Microsoft unveils Windows App SDK 1.6 with Native AOT Support, Improved Controls, and more

Microsoft has released Windows App SDK 1.6. This latest update brings many new features to the platform, including native Ahead-Of-Time (AOT) support, which can significantly reduce apps’ start time and memory footprint.

The Windows App SDK, in case you’re unfamiliar, is a collection of APIs and tools that are designed to help developers build Windows applications. These apps can be based on WinUI 3, Microsoft’s modern UI framework, or older platforms like WPF and Win32.

One of the headline features of version 1.6 is native AOT support. When publishing an app with Windows App SDK 1.6, developers can choose to compile it to native code, Microsoft says in the official announcement. This can result in startup performance that’s up to 50% faster and a smaller file size.

We’re very excited to bring the powerful capabilities of Native AOT to developers through the Windows App SDK! In our sample Contoso Camera app, we measured a 50% reduction in start time, an ~8x reduction in package size when using a framework package and a ~2x reduction in package size when using Windows App SDK in self-contained mode. While your results might vary, we encourage you to give Native AOT a try if it’s right for your app! 

Another significant change in Windows App SDK 1.6 is that the SDK now consumes the Edge WebView2 SDK as a NuGet package rather than including the components directly. This means apps with WebView2 browsers can be updated independently from the Windows App SDK.

The SDK also introduces new APIs for managing app packages and enhancements to TabView, PipsPager, and RatingControl, three WinUI 3 controls. PipsPager, for example, now supports a mode that wraps around the first and last items, and RatingControl is more customizable than before.

Microsoft says that WinAppSDK 1.6 is fully supported with the latest version of Project Reunion, the company’s initiative to modernize and modularize the Windows developer platform.

Developers can start using the Windows App SDK at the official documentation portal, and the release notes provide a complete list of changes.

In recent news, Microsoft’s native Photos app transitioned to Windows App SDK for enhanced performance and compatibility.