IAP Desktop is a Windows application that allows you to manage multiple Remote Desktop connections to Windows VM instances that run on Google Cloud. This is not an officially supported Google product.
Publisher’s description
What is IAP Desktop?
IAP Desktop is an open-source remote desktop program for Windows from Google, Inc. It ranks 34th by popularity among remote desktop in this catalogue. It is written in C#.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit as MSI. It can be installed for the current user only, without administrator rights. The installer supports unattended (silent) installation. An MSI package is available for deployment with Group Policy, Intune or Configuration Manager.
Updates and version history
The current version is 2.50.1825, released on June 23, 2026. 46 versions are listed since April 28, 2020, each with links to its own installer files. That is about 7.5 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (GoogleCloudPlatform/iap-desktop) has 881 stars. Similar programs include TeamViewer, UltraVNC and TigerVNC.
Project description on GitHub: “IAP Desktop is a Windows application that provides zero-trust Remote Desktop and SSH access to Linux and Windows VMs on Google Cloud. ”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- MSI package for managed deployment
- Documented silent install
- Installs without administrator rights
- Frequent updates (about 7.5 a year)
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
In short: IAP Desktop is an open-source remote desktop tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is IAP Desktop safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
186699A670FE33C226324DC3925DC3BF10926D259BD9CD8F6836A7D37FE55C41· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 46 versions ›46 versions over 6 years · about 7.5 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.50.1825Latest | June 23, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2.49.1797 | March 24, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2.48.1768 | December 2, 2025 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2.47.1752 | August 5, 2025 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2.46.1737 | April 29, 2025 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2.45.1717 | February 19, 2025 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2.44.1694 | January 6, 2025 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2.38.1281 | October 12, 2023 | — | 32-bit MSI |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Google.IAPDesktop -escoop install extras/iap-desktopmsiexec /i IapDesktop.msi /qn /norestartmsiexec /x {488B4169-6EF7-442E-AD33-2B84F7CB803B} /qn /norestartRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- Google, Inc
- Category
- Remote desktop
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/iap-desktop
- Written in
- C#
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- MSI
- Version
- 2.50.1825
- Released
- June 23, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- March 30, 2021
- Versions listed
- 46
- Updates / year
- 7.5
- Downloads on ExeAtlas
- 2
- GitHub stars
- 881
- GitHub forks
- 181
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- Google.IAPDesktop
- Scoop package
- extras/iap-desktop
- MSI product code
- {488B4169-6EF7-442E-AD33-2B84F7CB803B}
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is IAP Desktop free?
Yes. IAP Desktop is open-source software under the Apache-2.0 licence.
Is IAP Desktop safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install IAP Desktop with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can IAP Desktop be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer, including msiexec for the MSI package.
Does IAP Desktop run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of IAP Desktop?
The versions page lists all 46 versions with links to their official installer files, back to April 28, 2020.
Can I use IAP Desktop without administrator rights?
Yes, there is a per-user installer that does not need administrator rights.
What are alternatives to IAP Desktop?
TeamViewer, UltraVNC, TigerVNC, NETworkManager and Terminals. The alternatives page compares them.
