Get the best performance#
Jump Desktop adapts to your network and hardware. Demanding work, such as video editing, color-critical animation, or gaming, benefits from an optimized configuration. Work through this list in order; the first items have the greatest effect:
- Use a wired network on both sides for demanding work, and get a direct connection.
- Use virtual displays sized to your screen.
- Use hardware encoding on a host with a supported GPU, with exceptions for some Mac hosts.
- Reduce the pixel load, starting with Retina.
- Follow the configuration for your work, such as gaming, CAD, or video editing.
- If a session is still slow or blurry, use connection statistics to identify the limiting factor.
Applies to#
- Client: Jump Desktop on Windows, macOS, iPhone, iPad, and Android Beta.
- Web browser: supports only Frame Rate and Maximum Bandwidth; the Color, Codec, and Color Passthrough settings are not available. See Connect from a web browser.
- Host: Windows, macOS, or Linux Alpha with Jump Desktop Connect.
Set up the network#
On a congested or lossy network, Jump Desktop first lowers image quality and then sends fewer frames; it recovers as network conditions improve. A higher-quality network gives Jump Desktop more capacity to work with:
- Wired for demanding work. Wi-Fi is sufficient for most work. For video editing, gaming, or several high-resolution displays, use Ethernet on both the host and your device. On Wi-Fi, use the 5 GHz band.
- Enough bandwidth. The host's upload speed and your download speed should exceed Maximum Bandwidth (20 mbps by default) for each connection, with additional capacity for other devices on the network.
- No VPN needed. Jump Desktop does not require a VPN, and a VPN can add latency. If a VPN is required, use an IPsec or UDP-based VPN rather than an SSL or TCP-based VPN.
Get a direct connection#
Jump Desktop connects directly when possible. It uses a relay server only when no direct path exists 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 enable a direct connection, allow outbound UDP on both networks, and allow Jump Desktop Connect's UDP ports through the host's firewall. See Ports for direct connections.
When a relay is required, 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 a UDP connection; to resolve this, allow outbound UDP. Teams on the Jump Desktop for Teams Enterprise plan can also run their own on-premises relay servers.
Set up the host#
Use virtual displays#
Connect with virtual displays sized to your screen instead of the host's own monitors (Host Displays). See Why use virtual displays.
To turn on virtual displays, see Windows and Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android, or Connect from a web browser.
To use Host Displays on a Mac host with no monitor attached, connect an HDMI emulator (dummy plug).
Use hardware encoding#
Hardware encoding is a compression method that encodes the screen on the host's GPU instead of its CPU. It is most beneficial for video, animation, and high frame rates.
Choose Codec > Hardware on a host with a supported GPU, and keep the GPU driver up to date; see Hardware encoding requirements. Use Fluid 2.0 in these cases:
- On a host without a supported GPU.
- On a Mac host running in a virtual machine.
- From Jump Desktop on Windows or macOS, when the host is an Apple silicon Mac with more than 2 displays.
From iPhone, iPad, and Android, always choose Hardware for a Mac host. See Which codec to use.
To confirm that hardware encoding is in use, check that the Encoder statistic shows Hardware.
Set up your device#
- Screen refresh rate: when Framerate is set to Auto, sessions match the highest refresh rate among your screens; for example, a 120 Hz screen allows up to 120 frames per second.
- Windows: keep Use Hardware Acceleration turned on in Jump Desktop settings, under General, so that your PC's GPU renders the host's screen. This setting is on by default.
- Mac: to reduce latency in games, select Disable VSync in Jump Desktop settings, under General. The screen may show tearing.
Keep the pixel load in check#
The load on the host depends on the total number of pixels across all displays in your session, not on the number of displays. Jump Desktop does not lower the resolution to compensate: an overloaded host shows fewer Frames in connection statistics. You must reduce the load manually.
