Earlier this year at its Build conference, Microsoft indicated that it would soon enable mobile app developers to easily port their iOS and Android apps to Windows 10, but it looks like that may no longer be the case with Android, at least in the near term.
While things are still in place on the iOS side of things, the Android plans have taken a back seat. According to reports, Microsoft originally considered only doing this with iOS in the first place, but figured they could get more developers on board by offering both paths.
The idea with both is that Microsoft provides tools that enable developers a way to port their existing apps over to the company’s operating system with minimal changes required. That way Windows actually has apps that people want to use.
According to The Verge, Microsoft has “pulled back on dedicating employees” to the Android component of this plan. The publication notes that the developer forums for Microsoft’s Project Astoria (for Android app porting) have gone quiet, and shares this official statement from Microsoft:
“We’re committed to offering developers many options to bring their apps to the Windows Platform, including bridges available now for Web and iOS, and soon Win32. The Astoria bridge is not ready yet, but other tools offer great options for developers. For example, the iOS bridge enables developers to write a native Windows Universal app which calls UWP APIs directly from Objective-C, and to mix and match UWP and iOS concepts such as XAML and UIKit. Developers can write apps that run on all Windows 10 devices and take advantage of native Windows features easily. We’re grateful to the feedback from the development community and look forward to supporting them as they develop apps for Windows 10.”
To make a long story short, it’s possible that Microsoft will still offer Android app porting eventually. The company won’t come right out and say that it won’t, but if you’re looking to get an existing app on Windows, you’re going to have more luck with an iOS app.
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