Microsoft announces a plan to open the Windows user interface to external developers. Step by step, they will gain more access and input.
Microsoft announces in a GitHub post that it intends to open WinUI 3, the Windows user interface library, to external developers. This will not happen overnight but will follow a plan spread over six months. External developers will gradually gain more input in the development of Windows.
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Openness in Four Steps
Microsoft explains that the open-source plan for WinUI 3 will proceed in four phases. After the release of Windows App SDK 1.8, scheduled for the end of August, the organization will mirror internal changes to the codebase to GitHub more quickly. This should ensure greater transparency.
In the second phase, external developers will be able to clone the repository and compile it locally. Documentation will be available to simplify setting up the environment. In a third phase, external developers may contribute via pull requests and conduct local tests. Microsoft is working on decoupling internal dependencies to make this possible.
The fourth and final phase aims to make GitHub the primary development platform. Internal development tools and platforms will then be phased out. The fourth and final step should be completed in six months.
Technical Limitations
The reason Microsoft is proceeding step by step is related to the security and stability of Windows. Opening the user interface is not just “flipping a switch”, says Microsoft. WinUI has close interaction with “closed” parts of Windows.
Microsoft must separate the usable code from parts that can no longer be publicly shared, such as the operating system kernel. This requires time and careful consideration. Microsoft further emphasizes that the plan must align with broader business objectives. The involved teams are combining this work with other responsibilities within Windows development.
External developers who want to contribute are invited to continue providing feedback, submitting bug reports, and indicating priorities via GitHub. A project board will soon be launched where the community, together with Microsoft, can determine development priorities.