Get the best performance¶

Jump Desktop adapts to your network and hardware, but demanding work, such as video editing, color-critical animation, or gaming, benefits from a better setup. Work through this list in order; the first items help most:

1. Use a wired network on both sides for demanding work, and get a direct connection.
2. Use virtual displays sized to your screen.
3. Use hardware encoding on the remote computer, except on high-end Macs.
4. Keep the pixel load in check, starting with Retina.
5. Follow the setup for your work, such as gaming, CAD, or video editing.
6. If a session is still slow or blurry, use connection statistics to find what's holding it back.

Applies to¶

• Client: Jump Desktop on Windows, macOS, iPhone, iPad, and Android.
• Web browser: only Frame Rate and Maximum Bandwidth, with no Color, Codec, or Color Passthrough settings. See Connect from a web browser.
• Remote computer: Windows, macOS, or Linux (beta) with Jump Desktop Connect.

Set up the network¶

On a congested or lossy network, Jump Desktop lowers image quality first, then sends fewer frames, and recovers as conditions improve. A better network gives it more to work with:

• Wired for demanding work. Wi-Fi is fine for most work. For video editing, gaming, or several high-resolution displays, use Ethernet on both the remote computer and your device. On Wi-Fi, use the 5 GHz band.
• Enough bandwidth. The remote computer's upload speed and your download speed should exceed Maximum Bandwidth (20 mbps by default) for each connection, with headroom for other devices.
• No VPN needed. Jump Desktop doesn't need a VPN, and a VPN can add latency. If you must use one, use an IPsec or UDP-based VPN, not an SSL or TCP-based one.

Get a direct connection¶

Jump Desktop connects directly when it can, and uses a relay server only when there's no direct path or a team administrator requires relay connections. The Connection statistic shows Direct, Direct NAT, or Relay (Direct (P2P) or Relay on Android); see Connection statistics. To require direct or relay connections for a team, see Choose a connectivity option.

To get a direct connection, allow outbound UDP on both networks and allow Jump Desktop Connect's UDP ports on the remote computer's firewall. See Ports for direct connections.

When a relay is needed, Jump Desktop on Windows, macOS, iPhone, and iPad uses the relay with the lowest latency. If Protocol shows Relay TCP or Relay TCP-TLS, UDP is blocked and the connection is slower than over UDP; allow outbound UDP. Teams on the Jump Desktop for Teams Enterprise plan can also host their own on-premises relay servers.

Set up the remote computer¶

Use virtual displays¶

Connect with virtual displays sized to your screen instead of the remote computer's own monitors (Host Displays). See Why use virtual displays.

To turn them on, see Windows and Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android, or Connect from a web browser.

To use Host Displays on a Mac with no monitor attached, connect an HDMI emulator (dummy plug).

Use hardware encoding¶

Hardware encoding compresses the screen on the remote computer's GPU instead of its CPU, which helps most with video, animation, and high frame rates.

Choose Codec > Hardware on a remote computer with a supported GPU, and keep the GPU driver up to date; see Hardware encoding requirements. On a Mac with an M-series Pro, Max, or Ultra chip, or without a supported GPU, use Fluid 2.0. See Which codec to use.

To confirm, check that the Encoder statistic shows Hardware.

Set up your device¶

• Screen refresh rate: with Framerate on Auto, sessions follow the highest refresh rate of your screens, so a 120 Hz screen allows up to 120 frames per second.
• Windows: keep Use Hardware Acceleration on in Jump Desktop settings, under General, so your PC's GPU draws the remote screen. It's on by default.
• Mac: for lower latency in games, select Disable VSync in Jump Desktop settings, under General. The screen may show tearing.

Keep the pixel load in check¶

The remote computer encodes all your session's displays together as one picture, so total pixels, not the number of displays, set the load. Jump Desktop doesn't lower the resolution to keep up: an overloaded remote computer shows fewer Frames in connection statistics. Reduce the load yourself.

Retina sends your screen's full pixel density, the biggest multiplier:

For example, a 1512 × 982 window on a MacBook asks for a 3024 × 1964 display with Retina on.

Retina gives the sharpest text. Turn it off for motion-heavy work or several large displays:

Presets set Retina for you; see Choose a preset. On iPhone and iPad, Single Virtual Display turns it on.

To lower the load further, set a smaller resolution (a fixed size or Custom Resolution), use fewer displays, set a lower Framerate, or choose Good color. To check, look at Displays in connection statistics, which shows the size of each display being encoded.

Tune session settings¶

Change these during a Fluid session. Choices are saved for that computer.

On Android, Video shows only the settings the remote computer supports, and the fixed frame rates are 1, 5, 15, 30, 60, 90, 100, 120, 144, 165, 240, 360, and 480 fps.

Changing the codec can change the color level, and the other way around. See Automatic switching.

For calibrated displays, see Color Passthrough.

A short message confirms some changes, for example Maximum Bandwidth: 10 mbps.

Settings for your work¶

Workflows has step-by-step setups for gaming, CAD and 3D design, video editing and color work, multi-display Mac workstations, and checking in on AI agents and long-running work.

For everyday work, use virtual displays with Retina on, High color, and Auto for Framerate and Maximum Bandwidth. Raise Maximum Bandwidth only when both networks have headroom; otherwise it can cause packet loss.

Diagnose with connection statistics¶

If a session is still slow or blurry, see Slow or laggy sessions.

For team administrators¶

Team administrators on the Jump Desktop for Teams Enterprise plan can set bandwidth for team computers in Connect Settings, under Fluid Settings. See Configure computers with Connect Configurations.

For codec and color defaults, see Codecs and hardware encoding.

Limitations¶

• Pro and Ultra color, broadcast and film frame rates (59.94, 50, 48, 47.952, 29.97, 25, 24, and 23.976 fps), and bandwidth limits above 20 mbps need the Jump Desktop for Teams Enterprise plan. See pricing. Unavailable options are grayed out; frame rates also show Requires Upgrade.
• Color levels also depend on the remote computer and codec. See Color levels by remote computer and codec.
• For Codec menu messages, such as The host doesn't support hardware encoding, see Codec menu messages.

Related¶

• Codecs and hardware encoding
• Connection statistics
• Slow or laggy sessions
• Virtual displays
• Workflows
• Network requirements
• On-premises relay servers