Instant virtual application launch

Methods and systems for persisting a protocol state from a first instance of a virtual desktop application to a second instance of the virtual desktop application are described herein. In some embodiments, a computing platform may establish, by a first virtual desktop instance, a secure session with a virtual delivery agent (VDA), resulting in a protocol state of the first virtual desktop instance. Further, the computing platform may persist, using the first virtual desktop instance, the protocol state. Next, the computing platform may transmit, from the first virtual desktop instance to a second virtual desktop instance, the protocol state. Additionally, the computing platform may authenticate, using authentication tokens comprising the protocol state, a connection between the second virtual desktop instance and a gateway device. Subsequently, the computing platform may re-establish, after the authenticating, the secure session, wherein the secure session comprises a connection between the VDA and the second virtual desktop instance.