Horizon 8 2609: Simpler admin, security and more choices

Omnissa Horizon 8 2609 introduces updates across client performance, security, management, and platform support. The release improves session reliability, simplifies administration, strengthens data protection, and expands the environments where organizations can deliver virtual desktops and applications.

Here’s a closer look at the key updates and what they mean.

Get early access to new Horizon features

Horizon 8 2609 introduces new capabilities that customers can evaluate through beta programs or access through Limited Availability. These updates expand deployment options, bring AI-assisted workflows to managed desktops, and continue development of Horizon's next-generation clients.

Bring AI agents to the managed Horizon desktop with Horizon Agent Delegate

Horizon Agent Delegate introduces an AI agent that performs multi-step tasks on a user's behalf inside a Horizon virtual desktop. Users submit tasks through a chat interface in Horizon Web Client, and the agent works within the user's identity, profile, and network entitlements.

Administrators can enable the feature for individual desktop pools or pool groups. Horizon Agent Delegate supports Horizon 8 on VMware vSphere and Omnissa Horizon Cloud on Microsoft Azure, with Windows single-session and multi-session desktops. It requires customers to provide their own GitHub Copilot Enterprise licenses.

Horizon Agent Delegate is now in Limited Availability, giving qualified customers an opportunity to evaluate the feature with Omnissa support.

Run Horizon 8 on Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization

Horizon 8 support for Red Hat OpenShift is now in Limited Availability. Organizations can deploy Horizon infrastructure, including Connection Server, Unified Access Gateway, and Edge appliances, on OpenShift and use automated or manual desktop pools.

This gives organizations another deployment option that reuses existing infrastructure across private data centers and hybrid environments. To request access, contact your Omnissa representative or partner.

Coming to beta: Horizon 8 on Google Distributed cloud

We expect Horizon 8 to enter beta on Google Distributed cloud, extending deployment options for distributed and sovereignty-focused environments. These environments often require local control, data residency, and operational resilience.

Extend Horizon Agent support to physical Macs

Horizon Agent for macOS is in Limited Availability for production environments. Administrators can install the agent on physical Mac devices and enroll them in Omnissa Workspace ONE UEM to centrally manage macOS privacy permissions, including Screen Recording and Accessibility.

Users no longer need to approve these permissions manually during Horizon login or remote session workflows.

Preview Horizon Client for Chrome IWA

The Horizon Client for Chrome Isolated Web Access (IWA) beta focuses on touch support and compatibility with Horizon authentication methods. To evaluate these updates, join the beta through the Omnissa beta portal.

Try the latest Horizon Client Next beta

Horizon Client Next 2609 continues to close feature gaps with Horizon Client Classic. The beta stabilizes the desktop toolbar across Windows, Mac, and Linux, adds X.509 Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) authentication on macOS, and expands Group Policy and command-line support.

It also improves compatibility with Ubuntu 25.10 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 10.1, includes crash fixes and security hardening, and upgrades the Avalonia and .NET frameworks to versions 12 and 10, respectively. Explore these updates through the public beta.

Improve client experience and performance

Keep Microsoft Teams and RTAV reliable with an upgraded WebRTC engine

The WebRTC engine behind Microsoft Teams optimization and Real-Time Audio-Video (RTAV) moves from M126 to M150, keeping audio, video, and screen sharing current with the latest WebRTC standards. Support starts with Horizon Client for Windows and Horizon Agent for Windows 2609 (8.20.0).

Prevent session drops with automatic BEAT packet sizing

Blast Extreme Adaptive Transport (BEAT) can now determine the largest UDP datagram size that the network between the client and agent supports, replacing the previous fixed size of 1,200 bytes. This helps prevent disconnect-and-reconnect loops when network hops cannot carry larger datagrams. Where supported, datagrams can grow to 1,500 bytes, reducing overhead and improving performance.

Simplify Horizon Client installation

Installers for Windows, Mac, and Linux now let users choose Horizon Client Classic or Horizon Client Next and install only the selected client. The single-client approach applies to new installations, upgrades, and automatic upgrades, reducing confusion and potential conflicts from having both clients installed.

Deliver a consistent browser experience with Horizon Web Client Next

Horizon Web Client Next is now generally available, with a redesigned login screen, application and desktop launcher, navigation, and settings that match Horizon Client Next. Improvements to accessibility, mobile layouts, and localization make it easier for users to move between browser-based and native client experiences.

