Access to this page requires authorization. You can try signing in or changing directories . Access to this page requires authorization. You can try changing directories . Some modern Windows experiences require your app to have package identity at runtime (in other words, your app needs to be packaged ). Those experiences include certain Windows features, certain Windows Runtime APIs, package extensions, and UWP components. Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps receive package identity by default because they're distributed in Windows app packages ( .msix or legacy .appx ). Other types of Windows apps, including WPF apps, can also be deployed via MSIX packages to obtain package identity. Apps packaged with external location also have package identity on Windows 10, version 2004 (build 19041), or later. For more info about these terms, see Packaging overview . Only packaged apps (including apps packaged with external location) have package identity at runtime. If your app has package identity, then you can use the following features in your app. Push notifications require package identity for background delivery and COM activation, which are needed in most production push notification scenarios. The Windows App SDK app notifications APIs (local app notifications) work in both packaged and unpackaged apps and do not require package identity. For more info, see App notifications quickstart . Integrate with package extensions If your app needs to integrate with the system (for example, establish firewall rules), then describe those things in the package manifest of your app, and the system will do the rest. For most of these tasks, you won't have to write any code at all. With a bit of XML in the manifest, you can do things such as: start a process when the user logs on; integrate your app into File Explorer; and add your app a list of print targets that appear in other apps. For more info, see Integrate your desktop app with package extensions . Get activation info for packaged apps Starting in Windows 10, version 1809, packaged apps can retrieve certain kinds of activation info during startup. For example, you can get info related to app activation from opening a file, from clicking an interactive toast, or from using a protocol.

For more info, see Get activation info for packaged apps . Use the Windows App SDK in an existing project You can use the Windows App SDK to add modern Windows features—such as WinUI 3 controls, push notifications, and app lifecycle management—to your existing Win32 or .NET desktop app without requiring a full rewrite. For more information, see Add Windows App SDK features to your existing project . If you package your app in an MSIX package, then it's very easy to distribute it by publishing it to the Microsoft Store, or by sideloading it onto systems. For more info, see Package and deploy your app . Windows developer Was this page helpful? Need help with this topic? Want to try using Ask Learn to clarify or guide you through this topic? Additional resources Last updated on 2026-08-17