Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops

Support for mobile and touch screen client devices

Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops enables users to access their published applications and desktops from mobile and touch screen client devices.

Requirements

Citrix control plane

  • Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 7.15 or later
  • Citrix DaaS

Session host

  • Operating system
    • Windows 10 1903 or later
    • Windows 11 21H2 or later
    • Windows Server 2016 or later
  • VDA
    • Windows: Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops version 7.15 or later

Client device

  • Operating system
    • Windows 10 1809 or later
    • Windows 11 21H2 or later
  • Citrix Workspace app for Windows version 1808 or later

Tablet mode for touch screen devices using Windows Continuum

Continuum is a Windows 10 feature that adapts to the way the client device is used. When the VDA detects the presence of a keyboard or mouse on a touch enabled client, it puts the client in to desktop mode. If a keyboard or mouse is not present, the VDA puts the client in to tablet/mobile mode. This detection occurs on session connection and reconnection and also in-session when the keyboard or mouse is attached or detached.

The feature is enabled by default. To disable this feature, configure the policy settings Tablet mode toggle policy settings.

In addition to the requirements for touch screen devices mentioned above, the following are required for Windows Continuum:

XenServer (formerly Citrix Hypervisor)

  • Citrix Hypervisor 8.2 or higher
  • Run the XenServer CLI command to allow laptop/tablet switching: xe vm-param-set uuid=<VM_UUID> platform:acpi_laptop_slate=1

Important:

Updating the base image for an existing machine catalog after changing the metadata setting doesn’t affect any previously provisioned VMs. After changing the XenServer VM base image, create a catalog, choose the base image, and provision a new Machine Creation Services (MCS) machine.

Session host

  • Operating system
    • Windows 10 1903 or later
    • Windows 11 21H2 or later
  • VDA
    • Windows: version 7.16 or later
    • Due to current limtations in the Operating system configurations, the user will have to set the following options from the drop-down menus after they start the first ICA session and restart the VDA:
      • Settings > System > Tablet Mode
        • Use the appropriate mode for my hardware
        • Don’t ask me and always switch

        Tablet mode settings image

The tablet mode offers a user interface that is better suited to touch screens:

  • Slightly larger buttons.
  • The Start screen and any apps you start open in a full screen.
  • Taskbar contains a back button.
  • Icons deleted from the task bar.

You have access to the File Explorer.

Tablet mode image

Windows 10 loads the GPIO driver on the target virtual machine based on this updated BIOS. It is used for toggling between tablet and desktop modes within the virtual machine.

Citrix Workspace app for HTML5 does not support Windows Continuum features.

The desktop mode offers the traditional user interface where you interact in the same manner as using PC and a keyboard and mouse.

Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Book pens

We support standard pen functionality with Windows Ink-based applications. Support includes pointing, erasing, pen pressure, Bluetooth signals, and other features depending on the operating system firmware and pen model. For example, pen pressure can be up to 4096 levels. This feature is enabled by default.

The following are the requirements for pen functionality support:

Citrix control plane

  • Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 1903 or later
  • Citrix DaaS

Session host

  • Operating system
    • Windows 10 1809 or later
    • Windows 11 21H2 or later
    • Windows Server 2016 or later
  • VDA
    • Windows: Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 1903 or later

Client device

  • Operating system
    • Windows 10 1809 or later
    • Windows 11 21H2 or later
  • Citrix Workspace app for Windows version 1902 or later

For a demonstration of Windows Ink and the pen functionality, click this graphic:

Windows Ink and pen functionality demo

To disable or enable this feature, see Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Book pens in the list of features managed through the registry.

Known issues

The following are known issues with Pen support:

  • Due to OS limitations in Windows server 2k22, users will not be able to set pen shortcuts or make adjustmentes to pen/ink settings in Control Panel when connecting to 2k22 server applications or desktops.
  • Pen shortcuts are not being honored from a pen enabled Windows 11 client due to OS limitation.
Support for mobile and touch screen client devices