What is Citrix Workspace App?

Citrix Workspace app is a client software application that provides a unified interface where users can access their virtual desktops, applications, and data hosted on Citrix servers. This app simplifies the way users interact with various resources in a Citrix environment by centralizing them in one location. It supports a range of features including secure access to virtual desktops and applications, file sharing, and collaboration tools. The Workspace app is designed to enhance productivity and flexibility, allowing users to work from anywhere while maintaining the security and management policies set by their organization.

The Citrix client software has evolved and has gone by numerous names over the years (with feature differences between them) including:

Citrix ICA Client
Citrix Program Neighborhood (Agent)
Citrix XenApp Web (or Full) Plug-in
Citrix Online Web (or Full) Plug-in
Citrix Dazzle
Citrix Desktop Receiver
Citrix Receiver
Citrix Workspace app (Current)

What is Citrix Workspace?

Citrix Workspace app and Citrix Workspace are different from each other but related. Citrix Workspace is a service of Citrix Cloud. Citrix Workspace service is a cloud-hosted access tier solution for presenting end-users with applications, desktops, and web apps from one central location and in a secure manner. Users can access their company’s Citrix Workspace via the web, or directly in Citrix Workspace app depending on their workflow and preference. Accessing Citrix-hosted resources almost always relies on the Workspace app client to be installed on the endpoint, unless Citrix Workspace has been configured with HTML5 client support in which case no client software is needed on the client device.

For more information on Citrix Workspace, please refer to Citrix Docs.

Citrix Workspace App Versions

Citrix Workspace app is available as a client for multiple operating systems or an HTML5 client hosted on the access tier servers (Citrix Workspace or Citrix StoreFront) to provide a clientless experience to users.

Citrix Workspace app for Windows has two release tracks while other operating system platforms do not. The two tracks align to the release tracks of the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops software.

Current Release. High cadence of software updates on a release cycle of 3-9 months, introducing new features alongside bug fixes. Short support lifecycle of 6 months of maintenance and 18 months until the end of life from the original release date. Ideal for customers who wish to access the latest features regularly, have a higher tolerance for software maintenance and can tolerate modest increases in instability risk resulting from new features being added regularly.
Long-term Service Release. Cadence of 4-6 months for cumulative software updates on the major release version and a release cycle of 2-3 years between major releases. Cumulative updates focus on bug fixes and do not typically contain enhancements. Support lifecycle of 5 years mainstream support, with the option to purchase extended support if available. Ideal for customers with a lower tolerance for software maintenance and who prefer stability over access to the latest features.

For more information on the product lifecycle, please refer to Citrix Support Docs.

Feaure development in Citrix Workspace app prioritizes Windows, followed by Mac, Linux, and then mobile and Chrome platforms. As such, administrators should be aware that not all feature sets may be parity at all times between the clients due to the prioritization of development resources. For example, audio optimization capabilities available on Windows may not be available to the same extent on Linux.

Please refer to the Citrix Workspace app feature matrix in Citrix Docs to compare feature capabilities between Citrix clients on different operating systems.

Download Citrix Workspace App Clients

Citrix enables access to virtual apps and desktops from anywhere, anytime, on any device. This is accomplished through broad endpoint device support from Android, Chrome, and iOS mobile devices, to Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems.

Below are links to various versions of the Citrix client software from the Citrix website, for different operating systems. Unless otherwise specified by the company providing Citrix access, it is best practice to install the latest version available. Please note that Workspace app for Windows is available in a “Current Release” and “Long-term Service Release” and may have slightly different feature capabilities. Choose the company-recommended release track. When in doubt, use the Current Release version.

Download Citrix Workspace App for Windows

Workspace App can also be downloaded from the Windows Store, however, it is preferential to install from the Citrix Site.

Download the latest Workspace app for Windows Current Release here.

Download the latest Workspace app for Windows Long-term Service Release here.

Earlier versions of Workspace app for Windows Current Release can be found here.

Earlier versions of Workspace app for Windows Long-term Service Release can be found here.

Download Citrix Workspace App for Mac

Workspace App can also be downloaded from the App Store, however, it is preferential to install from the Citrix Site. Current versions of the Workspace app run natively on both Intel and Apple silicone via a universal architecture.

Download the latest Workspace app for Mac here.

Earlier versions of Workspace app for Mac can be found here.

Download Citrix Workspace App for Linux

Download the latest Workspace app for Linux here.

Earlier versions of Workspace app for Linux can be found here.

Download Citrix Workspace App HTML5 Client

The HTML5 client must be installed by an administrator on each Citrix StoreFront server. The Store must have one of the HTML5 client options enabled to make use of it. The HTML5 client should be upgraded periodically as new client updates are released. The HTML5 client is embedded into Citrix Workspace service and does not require any administrator maintenance.

Note: HTML5 client downloads require login. You must have a Citrix customer or partner account.

Download the latest Workspace app HTML5 client here.

Earlier versions of Workspace app HTML5 can be found here.

Download Citrix Workspace App for Chrome (ChromeOS)

Workspace App for Chrome is available from the Google Chrome Web Store. Enterprise companies may wish to customize the package installation and configuration and deploy it to devices through Google Apps for Business. For that purpose, Citrix hosts the install files for download. If your company does not actively manage and install Workspace app to your Chrome device, it is likely best to download the client from the web store.

Download the latest Workspace app for ChromeOS from Google Chrome Web Store here.

Note: Chrome client downloads for deployment through Google Apps for Business require login. You must have a Citrix customer or partner account.

Download the latest Workspace app for ChromeOS for deployment through Google Apps for Business here.

Earlier versions of Workspace app for ChromeOS for deployment through Google Apps for Business can be found here.

Download Citrix Workspace App for iOS

Download the latest Workspace app for iOS from App Store here.

Download Citrix Workspace App for Android

Download the latest Workspace app for Android from Google Play Store here.

Download Citrix Workspace App Web Extensions

Some features of Citrix may require a browser extension to be installed if you are authenticating to Citrix Workspace and accessing resources via your browser, vs. natively in Citrix Workspace app (per workflow/preference comment above). Some Citrix documentation refers to this as “hybrid launch”. The following features rely on the additional web extension if accessing Citrix resources via browser:

Citrix Service Continuity. Allows for access to resources (with limitations) if Citrix Workspace service becomes unavailable. This feature is relevant to Citrix Workspace service only, and not to accessing Citrix via customer-managed Citrix Gateway (NetScaler) or Citrix StoreFront. More details here.
Citrix App Protection. Provides keylogging and screen-scraping protections to applications. More details here.

Download links for the Workspace App Web Extensions along with more information on their use and configuration can be found in Citrix Docs here.