Other useful functionality on the main User Portal screen includes the following:

• Favorites list. You can add a remote application or a desktop to the Favorites list, so you can easily find them. To do so, point to or tap an application or a desktop and then click or tap the "star" icon. To view the list, select the Favorites tab at the top of the list. To remove a resource from the list, point to it and click the "X" icon (or point to or tap the resource icon and then click or tap the start icon).

• Search. To search for a resource, begin typing its name in the Search box (upper right). The list will be filtered as you type to contain only the resources with matching names.

• List view. You can switch between the grid and the list view by clicking the icon below the search box. The list view allows you to see the descriptions of the published resources.

• View a description in the grid view. To view a resource description in the grid view, position the mouse pointer over it. The description will appear as a tooltip. This could be helpful if one or more resources are published using the same name. By reading the description, you can distinguish between them.

• Taskbar. When you launch a remote application or a desktop, its icon is added to the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. When the taskbar is full, items of the same type are grouped to save space. You can click or tap on a group to see the list of all running instances and to switch to or close a particular instance.

In Parallels User Portal 18.2 and newer, you can copy and paste plain text between a local device and remote session in both directions. Simply use Ctrl+C/Cmd+C to copy (Ctrl+X/Cmd+X to cut) and Ctr+V/Cmd+V to paste.

This functionality is fully supported in Chromium based browsers (Chrome, Edge Chromium, Opera) and Internet Explorer. On Firefox, only server to client copy/paste is supported. Other web browsers do not support this functionality.

To open the Parallels User Portal main menu, click or tap the "person" icon in the upper-right. You can select from the menu options described below.

Settings

Allows you to configure the following settings:

• Clipboard redirection: Enable or disable the clipboard in a remote session. Select from the following options: Bidirectional (copying is allowed in both directions), Server to client only, Client to server only, Disabled (copying in either directions is not allowed).

• Sound: To play the sound on the local computer, select the Bring to this computer option. If sound is not supported by your browser, the menu will be disabled and you'll see a corresponding text message below it.

• Remote audio recording: Enable or disable the sound input redirection from the local computer to the remote application. For example, if you would like to use a microphone in Skype or a similar app for teleconferencing, you need to enable audio recording. Select Record from this computer to enable recording or select Do not record to disable it.

• Redirect links: Select a desired redirection option from the following: Do no redirect, Redirect URLs, Redirect email, Redirect all. When redirection is enabled, a link will be opened on the local computer.

• Pen and touch input: Enable or disable pen input redirection with pressure sensitivity support. Please note that the eraser button is not supported.

• Redirect printers: Select a printer redirection option: RAS Universal Printer (uses the RAS Universal Printing technology) or Do not redirect (printers will not be redirected).

• Keyboard mode: Select Universal Keyboard or PC Keyboard. If you have problems typing certain characters, try selecting PC Keyboard and then selecting a proper layout in the Keyboard Layout drop-down list (see below).

• Keyboard layout: Select a keyboard layout (e.g. English (US), English (UK), Japanese). To enable this drop-down list, the Keyboard Mode option must be set to PC Keyboard.

• (ChromeOS only) Use a shortcut for the Windows key: Specify the shortcut that will be used in place of the Windows key.

• Auto login: Enable or disable auto login in User Portal. If this option is on, and the user credentials have been saved before, the user will not have to enter them again. This option may not be available if a Client Policy was applied where this option is turned off. Note that the auto login option is supported on the latest Chromium-based browsers, such as Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. For more information, please see Auto login.

• Connection timeout, seconds: Specify the connection timeout.

• MFA: Remember last method used: If using multi-factor authentication, enable this option so the last method used is remembered and used by default.

• Always ask for credentials when starting application: If this option is enabled, a user will be asked to enter credentials when starting an application even if the session is still active. You can use this option as added security to prevent unauthorized users to access applications. For example, if a user disconnects from a session, no one else will be able to take over the session and run remote applications. As another example, if a user leaves a device with an open User Portal displaying the app listing (with or without running RDP sessions) then any user who tries to open a new application or another instance of a running application will be prompted for credentials. Please note that the Auto login option (described above) must be disabled for this functionality to work; otherwise saved credentials will be used automatically.

Change Password

Allows you to remotely change your domain password. When the password is being changed, the password requirements are displayed on the screen.

Detect Client

Determines if Parallels Client is installed on the local computer. If Parallels Client is not installed, gives you an option to install it or skip the automatic Parallels Client detection on subsequent logons.

Download Client

Opens a web page with instructions on how to download and install Parallels Client.

Logout

Ends user session with Parallels RAS and logs the user out.

Parallels User Portal supports drag and drop functionality when running remote applications and desktops.

Here's how to use drag and drop when working with a remote application:

1. Select a file on your local computer.

2. Drag and drop the selected file to an app. The 'Save as' window will pop up.

3. Enter a name for the file and save it. The file will be saved on the server hosting the app.

You can also drag and drop files between two remote apps running on different hosts.

