Get Started with Windows App SDK

Overview

The Windows App SDK (Project Reunion) provides a unified set of APIs and tools to build modern Windows apps that run on Windows 10 version 1809 and later. It decouples app development from the underlying OS, allowing you to take advantage of the latest features while maintaining compatibility.

Prerequisites

  • Windows 10 version 1809 (build 17763) or later
  • Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 (or later) with the Desktop development with C++ workload
  • .NET 6.0 SDK (if developing with C#)
  • Windows App SDK 1.3 (or later) runtime installed

Installation

Install the Windows App SDK via the Visual Studio installer or using the NuGet package.

Visual Studio Installer

1. Open Visual Studio Installer
2. Modify your VS2022 installation
3. Under “Individual components”, select “Windows App SDK 1.3”
4. Click Modify

NuGet Package (C# project)

dotnet add package Microsoft.WindowsAppSDK --version 1.3.0

Hello World Sample

Create a new WinUI 3 project and add a simple UI.

Step‑by‑step

  1. Open Visual Studio → Create a new project → Blank App, Packaged (WinUI 3 in Windows App SDK)
  2. Name the project HelloWorld and click Create.
  3. Replace the content of MainWindow.xaml with the following:
<Window
    x:Class="HelloWorld.MainWindow"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
    xmlns:local="using:HelloWorld"
    Title="HelloWorld">
    <Grid Background="{ThemeResource ApplicationPageBackgroundThemeBrush}">
        <TextBlock Text="Hello, Windows App SDK!" 
                   HorizontalAlignment="Center" 
                   VerticalAlignment="Center" 
                   FontSize="24" 
                   FontWeight="Bold"/>
    </Grid>
</Window>

Build and run the project (F5). You should see a window displaying “Hello, Windows App SDK!”.

Next Steps

  • Explore the API reference for UI controls, app lifecycle, and more.
  • Check out the sample repository on GitHub.
  • Learn how to package your app for the Microsoft Store.