, navigate to Home > Devices > Windows 365 Boot and look for Personalization in the Settings menu.

Screenshot of the Settings menu for Windows 365 Boot.

Fail fast mechanism for Windows 365 Boot

Have you or someone in your organization ever waited for the sign in process on a Cloud PC to complete—only to find out that Windows 365 Boot failed due to network issues or incomplete setup? New smart logic now proactively informs you to resolve network issues or complete app setup so you can experience a smooth login to your Cloud PC.

Screenshot of a warning on the Windows login screen for setup issues.

Screenshot of notification on the Windows login screen when there are network issues trying to connect.

Manage local PC settings through Windows 365 Boot

With this feature, it's now easier for you to access and manage sound, display, and other device settings for your local PC directly from your Cloud PC in Windows 365 Boot.

Screenshot of a red box highlighting the Open local PC settings option while in Windows 365 Boot.

Improved disconnect experience for Windows 365 Switch

Now let's move on to new capabilities in Windows 365 Switch! You can now disconnect from your Cloud PC directly from the local PC. To do this, navigate to Local PC > Task view, right click on the Cloud PC button, and select Disconnect. We've also added tool tips that show on disconnect and sign out options in the Cloud PC Start menu so that you can easily differentiate this capability from other options.

Screenshot of the disconnect experience for a Cloud PC as shown in Task view.

Desktop indicators differentiate between Cloud PC and local PC for Windows 365 Switch

You'll now see the term "Cloud PC" and "Local PC" on the desktop indicator when you switch between your respective PCs.

Screenshot of the new Cloud PC or Local PC label on the desktop indicator.

Gracefully handling increased connection time for Windows 365 Switch to Frontline Cloud PCs

You'll now see updates regarding Cloud PC connection status and the connection timeout indicator while waiting on the connection screen. In case there's an error, you be able to copy the correlation ID using the new copy button in the error screen for quicker resolution.

Screenshot of text indicating the Connection status on the connection screen.

Want to experience these new features?

Please note that this is a Controlled Feature Release, meaning that the features outlined here will be rolling out to 100% of the population by the end of March 2024.

To deploy the Windows 365 Boot components to your Windows 11 endpoints with Microsoft Intune, you will need to meet the following requirements:

• Windows 11-based endpoints (Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise)
• Update your device to the latest Windows 11 version (version 22H2 build 22621.3235, or 23H2 build 22631.3235, or later)
• Microsoft Intune Administrator rights
• Windows 365 Cloud PC license (See Create provisioning policies for the Enterprise edition or Add a user and assign licenses in Windows 365 Business for guidance on how to create Cloud PCs.)

A quick refresher on Windows 365 Boot and Windows 365 Switch

The announcements above assume you are familiar with Windows 365 Boot, shared mode for Windows 365 Boot, and Windows 365 Switch. If these are new solutions for you, here's a summary of what they are—and how they can help you:

• Windows 365 Boot Shared mode allows those with a PC running Windows 11, version 22H2 to log directly into their Windows 365 Cloud PC as the primary Windows experience on their device. When you power on your device, Windows 365 Boot will take you to your Windows 11 sign-in experience. After you log in, you will be connected to your Windows 365 Cloud PC with no additional steps. This is a great solution for shared devices where the goal is to log in with a unique user identity be taken directly to your personal and secure Cloud PC.
• Windows 365 Switch provides the ability to easily move between a Windows 365 Cloud PC and the local desktop using familiar keyboard commands, as well as a mouse-click or a swipe gesture. Windows 365 Switch enables a seamless experience from within Windows 11 via the Task View feature. Windows 365 will be required at the endpoint, after which all relevant elements will show up automatically inside the Task view feature.

Share your feedback

Please provide feedback in the Feedback Hub by pressing Win + F and navigating to Desktop Environment > Switch to Cloud PC.

Learn more and get help

For a closer look at some of features discussed in the post, check out this episode of Windows in the Cloud: Unveiling new features: Windows 365 Boot for dedicated devices and more!

If you have questions, post them below, during Windows in the Cloud episodes, or join our monthly Windows 365 Ask Microsoft Anything (AMA) events here on the Tech Community!

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