Here's how to use drag and drop with a remote desktop:

1. Select a file on your local computer.

2. Drag and drop the selected file to a remote desktop. The 'save as' window will pop up.

3. Enter a name for the file and save it. The file will be saved on the desktop on the server that hosts it.

Parallels User Portal is a client application that runs in a web browser. You can use Parallels User Portal to view and launch remote applications and desktops from a web browser.

Compared to platform-specific Parallels Clients (Parallels Client for Windows, Parallels Client for iOS, etc.), Parallels User Portal does not require end users to install additional software on their computers or mobile devices. Feature-wise, platform-specific Parallels Clients give users more options than Parallels User Portal. Nonetheless, Parallels User Portal is a fully-featured platform-independent client providing end users with an alternative method of working with remote resources published via Parallels RAS.

System requirements

• Any HTML5-enabled web browser, except Internet Explorer.

Auto login reduces the number of times you need to input your credentials to log in.

Using Auto login

The following describes how Auto login works:

1. The user opens the Parallels User Portal in a browser and logs in. Note that direct app access is also supported.

2. On the first login, Parallels User Portal will suggest to enable Auto login. Click Save when asked to save the password. For this to happen, the Offer to save password and Auto sign-in options must be enabled in the browser (these are the default settings in a Chromium-based browser).

3. Confirm that you want to enable Auto login.

When you open Parallels User Portal again (or use a direct app link), the prompt to enter credentials will not appear.

To change the Auto login setting, click on the user icon in the top right and click Settings > Connection.

To open Parallels User Portal, enter the address provided to you by your administrator in a web browser.

When you open the User Portal, the login page is displayed.

To log in to Parallels RAS, specify your user name in the UPN format (username@domain.com) and password and click Log in.

Launch apps in Parallels Client and fallback to Browser

With this option configured on the server side, you will see a dialog box in the web browser with the following options:

• Detect Client. Determines if Parallels Client is installed on the local computer. If Parallels Client is not found, opens the Parallels Client installation page. Follow the instructions to install Parallels Client.

• Use Web Browser. Closes this dialog box and opens the main Parallels User Portal screen. Remote applications or desktops will be launched in the web browser. When you open Parallels User Portal the next time, you will again see the same dialog box with the same options.

Parallels Client only

When this option is configured on the server side, you will see a dialog box prompting you to install Parallels Client. Click the link provided to open the Parallels Client download and installation page and follow the instructions. After you install Parallels Client, you will see a screen with published resources that you can use. If you now double-click or tap a resource, it will be launched in Parallels Client.

Browser only

With this option configured, you will see a screen with published resources that you can use with no additional prompts. Remote applications and desktops will be launched in the web browser.

To launch a remote application or desktop, do one of the following:

• Double-click (or tap on a mobile device) an application or a desktop icon. The resource will open inside a web browser or in Parallels Client, depending on the server-side configuration.

• Right-click (or tap and hold on a mobile device) an application or a desktop to display a context menu. The menu will appear if it is enabled on the server side. The menu allows you to choose whether to open the resource in Parallels Client or Parallels User Portal and it also allows you to choose whether to open an application in the same or new tab in the web browser.

• If a resource cannot be opened in Parallels Client due to an error, a message will be displayed with an option to open it in the web browser instead.

Parallels User Portal includes a special toolbar that becomes available when you launch a remote application or desktop. The toolbar appears differently for remote desktops and remote applications. The toolbar has also slightly different functions for desktop computers and mobile devices. The differences are explained in the subsequent topics.

Remote Desktop Toolbar

When you launch a remote desktop in a web browser on a mobile device, the toolbar appears as follows:

The small arrow icon at the top is used to show or hide the toolbar items.

The main toolbar items are (from top to bottom):

• Upload a file. Upload a file from the local device to the remote server. Note that in iOS, you can upload from the Photos folder only.

• Download a file. Download a file from the remote server to the local device (not available in iOS).

• Shortcuts. Display the Shortcuts menu (see below for the menu description).

• Keyboard. Display the native keyboard. This opens your mobile device native keyboard so you can type in an application on the remote desktop.

• Arrow. The arrow icon is used to switch between the two available mouse input modes:

  Mode 1: The first mode (the arrow icon is white) follows the movement of your finger on the screen and performs a click on a remote desktop where you tap.

  Mode 2: The second mode (the arrow icon is red) displays a virtual mouse pointer on the remote desktop and allows you to move that pointer to a precise position with your finger. When you tap anywhere on the screen, the click on the remote desktop is performed at the precise position of the virtual mouse pointer.

The Shortcuts menu allows you to send keystrokes and key sequences to the remote desktop:

• Escape. Sends the "Escape" keystroke to the remote desktop.

• Tab. Sends the "Tab" keystroke.

• Backspace. Sends the "Backspace" keystroke.

• Print screen. Sends the "Print Screen" keystroke. The screen will be printed to the clipboard of the remote desktop from where you can paste it into an application (e.g. Paint) running on the same remote computer.

