Windows 10 will receive support for ported Android and iOS applications
Windows 10 users get the option to run both Android and iOS applications. According to Microsoft, the software can be easily ported to make it suitable for Windows. Furthermore, desktop applications can now be included in the Windows Store.
According to Microsoft, the Java and C++ code used to create an Android application can be “repurposed” to make it a universal Windows 10 app. Microsoft states that ‘almost all’ used code can be deployed, so that few modifications would be necessary. To run Android apps on Windows mobiles, an Android runtime is installed on them. Then Windows smartphones can install Android apps even without the need to modify them.
Not only Android developers can easily port their software. According to Microsoft, iOS developers can port their used Objective C code to a universal app for Windows 10. To make the conversion process as easy as possible, Microsoft has developed APIs that should replace Google’s and Apple’s tools. Converted applications can also take advantage of Windows-specific functionality, such as Live Tiles, Cortana, and Xbox Live.
Furthermore, ‘old’ desktop applications based on .NET and Win32 must also be easy to convert to a Windows app. Incidentally, desktop applications can now also be included in the Windows Store, without having to convert them first. These desktop apps then run via virtualization and separately from the rest of the system. Finally, Microsoft wants to encourage web developers to convert their websites into a universal Windows app that can be placed in the Windows Store.
SDKs are made available for converting software made for Android, iOS, web or desktop. With this, Microsoft hopes to persuade developers to convert their existing software for use on Windows 10. This should significantly increase the software offerings on the operating system.
It had been rumored for months that Microsoft was working on integrating mobile apps from other platforms. For example, it was discovered that the company was working on Android support. Previously, however, Microsoft did not want to officially release anything about its plans.