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Citrix Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) for macOS supports USB redirection, allowing locally connected USB devices to be accessed within a remote macOS desktop session hosted on MacStadium infrastructure. This enables developers and power users to interact with USB devices (such as external drives, HID devices, and iPhones/iPads) as if they were physically attached to the remote Mac.

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Supported Devices and Scenarios

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Mass Storage Devices (USB drives, external disks)

  • Supported beginning with Citrix macOS VDA release 2409.
  • Requires enabling the USB redirection policy in Citrix DaaS or Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.
  • Works reliably from Windows Citrix Workspace App clients.

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HID Devices

  • Examples: Wacom tablets, game controllers.
  • Redirection supported via Generic USB virtual channel.

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iDevices (iPhone/iPad)

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Known Limitations

Citrix Workspace App for macOS (CWA Mac)
  • On macOS 15.4 and later, USB mass storage redirection may fail when using the Generic USB virtual channel.
  • Devices may appear in the Workspace App interface but not mount in Finder.
  • Known issue under active investigation by Citrix (see Citrix Workspace App for Mac release notes: About this release | Citrix Workspace™ app for Mac).
Performance Constraints
  • USB passthrough is highly sensitive to network latency. Round-trip latency >150–200ms may prevent devices from mounting properly.
  • For best results, low-latency connections (<100ms) are recommended.
Client Platform Differences
  • Windows Workspace clients are more stable for USB redirection today.
  • macOS Workspace clients may be impacted by ongoing known issues.

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Recommendations

  • Confirm USB Redirection policy is enabled for the correct Delivery Group in Citrix DaaS/Virtual Apps and Desktops.
  • If using macOS clients, monitor Citrix release notes for resolution of known issues.
  • For latency-sensitive testing, use a Windows client or connect from a low-latency environment.
  • For debugging, collect logs using: 
sudo xdlcollect
ctxsession -v  # Check session latency

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Testing Guide

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1. Prerequisites

Target system:
  • Either Orka VM or MacStadium bare metal Mac, running macOS 14.x or later with Citrix VDA 2409+ installed.
  • Citrix DaaS or Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops with USB Redirection policy enabled.
  • Citrix Workspace App installed on test client(s):
    • Windows 11 client (recommended baseline).
    • macOS 15.4+ client (to validate current known issue).
Physical USB devices:
  • Mass storage device (USB drive).
    • Optional: HID device (Wacom tablet, game controller).
    • Optional: iPhone/iPad (for developer redirection testing).

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2. Test Procedure

  1. Enable Policy
    1. Confirm USB Redirection is enabled for the correct Delivery Group.
    2. Allow ~5 minutes for policy propagation.
  2. Connect from Client
    1. Plug USB device into local client.
    2. Launch Citrix Workspace App → open the macOS VDA desktop session.
    3. Check Devices menu in Workspace toolbar for USB device.
  3. Switch Redirection Mode
    1. If device not mounted, try switching from Optimized to Generic.
    2. On macOS 15.4+, Generic may revert to Optimized (known issue).
  4. Validate in VDA
    1. Inside VDA, check Finder for mount.
    2. Run to confirm detection:
diskutil list
  1. Network Latency Check
    1. Run:
ctxsession -v
  1. If latency >150–200ms, device may not mount.
  2. Collect Logs (if issues)
    1. Run:
sudo xdlcollect
  1. Save and attach logs for escalation.

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3. Expected Results

Windows Client: USB mass storage should appear and mount in Finder.
macOS Client: Device may show but not mount due to known issue.
HID Devices & iDevices: Should redirect and function if supported by release.