Import an RDP file

If you already have a .rdp file, for example one exported from another Remote Desktop client or sent by an administrator, you can turn it into a host with a Desktop service. This page covers what the import reads, what it leaves out, and which files it refuses.

Import a file#

1. In the library toolbar, choose Import RDP File…. On Mac, with the library window in front, you can also choose File ▸ Import RDP File… (⇧⌘I).
2. Choose the .rdp file.
3. The Add Host sheet opens with the fields filled in from the file. Nothing is saved yet.
4. Read the Imported with changes section at the top, if there is one. It lists what the file asked for that the app did not bring across.
5. Review the fields, add a password if you want one saved, and choose Add.

The host takes the file's name (without .rdp) as its name, and the file's server address as its address. For example, alpha.rdp with full address:s:192.0.2.10:3390 becomes a host named alpha at 192.0.2.10, with a Desktop service on port 3390.

What the import reads#

Every imported service uses Network Level (NLA) authentication and the system's certificate trust, whatever the file says. Other settings are ignored. An imported service starts with Credential storage set to iCloud Keychain, like any other; choose This device only under Advanced before you choose Add to keep the password on this device.

The notices you can see in Imported with changes are:

• "Saved passwords aren't imported. Enter it in Password below, or when connecting."
• "Authentication preferences in the file weren't imported. Network Level Authentication and certificate review remain enabled."
• "The port in the server address takes precedence over the file's separate port setting."
• "The initial resolution was adjusted to fit supported desktop limits."
• "Playback on the remote computer isn't imported. Remote audio is off; enable it below to play sound on this device."
• "Other client-specific settings in the file weren't imported. Review the connection settings below."

Files that cannot be imported#

Some files describe connections the app does not make. For these, an Import Failed alert explains why, and no sheet opens:

• A connection through an RD Gateway.
• A RemoteApp connection, or one that starts a custom program instead of the desktop.
• A connection that needs a connection broker.
• A connection that needs Microsoft Entra sign-in.

The alert also appears when the file is not a regular .rdp file, is larger than 1 MB or 8,192 lines, has text that can't be read as UTF-8, UTF-16 or Windows Latin-1, has a line that is not a valid setting, repeats a setting, has a setting with an invalid value (a port out of range, a desktop side outside 200 to 8192, or a DOMAIN\user name whose domain differs from the file's domain), or has no server address.