---
title: "Workspace: connect from your browser | PrimalDesk Docs"
description: "Open a Windows desktop or individual published apps without installing a client, and understand browser limitations."
url: "https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/workspace"
---

# Workspace: connect from your browser

Open a Windows desktop or individual published apps without installing a client, and understand browser limitations.

Workspace is PrimalDesk’s browser client. Open [Workspace](https://workspace.primaldesk.com/), sign in to your PrimalDesk account and choose a computer. You do not need to install PrimalDesk Client on the computer you are using. The remote Windows computer still needs PrimalDesk Host, an internet connection and permission for your account to connect.

## Connect

1.  Choose an available computer.
2.  Select **Desktop** or **Applications**, if the host offers both.
3.  Enter your **Windows** username and password for that computer. These are separate from your PrimalDesk account credentials.
4.  Wait for Windows to open your session.

![Choose a computer in Workspace. The example host is named Home-PC.](https://docs.primaldesk.com/images/workspace/computers.png)

Use **Desktop** for a complete remote Windows desktop. Use **Applications** to launch published programs in separate windows inside the browser workspace. You can move, resize, minimize and maximize those windows; they remain inside the browser tab rather than becoming native windows on your local desktop. The host administrator decides which applications are published.

![Notepad and Visual Studio Code overlap as separate remote windows, with the Home-PC Workspace controls below.](https://docs.primaldesk.com/images/workspace/applications.png)

The **Apps** button opens your published applications and the list of open windows. The bottom toolbar also provides session settings, fullscreen and the controls for leaving the session.

![The Applications panel lists published programs and open windows inside Workspace.](https://docs.primaldesk.com/images/workspace/launcher.png)

## Image and window size

Apps can use pixel updates for static content and video for changing content. The choice can change while you work. Video adapts to network conditions and may look softer during motion. Pixel updates can mix lossless QOI and lossy JPEG. They reduce the need for continuous hardware video encoding in quiet windows, but do not guarantee exact pixels or immediate delivery on a slow connection.

Resizing the browser changes the space available to your Apps session. Maximized remote windows follow that space. A smaller browser window does not create a second physical monitor. Desktop display settings and browser zoom also affect how large the remote image appears.

## Mouse capture and Escape

Games and other applications may request **relative mouse input**. In this mode the browser temporarily captures the pointer so movement can continue without reaching the edge of the window. Click the remote application when asked to capture the pointer.

**Escape releases browser pointer capture.** It can also leave fullscreen. An application that uses Escape for a menu or another command may therefore lose capture or fullscreen unexpectedly. Click back into the remote application to resume capture. PrimalDesk cannot reliably override the browser’s escape mechanism. The installed desktop client does not have this browser restriction.

## Keyboard and browser permissions

Browsers and the local operating system reserve some keyboard shortcuts. **Alt+Tab**, the **Windows key**, **Escape** and other system combinations may act locally instead of reaching the remote computer. Fullscreen and keyboard capture can help in supporting browsers, but do not make every shortcut available.

Clipboard, audio playback, microphone access and fullscreen depend on browser permissions, browser support and sometimes a click from you. A browser may suspend or throttle an inactive or minimized tab. Codec support, including advanced color formats, also varies by browser and hardware. Features available in the installed client are not automatically available in Workspace.

## When to use the installed client

Workspace is useful for quick access, a borrowed computer or a device where you cannot install software. For sustained work, games and demanding graphics, use **PrimalDesk Client**: its native rendering and input path can provide lower latency, it is better suited to unstable networks, and it supports forwarding system shortcuts without the browser’s pointer-capture and fullscreen restrictions. Actual responsiveness still depends on both computers and the network.

## Leave a session

**Disconnect** closes your connection while leaving the Windows session and its applications running, subject to host policy. **Sign out of Windows** ends the Windows session and closes its applications; save your work first. If Windows or the host administrator signs out your session, Workspace returns to the computer list. Closing a browser tab is not a substitute for signing out.

See [Desktop and Apps modes](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/desktop-vs-apps.md) and [adaptive video bitrate](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/adaptive-video-bitrate.md).

This guide describes the current development and testing phase.

[Back to documentation](https://docs.primaldesk.com/docs.md)

## Explore PrimalDesk

- [PrimalDesk Docs: all pages](https://docs.primaldesk.com/llms.txt)
- [PrimalDesk: all pages](https://primaldesk.com/llms.txt)
- [Product overview](https://primaldesk.com/index.md)
- [Documentation](https://docs.primaldesk.com/docs.md)
- [Help center](https://docs.primaldesk.com/help-center.md)

## Other pages on this site

- [PrimalDesk Docs | Multi-user Windows remote desktop](https://docs.primaldesk.com/index.md)
- [Adaptive video bitrate | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/adaptive-video-bitrate.md)
- [Connection overview | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/connection-overview.md)
- [Desktop or Apps: which mode should I choose? | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/desktop-vs-apps.md)
- [Make your first connection | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/first-connection.md)
- [GDPR and data requests | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/gdpr.md)
- [Windows compatibility | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/host-compatibility.md)
- [Firewall and ports | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/host-firewall.md)
- [Technical requirements | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/host-requirements.md)
- [Install and manage a Windows host | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/install-and-manage-host.md)
- [Mouse and keyboard controls | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/mouse-keyboard.md)
- [Work with multiple monitors | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/multiple-monitors.md)
- [Connect across different networks | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/nat-traversal.md)
- [Network quality and frame rate | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/network-quality.md)
- [RDS role and licensing | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/rds-licensing.md)
- [Fullscreen | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/remote-apps-fullscreen.md)
- [Integration | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/remote-apps-integration.md)
- [Overview | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/remote-apps-overview.md)
- [Apps publishing | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/remote-apps-publishing.md)
- [Rendering | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/remote-apps-rendering.md)
- [Apps restrictions | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/remote-apps-restrictions.md)
- [Session types | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/remote-apps-session-types.md)
- [Version support | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/remote-apps-version-support.md)
- [Audio | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/session-audio.md)
- [Clipboard | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/session-clipboard.md)
- [Input | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/session-input.md)
- [Third-party notices | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/third-party-notices.md)
- [Connection security | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/transport-security.md)
- [TURN relay | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/turn-relay.md)
- [Why does video quality change? | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/video-quality-changes.md)
- [Windows sessions | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/windows-sessions.md)
- [Workspace: connect from your browser | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/workspace.md)
- [Windows host setup and network documentation | PrimalDesk](https://docs.primaldesk.com/docs.md)
- [Remote desktop help center | PrimalDesk](https://docs.primaldesk.com/help-center.md)