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Tutorial: Use a remote desktop client to connect to a dev box

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In this tutorial, you download and use a remote desktop (RDP) client application to connect to and access a dev box.

Remote desktop apps let you use and control a dev box from almost any device. For your desktop or laptop, you can choose to download the Remote Desktop client for Windows Desktop or Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac. You can also download a remote desktop app for your mobile device: Microsoft Remote Desktop for iOS or Microsoft Remote Desktop for Android.

Tip

Many remote desktops apps allow you to use multiple monitors when you connect to your dev box.

Alternately, you can access your dev box through the browser from the Microsoft Dev Box developer portal.

In this tutorial, you learn how to:

  • Download a remote desktop client.
  • Connect to a dev box by using a subscription URL.
  • Connect to an existing dev box.

Prerequisites

To complete this tutorial, you must have access to a dev box through the developer portal.

Download the remote desktop client and connect to your dev box

You can use a remote desktop client application to access your dev box in Microsoft Dev Box. Remote desktop clients are available for many operating systems and devices, including mobile devices running iOS, iPadOS or Android.

Select the relevant tab to view the steps to download and use the Remote Desktop client application from Windows or non-Windows operating systems.

Download the Remote Desktop client for Windows

To download and set up the Remote Desktop client for Windows:

  1. Sign in to the developer portal.

  2. Select Open in RDP client for the dev box that you want to connect.

    Screenshot of the card for a user's dev boxes with the option for opening in an RDP client.

  3. In the Connect with the Remote Desktop Client window, under New to Microsoft Dev Box?, select your platform configuration in the dropdown list: Windows 64 bit, Windows 32 bit, or Windows ARM 64.

    Screenshot that shows how to select your platform configuration for the Windows Remote Desktop client.

  4. After you select your platform configuration, select the platform configuration to start the download process for the Remote Desktop client.

    Screenshot that shows how to select the platform configuration again to download the Windows Remote Desktop client.

  5. After the Remote Desktop MSI file downloads to your computer, open the file and follow the prompts to install the Remote Desktop app.

Connect to a dev box by using a subscription URL

Each dev box project is represented as a Workspace in Remote Desktop. When you're working with multiple dev boxes, across multiple projects, you can use Remote Desktop to switch between them. To make a switch, you need to add the subscription URL for each Workspace to Remote Desktop. With the Remote Desktop app, you can subscribe to multiple Workspaces, allowing you to view and connect to all your dev boxes.

To get the subscription URL for your Workspace:

  1. Sign in to the developer portal.

  2. Open help (?), and then select Configure Remote Desktop.

    Screenshot showing the developer portal help pane with subscription URL highlighted.

  3. In Configure Remote Desktop, next to the subscription feed URL, select Copy.

    Screenshot of the Configure Remote Desktop dialog with the subscription feed URL highlighted.

  4. Open the Remote Desktop app.

    Screenshot of the Windows 11 start menu with Remote desktop showing and open highlighted.

    1. If you're using the Remote Desktop app for the first time, you see the Let's get started page. Select Subscribe with URL.

      Screenshot of the Remote Desktop Let's get started page.

    2. If you previously used the Remote Desktop app, you see your Workspaces. Select More options (...), and then select Subscribe with URL.

      Screenshot of the Remote Desktop app with the More options menu highlighted.

  5. In the Email or Workspace URL box, paste the Workspace URL you copied in step 3.

    After the system confirms your Workspace URL, you can continue by selecting Next.

    Screenshot of the Remote Desktop Subscribe with URL dialog.

  6. Remote Desktop gets the information from your Workspace and adds it to the Workspaces list.

    Screenshot of the Remote Desktop Workspace.

  7. To start the connection with the Remote Desktop app, double-click the dev box that you want to connect to from your Workspace.

Connect to your dev box from the developer portal

In addition to connecting through the Remote Desktop app, you can also connect to your dev boxes from the developer portal.

To open the Remote Desktop client:

  1. Sign in to the developer portal.

  2. Select Open in RDP client for the dev box that you want to connect.

    Screenshot of the option to open a dev box in a Windows Remote Desktop client.

  3. Under Already set up?, select Connect to connect to your dev box in the Remote Desktop client.

    Screenshot of the option to open the Windows Remote Desktop client in the connection dialog.

Clean up resources

Dev boxes incur costs whenever they're running. When you finish using your dev box, shut down or stop it to avoid incurring unnecessary costs.

You can stop a dev box from the developer portal:

  1. Sign in to the developer portal.

  2. For the dev box that you want to stop, select More options (...), and then select Stop.

    Screenshot of the menu command to stop a dev box.

The dev box might take a few moments to stop.

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