Skip to main content

Project Reunion is Microsoft’s plan to fix its fragmented Windows app problem

 

Microsoft announced a new platform for Windows apps called Project Reunion at its annual Build developer conference. It’s an attempt to strengthen the Windows 10 app ecosystem, offering a new vision for “unifying and evolving” the Windows developer platform.

Recommended Videos

Currently, the platform has been divided between more modern Universal Windows Platform Apps (UWPs) and legacy Win32 apps (Windows API). This app division has been a controversy for developers ever since UWP was introduced in 2015, as it fragmented features, compatibility, user interface, and more. UWP apps were always meant to be the next step in the evolution, but Microsoft’s inability to convince developers to abandon legacy apps and support the new platform has been a major hurdle.

Microsoft says that for the past few years, it’s been “breaking down the barriers” between its two app platforms. Project Reunion is the culmination of that work. With this new project, Microsoft says it solves the problem by unifying access to existing Win32 and UWP APIs (the underlying layer of apps) and decoupling them from the operating system.

“This will provide a common platform for new apps. Plus, it will help you update and modernize your existing apps with the latest functionality, whether they’re C++, .NET (including WPF, Windows Forms, and UWP) or React Native,” said Microsoft.

For average people downloading apps, it means Microsoft’s developers will have a common and backward-compatible platform for creating new apps. Microsoft says it’ll also help developers update apps through tools like NuGet, the package manager for Microsoft development platforms.

Another big part of Project Reunion will be WinUI 3 Preview 1, a modern, native UI framework for Windows. This will allow developers to code apps to have a modern UI that adapts and scales across devices.

Other projects announced at Build include a preview of WebView2. This preview enables developers to embed a Chromium-based WebView in Windows Forms, UWP, and WinUI 3 apps. For end users, it means cleaner apps, as Microsoft says it “will be decoupled from the OS and will bring the power of the Web to the full spectrum of Windows apps.”

Project Reunion is of utmost importance for the future Windows operating systems. Though Windows 10X hasn’t been discussed at Build, a unified app ecosystem will greatly benefit the success of the new operating system.

Apple has been working on its own app unification problem with Project Catalyst, which helps developers port mobile and iPad apps over to the Mac.

Arif Bacchus
Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…
5 OneNote for Windows 10 replacements worth using in 2025
Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating system logos are displayed on laptop screens.

In an update to its support document, Microsoft plans to reduce the performance of its legacy OneNote app in an attempt to encourage users to use the Windows 11 OneNote app. Windows Latest first spotted the support document, which mentions how Microsoft is transferring features from the legacy (OneNote for Windows 10) app to the latest version.

Microsoft has removed the older version of OneNote from the Microsoft Store, but the software giant promised that the legacy app would not be replaced. You will still have complete control over the app, and Microsoft will not force you to switch. However, the Windows 10 end-of-support date is approaching, and as a result, the OneNote syncing will get slower.

Read more
Microsoft warns users Windows 10 support ends soon, these are your options
Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating system logos are displayed on laptop screens.

Many were hoping that Windows 10 might still get another lease on life, but alas -- that doesn't seem to be the case. Microsoft has just started sending out emails to users who are still running Windows 10, and those emails make it quite clear that the end-of-life (EOL) period of the beloved operating system is coming to an end. Microsoft's advice? Upgrade to Windows 11 ASAP.

Windows Latest received an email from Microsoft, titled: "End of support for Windows -- what you need to know." This message was likely sent out to many more users, and may keep popping into people's mailboxes as Microsoft keeps rolling out the alert.

Read more
Microsoft might make your PC specs easier to understand
A command in the Command Prompt in Windows 11.

Microsoft released another preview build of Windows 11 this week, and someone has noticed an interesting addition to the system settings. There is now a FAQ section beneath the device specifications list, providing handy information about the practical impacts of your specs.

https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:lld3hsasiketetu767uagr6m/post/3lkmdy5p35s2g?ref_src=embed&ref_url=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.theverge.com%252Fnews%252F632327%252Fmicrosoft-windows-11-system-device-specs-recommendations

Read more