Strengthen the foundation of Horizon Client with .NET 10

Horizon Client for Windows and Horizon Client Next on Windows, Linux, and macOS now run on .NET 10, the latest long-term support (LTS) release from Microsoft. The upgrade from .NET 8 gives future client enhancements a current foundation ahead of the end of support for .NET 8.

Resolve unresponsive apps faster with Process Manager

Process Manager in Horizon Client for Windows shows users their active application and desktop sessions, including session IDs, health status, and open applications or windows. Users can disconnect or log off an individual session without affecting others and share its ID with the help desk. This helps users resolve unresponsive sessions themselves, while administrators keep control through Group Policy.

Improve image sharing in Linux virtual desktops

Users can now paste screenshots, charts, and other images directly from Horizon Client for Windows or Mac into Linux virtual desktops. This extends clipboard redirection beyond text, so users no longer need to save and transfer images separately.

Keep keyboard lock keys synchronized on Linux

Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Scroll Lock states now stay synchronized between the client keyboard and the Linux desktop at session start, during the session, and after reconnecting. This reduces unexpected typing behavior and login issues. Administrators can use the existing keyboard synchronization policy to control how Horizon manages these states.

Strengthen security and access controls

Where does sensitive data slip out of a virtual desktop? Often at the edges: the clipboard, the screen, and the network. This release tightens control at each one.

Enforce clipboard policies on the client

Administrators can now enforce clipboard copy and paste restrictions directly on Horizon Client, in addition to Horizon Agent. Client-side controls keep restrictions in place even if a user tries to change settings inside the virtual desktop, providing tighter control over data movement between secure and less secure environments.

Control screen capture by application

Screen-capture blocking now supports allowlists and blocklists for applications. Administrators can permit approved applications, such as Zoom, to share screens while blocking other applications from capturing or recording virtual desktops and published applications. Administrators can apply policies at the user or machine level on Windows and Mac clients.

Extend True SSO desktop unlock to Linux and Mac

Users on Horizon Client for Linux and Mac can unlock virtual desktops through True Single Sign-On (SSO) when they sign in directly to Horizon Server through a SAML identity provider (IdP), such as Ping Identity. They can reauthenticate through their organization's IdP instead of entering a password they may not know or relaunching the client.

Separate Horizon Recording ports

Horizon Recording now supports separate, configurable ports for recording-agent traffic and browser and playback traffic. Administrators can apply different firewall rules or network segments to each, helping restrict access in security-sensitive environments. The existing single-port configuration remains the default, so current deployments don't change unless an administrator enables multi-port mode. 

Improve smart card redirection on Linux and Mac

Smart card redirection on Horizon Client for Linux and Mac now supports applications that request additional protocol details from the card, including applications that use the French health card (Carte de Professionnel de Santé, or CPS). This extends supported smart card workflows beyond Windows clients without requiring changes to Horizon Agent.

Expand platform support and simplify administration

Run Linux virtual desktops on Wayland

Horizon now supports the Wayland display protocol on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS with GNOME for single-session Linux virtual desktops. Supported capabilities include multi-monitor displays, relative mouse, additional keyboard languages, clipboard, audio, USB, and printer redirection. That lets organizations run Ubuntu desktops, including graphics processing unit (GPU)-accelerated workloads, using the distribution's default display protocol.

Wayland support on RHEL 10 has also expanded to include True SSO, smart card PIN authentication, multi-monitor displays, relative mouse, and additional keyboard languages. Support extends across all pool types, with a new RPM Package Manager installer to simplify deployment.

Expand Windows operating system support

Horizon Agent for Windows now supports Windows Server 2025 across Horizon 8 on vSphere and Nutanix, as well as Horizon Cloud Service on Azure. Support also includes Windows 11 26H1 on supported ARM-based devices, expanding the Windows environments available for delivering virtual desktops and applications.

Extend Helpdesk Remote Assistance to more platforms

The Remote Assistance button in the Helpdesk console is now available for Windows desktops running on Nutanix and Amazon WorkSpaces Core. Help desk teams can assist users on these platforms through the same workflow available for vSphere deployments.

Want to learn more?

These highlights cover selected updates in Horizon 8 2609. For the complete list of features, supported platforms, resolved issues, known issues, and deployment requirements, see the Horizon 8 2609 Release Notes.