• Windows Key. Sends the "Windows logo key" keystroke.

• Control+Alt+Delete. Sends the "Ctrl+Alt+Delete" key sequence.

Remote application toolbar

When you launch a remote application, the toolbar is embedded into the page footer and it's collapsed by default. To expand the toolbar, click the "arrow-up" icon in the lower right-hand corner.

The toolbar items are (from top to bottom):

• Download. Download a file from the remote server to the local device (not available in iOS).

• Upload. Upload a file from the local device to the remote server. Note that in iOS, you can upload from the Photos folder only.

• Keyboard. Display the native keyboard. This opens your mobile device native keyboard so you can type in an application on the remote desktop.

To use Google Authenticator, you need to install the Authenticator app on your iOS or Android device. Simply visit Google Play or App Store and install the app. Once the Authenticator app is installed, the user is ready to connect to Parallels RAS using two-factor authentication.

To connect to Parallels RAS:

1. The user opens Parallels User Portal and log in using your credentials.

2. The multi-factor authentication dialog opens displaying a barcode (also known as QR code) and a secret key.

3. Opens the Google Authenticator app on your mobile device:

   • If this is the first time you use it, tap Begin and then tap Scan a barcode.

   • If you have already created another account in Google Authenticator, tap the plus-sign icon and choose Scan a barcode.

4. Scan the barcode displayed in the Parallels Client login dialog.

   If scanning doesn't work for any reason, go back in the app, choose Enter a provided key, and then enter the account name and the key displayed in the Parallels Client login dialog.

5. Taps Add account in the app, which will create an account and display a one-time password.

6. Go back to Parallels Client, click Next, and enter the one-time password in the OTP field.

On every subsequent login, you will only have to type the credentials (or nothing at all if the Save password option was selected) and enter a one-time password obtained from the Google Authenticator app (the app will continually generate a new password).

The Remote Clipboard allows you to copy and paste text between your local client system and a remote application or desktop. The clipboard is accessed from the toolbar.

To use the clipboard:

1. Expand the toolbar click the [A] icon.

2. This opens the Remote Clipboard window. On the screenshot below, a remote desktop toolbar is shown. A remote application toolbar looks differently, but it functions exactly the same.
3. To copy text from the local computer to a remote application, type (or paste) it in the Remote Clipboard window. The text is automatically saved on the remote computer clipboard, so you can use a standard paste command (e.g. Ctrl+V) to paste it into a remote application.

4. To copy text from a remote application to the Remote Clipboard window, highlight it and use the standard copy command (e,g, Ctrl+C). The text will appear in the Remote Clipboard window from where you can copy it to a local application.

When you launch a remote desktop in a web browser on a desktop or laptop computer, the toolbar appears as follows:

The top area of the toolbar is used to drag the toolbar up or down. Click and hold it and then drag the toolbar to the desired position. The arrow icon is used to show or hide the toolbar items.

The main toolbar items are (from top to bottom):

• Full screen. Display the remote desktop in full screen on the local computer.

• Upload a file. Upload a file from the local computer to the remote server. After clicking this item, you are presented with two dialogs, one after another. In the first dialog, select a file on the local computer you wish to upload. In the second dialog, select a location on the remote server where you want to save the file.

• Download a file. Download a file from the remote server to the local computer. After clicking this item, select a file on the remote server you wish to download. Depending on your web browser configuration, the download will start automatically or you will be asked to select a destination folder on your local computer.

• Shortcuts. Display the Shortcuts menu (see below for the menu description).

• Clipboard. Display the remote clipboard. Please see Using the remote clipboard for more information.

The Shortcuts menu allows you to send keystrokes and key sequences to the remote desktop:

• Escape. Sends the "Escape" keystroke to the remote desktop.

• Tab. Sends the "Tab" keystroke.

• Backspace. Sends the "Backspace" keystroke.

• Print screen. Sends the "Print Screen" keystroke. The screen will be printed to the clipboard of the remote desktop from where you can paste it into an application (e.g. Paint) running on the same remote computer.

• Windows Key. Sends the "Windows logo key" keystroke.

• Control+Alt+Delete. Sends the "Ctrl+Alt+Delete" key sequence.

Remote application toolbar

When you launch a remote application, the toolbar is embedded into the page footer, and it is collapsed by default. To expand the toolbar, click the "arrow-up" icon in the lower right-hand corner.

The toolbar items are (from top to bottom):

• Download. Download a file from the remote server to the local computer. After clicking this item, select a file on the remote server you wish to download. Depending on your web browser configuration, the download will start automatically or you will be asked to select a destination folder on your local computer.

• Upload. Upload a file from the local computer to the remote server. After clicking this item, you are presented with two dialogs, one after another. In the first dialog, select a file on the local computer you wish to upload. In the second dialog, select a location on the remote server where you want to save the file.

• Clipboard. Display the remote clipboard. Please see Using the remote clipboard for more information.