Microsoft's Universal Windows Platform is not dead, but it has evolved over the years

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Setting the record straight

Microsoft's Universal Windows Platform is not dead, just it has evolved over the years

Microsoft's one-app theory for all devices is not every bit critical as it used to be, but that'south not new

What yous need to know

• New claims that UWP is dead mischaracterized what is actually happening.
• Microsoft did shift UWP app strategy over two years ago to focus on desktop.
• Developers now have more ways to bring apps to Windows x.
• UWP is still the primary dev platform for future Windows experiences.

Updated November eleven, 2022: We're re-upping this post in response to Microsoft emphasizing its plans for the evolution of UWP apps at Ignite 2022. The original story, initially published on June 7, 2022, follows.

It was simply over 2 years ago when I wrote that Microsoft was pivoting abroad from Universal Windows Apps (UWA) based on the Universal Windows Platform (UWP), and instead focusing more on desktop-style applications for the Microsoft Store. The reasoning at the time was obvious: Windows Phone was on its last gasps, and without it, developers had one less target for UWA.

Fast forward to 2022, and Thurrott and The Verge are both running headlines that seemingly spin things. Both articles accept truth to them, but there's also a more considerable misconception out there – more often than not from non-developers – about UWP, Microsoft'southward announcements at Build this yr, and what the future may hold.

Today, I want to straighten the record slightly, but first, let's define what we mean by UWP.

Dash is of import

Microsoft UWP or UWA?

The Universal Windows Platform goes back to Windows 8, and it was meant to usher in a new age of Microsoft and calculating. Dorsum and then, the mantra was "three screens and a cloud" referring to Xbox, PCs, and telephone.

Of class, what people hateful when talking nearly apps like Microsoft News, Weather, Mail service, and apps from 3rd-party developers is Universal Windows Apps – apps that run across all iii devices with few changes.

Conversely, the "universal platform" part in UWP refers to the shared APIs and resources that developers have access to when writing an app, not the app's hardware destination. This distinction is crucial as we'll see beneath.

At that place's a difference betwixt the Univeral Windows Platform and Universal Apps

Microsoft has conflated these terms oftentimes, using UWP for shorthand. This mixing of terminology was particularly true during the Windows eight days when even desktop PCs featured UWAs as the chief app feel.

Tom Warren, from The Verge, said, "This [UWP] dream really started to fall apart afterwards Windows Phone failed, but it's well and truly over now." I'd argue differently. The original fiasco goes back to Windows 8 and its failed tablet strategy where UWAs were supposed to shine. Once Microsoft rolled back the new Start Carte du jour experience in Windows 8.ane – and ditching it entirely in Windows 10 – UWAs lost momentum in PC.

The decline and eventual loss of Windows Phone just made matters worse.

Undoing the damage

Microsoft's developer mistake(s)

The failure of Microsoft'south Windows tablet and phone experiences is undoubtedly a meaning contributor to the de-accent of UWP.

But ane other reason — which Microsoft has been trying to rectify these last few years — was the insistence that developers convert all their "classic" Windows apps to UWA using UWP. This approach was all-or-nothing and driven heavily at Microsoft's Build programmer events betwixt 2022 and 2022.

Microsoft will meet developers wherever they are regardless of dev platform.

To be off-white had Windows 8, PC tablets, and Windows Phone taken off UWP and UWA would be heralded as ahead of its time. Instead, it failed and with it the wide ambition of UWA. (Apple and Google are ironically running with the thought now.)

Developers bristled at the motion. Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet got every bit much from Kevin Gallo, Corporate Vice President of the Windows Developer Platform, who said "we shouldn't have gone that way" noting the eventual Win32 and UWP split that it acquired.

Instance in point, UWP could non friction match the power of twenty+ years of Win32 development — it was too green. With missing APIs and features even if developers wanted to port a mapping app over, if the mapping API was incomplete, or lacked features they needed, in that location was little motivation to do so.

It's truthful that Microsoft did not make information technology easy for developers to port to UWP and create UWAs. But that started to change, and it was particularly prevalent at Microsoft Build this year, where the visitor took a more conciliatory arroyo: we'll see developers wherever they are.

Open upwards to devs

Only call 'em Windows Apps

From Build (2019) "State of the Marriage: The Windows Presentation Platform"

This point brings us to where Microsoft is going with all these changes today. For Microsoft, the future isn't only about UWA, merely about WPF, Win32, and WinRT also. Toss in support for XAML Islands, React Native, Electron, or being able to utilise Chrome'southward JavaScript engine for Progressive Spider web Apps (PWA) for good measure.

Under Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, the company has been moving to an inclusive arroyo to the company'southward structure, services, and yes, app development. The company is non shying abroad from UWA or even UWP, but they are bankroll downward from the "all or nothing" mantra. Instead, the company wants developers to use whatever tools they have to bring apps and games to Windows 10 and the Microsoft Shop.