Retina sends your screen's full pixel density and is the largest multiplier of pixel load:
| Your screen | Pixels sent with Retina |
|---|---|
| 2× Retina Mac or iPad | 4 times as many |
| 3× iPhone | 9 times as many |
For example, a 1512 × 982 window on a MacBook requests a 3024 × 1964 display when Retina is on.
Retina produces the sharpest text. Turn it off for motion-intensive work or multiple large displays:
| Jump Desktop on | Where |
|---|---|
| macOS | Display menu > Use Retina Resolution |
| iPhone, iPad | Display menu > Resolution > Match iPhone or Match iPad, instead of Match iPhone with Retina (Recommended) or Match iPad with Retina (Recommended) |
| Android | No Retina setting is available: Match Phone and Match Tablet always use your screen's full pixel count. To send fewer pixels, choose Custom Resolution. |
Presets configure Retina; see Choose a preset. On iPhone and iPad, Single Virtual Display turns Retina on.
To reduce the load further, set a smaller resolution (a fixed size or Custom Resolution), use fewer displays, or choose Good color. To verify the load, check Displays in connection statistics; it shows the size of each display being encoded.
Tune session settings#
Change these settings during a Fluid session. Your choices are saved for that host.
| Client | Where |
|---|---|
| Windows, macOS | Remote menu |
| iPhone, iPad | Settings button in the session toolbar > Remote |
| Android | Settings button in the session toolbar > Remote |
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Color (Color Quality on iPhone, iPad, and Android) | Good, High, Pro, or Ultra. Higher levels are sharper and more accurate but require more resources to encode. See Color levels. |
| Codec | Hardware, Fluid 2.0, or Fluid. See Which codec to use. |
| Framerate (Frame Rate on Android) | Auto matches your screens' refresh rate. For the best performance, leave it on Auto; a lower fixed rate makes screen updates uneven. |
| Maximum Bandwidth (Max Bandwidth on Android) | Auto, or a limit from 1 to 60 mbps (1 to 20 mbps on Android). Limits above 20 mbps require the Jump Desktop for Teams Enterprise plan. |
On Android, Remote shows only the settings the host supports. The fixed frame rates on Android 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 changing the color level can change the codec. See Automatic switching.
To work on a calibrated display, see Color Passthrough.
Some changes display a short confirmation message, such as Maximum Bandwidth: 10 mbps.
Settings for your work#
For step-by-step configurations for specific types of work, see Workflows.
For everyday work, use virtual displays with Retina on, High color, and Auto for Framerate and Maximum Bandwidth. On the Enterprise plan, you can try raising Maximum Bandwidth above 20 mbps; however, a higher limit increases network load and can degrade performance.
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 configure bandwidth for team computers in Connect Settings, under Fluid Settings. See Configure computers with Connect Configurations.
| Setting | Values | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum Target Bandwidth | Auto, 1 to 20 Mbps, or 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, or 60 Mbps | The maximum bandwidth each connection targets. It overrides a higher Maximum Bandwidth value chosen by a user, without displaying a message. |
| Minimum Target Bandwidth | Auto, 1 to 20 Mbps, or 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, or 60 Mbps | The minimum bandwidth each connection targets. |
| Initial Bandwidth Estimate | Auto, 1 to 20 Mbps, or 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, or 60 Mbps | The bandwidth each connection uses when it starts. |
Warning
A Minimum Target Bandwidth prevents Jump Desktop from lowering bandwidth when network conditions degrade, which can make sessions unstable on weak connections. Leave it on Auto unless every connection has sufficient capacity.
For codec and color defaults, see Codecs and hardware encoding. For the other Connect settings, see Jump Desktop Connect settings.
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 require the Jump Desktop for Teams Enterprise plan. See pricing. Unavailable options are grayed out; unavailable frame rates also show Requires Upgrade.
- Color levels also depend on the host and codec. See Color levels by host and codec.
- For Codec menu messages, such as The host doesn't support hardware encoding, see Codec menu messages.