Today, Microsoft started the release of the Windows 10 Creators Update. The update is going to rollout to all users on April 11, but users can manually install the update right now. Microsoft is also releasing the official software development kit (SDK) for the Creators Update. Using the SDK, developers can integrate some of the newest features in the Creators Update on their apps.
Windows 10 Creators Update brings some major new features for developers. Some of the notable new additions in the update include a new Bluetooth LE GATT Server which will allow developers such as Fitbit to integrate notification syncing into their Windows 10 app. Microsoft is also introducing a more powerful set of APIs for the Surface Dial. The company is also making improvements to the visual layer, the Desktop Bridge and it’s also adding support for Android apps to Project Rome, allowing developers to introduce cross-device experiences for Windows 10 devices on their Android apps. And lastly, Microsoft has added some substantial improvements to the Windows Subsystem for Linux, as well as the Windows console itself.
Here is the full list of some of the major new features:
- Enhancements to the visual layer (effects, animations and transitions) and elevation of many effects to the XAML layer with improved controls that make the enhancements easy to bring to apps
- Improvements to ink, including ink analysis and improved recognition, and an ink toolbar with new effects (tilt pencil) and tools (protractor for drawing curves and circles)
- More powerful and flexible APIs for the Surface Dial
- Significant Bluetooth improvements with Bluetooth LE GATT Server, peripheral mode for easier discovery of Windows Devices, and support for loosely coupled Bluetooth devices (those low energy devices that do not have to be explicitly paired)
- Better user engagement via notifications that can now be grouped by app, bind to data and contain in-line controls such as progress bars
- Improvements to the Desktop Bridge to make it easier than ever to bring Win32 apps to Windows 10 and the Windows Store
- The ability to have seamless cross-device experiences with Project Rome and the recently released Android SDK for Project Rome
- More targeted and effective user acquisition via Facebook app install ads with the Windows SDK for Facebook
- Background execution enhancements that enable tasks to do more with increased memory and time
- Enhanced security for apps with the ability to integrate Windows Hello
- Richer app analytics via an updated Dev Portal that enables management of multiple apps and enhanced reporting
- Faster app downloads and updates with the ability to componentize app packages and do streaming installs
- Increased efficiency and flexibility with the new ability in Visual Studio 2017 to run two different SDK versions side by side on the same machine
- Significant improvements to the Windows Console and the Windows Subsystem for Linux enabling many of the most used Linux frameworks, tools and services
- New and natural ways for users to connect and engage with apps using the Cortana Skills Kit
- The ability for game developers to reach new audiences by publishing UWP games on the Xbox via the Xbox Live Creators Program
- Amazing 3D experiences on HoloLens and new mixed reality headsets via the Windows Mixed Reality Platform
If you are a Windows 10 developer, you can download the official SDK for the Creators Update -. Additionally, you can find a full list of new features that are available for developers in the Creators Update -.
