Windows 10 gets support for ported Android and iOS applications
Windows 10 users will be given the option to run both Android and iOS applications. The software can be easily ported to make it suitable for Windows, according to Microsoft. 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 “re-used” to make it a universal Windows 10 app. Microsoft states that ‘almost all’ used code can be used, which means that few modifications are necessary. An Android runtime is installed to run Android apps on Windows mobiles. Then Windows smartphones can install Android apps, even without having 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 to 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 should 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 persuade web developers to convert their websites into a universal Windows app, which 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 convince developers to convert their existing software for use on Windows 10. This should significantly increase the software offer on the operating system.
There had been rumors 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 officially release anything about its plans.