By David, , updated
Multimedia redirection (MMR) on Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) sends video playback and WebRTC calls in Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome to the user's local device to decode and render, instead of the session host. You enable it by installing Microsoft's Remote Desktop Multimedia Redirection Service on the session hosts and turning on its browser extension, and it works for users who connect with Windows App or the Remote Desktop app on Windows.
The short version: install the MMR MSI on your image (it installs the service and the browser extension), force-install the extension with Intune or Group Policy, and have users connect from Windows. The service doesn't update itself, so update it with your image. Test on a supported site and check the extension icon.
What multimedia redirection does
MMR has two jobs (Microsoft Learn):
- Video playback redirection. The browser in the session still fetches the page and the video, but the video bitstream is sent to the user's device, which decodes it and draws it in the right place on screen. That takes video decoding off a shared host and avoids re-encoding every frame into the remote display.
- Call redirection. For WebRTC-based calling apps in the browser, the call is offloaded to the local device, which connects to the calling service directly. Microsoft notes that once the call is connected, quality depends on that service, as it would without redirection.
MMR is for the browser. Desktop apps with their own VDI optimization, like Teams, Zoom and Webex, use those instead.
| Requirement | |
|---|---|
| On the session host | Remote Desktop Multimedia Redirection Service and the browser extension, from one MSI |
| Browser | Latest Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome on the session host |
| Runtime | Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable 2015-2022, 14.32.31332.0 or later, on the host and the local Windows device |
| Client | Windows App on Windows 2.0.297.0 or later, or the Remote Desktop app on Windows 1.2.5709 or later |
| Local device | Meets Microsoft's hardware requirements for Teams on a Windows PC |
| Not supported | AVD for Azure US Government |
Setup checklist
- Install the prerequisites on the image. The latest Edge or Chrome, and the Visual C++ Redistributable at the minimum version above.
- Install the MMR MSI. Download it from Microsoft (aka.ms/avdmmr/msi), close every Edge and Chrome process, and install it. For an image build or a deployment tool, use
msiexec /i <path to the MSI file> /qn. One MSI installs both the service and the extension. - Turn the extension on for everyone. By default, users are prompted to enable the extension when they open the browser. To enable it silently, force-install it with the browser's extension management policy from Intune, Group Policy or the Microsoft Edge management service. The Edge extension ID is
joeclbldhdmoijbaagobkhlpfjglcihd, and the Chrome extension ID islfmemoeeciijgkjkgbgikoonlkabmlno. Restart the hosts after the policy applies. - Add your own sites if you need them. Video playback redirection works by default on a list of sites including YouTube, Vimeo, Microsoft Stream, LinkedIn Learning and Microsoft Learn. Call redirection works by default on a list of contact center and calling services such as Genesys, Five9, Twilio Flex, Dialpad, 8x8 and Amazon Connect. To add others, set the
AllowedVideoRedirectionSitesorAllowedCallRedirectionSitespolicy values on the session hosts. - Plan updates. Microsoft notes the Multimedia Redirection Service doesn't update automatically, while the browser extension does. Update the service on your image when a new version ships.
- Check the client side. MMR needs users to connect from Windows with a supported client version, and the Visual C++ Redistributable on their device too.
Is it working? Read the extension icon
Open a supported site in the session and select the Microsoft Multimedia Redirection extension icon:
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| Blue border, The extension is loaded | MMR can redirect content on this page |
| Grey icon | MMR isn't loaded for this page, so content isn't redirected |
| Video playback state | MMR is redirecting a video right now |
| Call state | MMR is redirecting a call right now |
| Error state | The extension didn't load correctly: reinstall the extension or the service |
On a page that supports it, the extension shows a green check next to Video Playback Redirection or Call Redirection.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Extension icon is grey on every site | Extension disabled or service not installed | Force-install the extension by policy and confirm the MSI is on the host |
| Works on YouTube, not on your training portal | Site isn't on the default list | Add it with AllowedVideoRedirectionSites and test it |
| Protected video won't redirect | MMR doesn't support protected content | Expected: it plays without redirection |
| Works for office users, not for others | Users connecting from macOS, mobile or the web client | MMR needs Windows App or the Remote Desktop app on Windows |
| Error icon after an update | Service and extension out of step | Install the current MSI on the image and rebuild the hosts |
| Choppy video even when redirected | The user's device or its network | Check the device meets Microsoft's hardware requirements |
MMR is browser-only, Windows-client-only and doesn't update its own service. Put it on the image, force the extension by policy, and update it with every image build.
Where Atlas AVD helps
Atlas AVD doesn't install multimedia redirection itself. It gives you a reliable way to get MMR and its prerequisites onto every host:
- On the image. Install the MMR MSI and its prerequisites on your golden image, capture it from Imaging, and every host Atlas builds from that version carries it. Because the service doesn't update itself, the image is the right place for it: update the image, then Re-Image or Rolling Replace the pool.
- The extension, by policy. Atlas can force-install Chrome and Edge extensions on every session host through browser policy, so you can turn the MMR extension on for a pool without a separate Intune profile or GPO. The Application Catalog installs WinGet packages, such as the Visual C++ Redistributable, on every new host in the pool.
That's the real Atlas AVD console in our demo environment; the packages and pool are sample data. For more on browser settings for multi-session hosts, see Optimize Microsoft Edge on AVD multi-session.
FAQ
What is multimedia redirection in Azure Virtual Desktop?
A Microsoft feature that redirects video playback and WebRTC calls in Edge or Chrome from the session host to the user's local device, which decodes and renders them. It needs the Remote Desktop Multimedia Redirection Service and a browser extension on the session host.
Which clients support multimedia redirection?
Windows App on Windows, version 2.0.297.0 or later, and the Remote Desktop app on Windows, version 1.2.5709 or later.
Does MMR work in Azure Government?
No. Microsoft says multimedia redirection isn't supported on Azure Virtual Desktop for Azure US Government.
Does the MMR service update automatically?
No. The browser extension updates automatically, but the Remote Desktop Multimedia Redirection Service has to be updated by installing the new MSI.
Is MMR the same as Teams media optimization?
No. Teams uses its own optimization (SlimCore or the WebRTC Redirector). MMR is for content and calls inside the browser. See Teams on AVD.
Can I enable MMR for any website?
You can add sites with the AllowedVideoRedirectionSites and AllowedCallRedirectionSites policies. Adding a site enables redirection for it but doesn't guarantee it works, so test each one.
Last updated 9 November 2026. Details are drawn from Microsoft Learn's Multimedia redirection for video playback and calls in a remote session as of November 2026. Microsoft updates the supported site lists and minimum versions often, so check the page and What's new in multimedia redirection before you roll out.