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Redirect USB devices

Use a USB device plugged into your computer as if it were plugged into the remote computer. It lets apps on the remote computer use devices such as a game controller, a drawing tablet, or a security key.

Applies to

Device Your computer Plan
Game controllers Windows, macOS, iPhone, iPad, Android All plans
Input devices, such as drawing tablets, control panels, and programmable keypads Windows, macOS Jump Desktop for Teams Enterprise plan
Security keys (FIDO) macOS Jump Desktop for Teams Enterprise plan
  • Fluid connections only. RDP and VNC sessions don't offer USB redirection.
  • Remote computer: Jump Desktop Connect 10.15.23 or later, on Windows or macOS 11 or later. Linux isn't supported.
  • USB redirection must be turned on for the remote computer. It's off by default.

Turn on USB redirection for the remote computer

Computers without a Connect Configuration. On the remote computer:

  1. Open Jump Desktop Connect, then Settings.
  2. Click Advanced.
  3. Under Fluid Remote Desktop, select Enable USB redirection.

Computers with a Connect Configuration assigned. The configuration's setting overrides the local one. A team administrator:

  1. In the Teams dashboard, open your team. Under Tasks, click Connect Settings.
  2. Open the configuration assigned to the computer. Select Beta to show the USB settings.
  3. Under USB Settings, turn on USB Device Redirection.
  4. Optionally, turn off Allow HID Devices, Allow Game Controllers, or Allow Security Keys (FIDO) to block that device type. All three are on by default.
  5. Save the configuration.

Share a device

  1. Plug the device into your computer and connect to the remote computer with Fluid.
  2. Open the Devices menu:
    • Windows and macOS: choose Remote > Devices.
    • iPhone and iPad: tap the wrench button in the session toolbar, then Devices.
    • Android: tap the wrench button in the session toolbar, then Devices.
  3. Select the device. If it isn't listed, choose Refresh.
  4. On Windows and macOS, a firmware update warning appears. Click I Understand.

To stop sharing, select the device again.

For game controllers, including the on-screen controller on iPhone, iPad, and Android, see Use game controllers.

Result

A check mark appears next to the device in Devices.

Troubleshooting

"Unavailable. Click to learn more."

Click the item to see the reason. On Android, Devices shows Unavailable on this computer instead: check that USB redirection is turned on and Allow Game Controllers isn't turned off, then reconnect.

Message Fix
USB redirection is turned off Turn on USB redirection for the remote computer, then reconnect.
USB redirection isn't available: the required driver is not installed or is disabled On the remote computer, run the latest Jump Desktop Connect installer over the existing installation. Restart if asked, then reconnect. See Install Jump Desktop Connect.
USB redirection isn't available: the host may not support it Update Jump Desktop Connect on the remote computer, and check that you're connected with Fluid.

"Upgrade required"

Devices other than game controllers need the Jump Desktop for Teams Enterprise plan. Without it, the Mac App Store version doesn't list them.

"USB device is in use"

Another app on your computer is holding the device. Release it from that app, then select the device again.

Stream Deck: requires Stream Deck software 7.1 or later. In the Stream Deck app, open Preferences > Devices, select the Stream Deck to share, and set Enabled to No. Other Stream Deck devices keep working.

For other devices, contact support.

Limitations

  • Keyboards, mice, webcams, printers, and storage drives can't be redirected.
  • On Windows, disable or uninstall the local drivers for a drawing tablet before redirecting it.
  • Don't update firmware on a redirected device. The update can fail and leave the device unusable.