UWP APIs available to a packaged desktop app (Desktop Bridge)

7 minutes to read Contributors
  • Norm Estabrook
  • Michael Satran
  • Mike Jacobs
  • Alexander Koren

Packaged desktop apps can use a wide range of Universal Windows Platform (UWP) APIs, even if they have not fully transitioned to a UWP app. This article lists the available classes your packaged app can use.

Most UWP APIs work well on packaged desktop apps. However, some feature areas are not yet fully tested or currently functioning as intended.

Feature areaDetails
Appointments, contacts, and emailsNot all APIs are currently supported for packaged apps.
Authentication and user identityNot all APIs are currently supported for packaged apps.
Background tasksWhile packaged apps can register background tasks, only fully UWP apps can run as a background task. For more information, see the Background task sample on GitHub.
BluetoothNot all APIs are currently supported for packaged apps.
Chat and phone callsPackaged apps cannot run on mobile until they are fully ported to UWP.
Contract activationOnly full UWP apps can be activated by by a contract.
CryptographyNot all APIs are currently supported for packaged apps.
GeolocationNot all APIs are currently supported for packaged apps.
File and folder pickersPackaged apps have full file system access and do not need UWP pickers.
MediaNot all APIs are currently supported for packaged apps.
Point of serviceNot all APIs are currently supported for packaged apps.
Smart cardsNot all APIs are currently supported for packaged apps.
PlayReadyNot all APIs are currently supported for packaged apps.
VPNNot all APIs are currently supported for packaged apps.
WalletPackaged apps cannot run on mobile until they are fully ported to UWP.
XAML UIYou cannot add XAML UI to a Win32 app process.

Occasionally, APIs in these areas may appear to function correctly. However, if an API is not explicitly listed as supported, you should avoid using it as it may have unintended side effects or behavior. Support for these APIs may become available in future releases. In the interim, your app should use relevant Win32 or .NET APIs instead.

Some UWP APIs available to full desktop applications are not supported for packaged apps. If your desktop application used UWP APIs before conversion, you should verify those APIs are still supported. For more information, see Windows Runtime APIs for desktop apps.

List of APIs

The following is a full list of UWP APIs supported in packaged apps. You can view APIs newly supported in packaged apps or APIs supported in both packaged apps and desktop applications.

For examples on how to use WinRT APIs, see the Desktop Bridge Samples and Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app samples on GitHub. You can also consult the Building App for Windows blog post Calling Windows 10 APIs From a Desktop Application.

APIs supported in newly packaged apps

APIs supported in both packaged apps and desktop applications