Sharing his opinion on the thing, Matt Velloso, Technical Counselor to the CEO at Microsoft, had this to say:

Why does it [UWP] demand an identifier? The more than the walls separating these dissimilar Windows development platforms crumble, the more developers needs can be met where they are, with their existing code, that can evolve, mix and utilize whatever works all-time. Nosotros want no cliffs. Pick any, evolve it whatever way... Life is also short. I don't get all the "this needs to beat that" and stuff.

The bespeak by Velloso is crucial. Windows never really had a primary dev platform (Win32 was shut) because of the open nature of the system. Developers have been porting apps, bringing new languages, emulating, sandboxing, scripting for years. It's what makes Windows not bad.

Nothing has changed regarding UWP, simply how we talk well-nigh it changed years ago

With Microsoft bringing XAML Islands to Win32, or Fluent Design Language to iOS, Android, and the web, it's clear Microsoft wants to be the one-stop programmer house for all developers. The days of app developers being platform-centric are fading away. The hereafter is PWA, Electron, React, or JavaScript — things that UWP are already compatible with.

UWP targets: From "Building UWP apps for Multiple Devices" (Build, 2022)

As announced at Build, these new tools allow developers have existing code from legacy apps and past piecemeal, versus a complete rewrite, improve them using UWP. It gives developers the flexibility to adopt UWP at their own step. As to why developers would want to do this, in that location are legitimate performance improvements in switching to partial-UWP besides as enhancements from XAML Islands (UI elements from UWP that can at present work in Win32 applications).

Why UWP is not dead

Universal Windows Apps are however important

New "Legere" UWP app for Reddit released June, 2022

But are truthful Universal Windows Apps expressionless? No. In fact, they play a critical part in Microsoft's future computing experiences.

Moving away from desktop PCs to HoloLens 2, Surface Hub ii, Windows on ARM, IoT, and Windows Lite these systems are much more dependent on UWA. While Microsoft will let such devices run "classic" Win32 apps — emulated or virtualized — Win32 is by no ways the master dev platform for such systems (I'd argue Win32 is more than is closer to maintenance mode than UWP).

That's where all this "UWP is dead" talk gets foreign as Microsoft is betting huge on holographic computing and things like dual-screen PCs and lighter laptops as part of its future — that's UWP. The thought of people firing up Win32 Adobe PhotoShop in HoloLens or Surface Hub seems quite improbable. That's because Win32 apps are meant for desktop PCs with powerful x86 processors, non ARM, light computing, or holographic experiences.

The very ground of Windows Core OS and Windows Lite is built on UWP equally the primary app layer. Without UWP, Microsoft could only make legacy experiences, not new ones. There is no alternative to it.

TL;DR

Microsoft UWP and what information technology all ways

Since the failure of the Windows 8 tablet strategy followed past the demise of Windows Phone, Microsoft's vision of Universal Windows Apps (UWA) lost a lot of impetus. Combined with programmer distaste to being forced to rewrite apps every bit UWA and non-matured programmer tools Microsoft had begun shifting away from this approach starting back in early 2022.

Every bit desktop and laptop PCs became the focus of attending again, Microsoft opened the Universal Windows Platform to cross-platform tools like Electron, PWA, JavaScript and older systems like Win32. With the announcements at Build 2022, Microsoft is now allowing developers to mix and lucifer differing developer technologies with UWP to meet developers where they are now.

Pure cross-device Windows Apps still play an of import office, specially for future, non-legacy experiences

And then-called "pure" UWAs still take a vital office for Microsoft and developers. These apps serve as the primary app platform for Windows Core Os, Xbox, HoloLens 2, Surface Hub, and IoT. While these areas of calculating still pale in scope to "classic" x86 PCs, Microsoft believes these newer systems will grow in importance, especially with the shift to cloud and ambience computing in the coming years.

PC manufacturers are also now using UWP to deliver customized app experiences, configuration tools, and drivers through the Microsoft Shop, part of Microsoft'south Universal Windows drivers plan.

Nothing has changed in the last year regarding UWP or UWA. Microsoft's failed strategy for tablet and phone is years old, simply the company is adapting to the times. Looking forward towards next-gen computing experiences — versus legacy desktop PCs — UWP still plays a critical part serving as the primary (but not only) app platform for those systems.

UPW is non dead, it's merely one of many tools developers take to bring great apps and games to Windows devices.

Related Reading

• What exactly IS a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app?
• Microsoft will focus on desktops with UWP — hither'southward why you should care
• Agreement Windows Core Os and Microsoft's 'Polaris' for modernistic PCs
• Microsoft's 'Windows Lite' Os, and who will it be for

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Daniel Rubino

Daniel Rubino is the Executive Editor of Windows Central. He has been covering Microsoft here since 2007 back when this site was chosen WMExperts (and later Windows Telephone Central). His interests include Windows, Surface, laptops, and modern computing. Follow him on Twitter: @daniel_rubino.

Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft-uwp-not-dead-evolved

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