The app is live on the Windows Store and has a 8.0 version. If I re-target to Windows Phone 8.1 and publish with new features, will it be available for Windows Phone 8.0 users?
Most of our users are still on 8.0.
The user (OS/Store) downloads the most suitable package of the app. If user has WP8.1 and your app has a 8.1 package, then this will be installed, otherwise 8.0 app package will be downloaded.
From what you have written, you already have a working WP8.0 version of the app, now if you want to add some new features from 8.1 then, once you retarget the app, you have to add new package to your app when you are updating it. Do not replace the old working 8.0 package. Once you have added new package and it has passed certification, all users that have 8.0 version of your app and 8.1 OS version, will be prompted that there is an update available.
What is important:
you can retarget to both 8.1 Silverlight and Runtime (of course the second option needs some more changes and some things to be rewritten),
IsolatedStorage is preserved,
when you retarget to Runtime, you will have to parse IsoalatedStorageSettings from file in LocalStorage.
I've done similar thing with WP8.0 -> WP8.1 Runtime, I also recommend to test it on beta app, so you will be sure how it works.
If you re-target the app to Windows Phone 8.1, it'll be available to only Windows Phone 8.1 users. If you submit such an app to Store, it'll be displayed only in devices running Windows Phone 8.1.
However, you can submit two packages for same app in Windows Phone Store. So while submitting an update for your app, instead of replacing the existing Windows Phone 8.0 package, you can add another package for the Windows Phone 8.1 version which will have new features. The Windows Phone Store will ensure that it shows the correct XAP to correct OS version. This way, Windows Phone 8.1 users will be able take advantage of the new features, while Windows Phone 8.0 users will still be able to access the old app.
Going forward, if you want to support both OS versions, I'll suggest to keep a copy of Windows Phone 8.0 project before re-targeting to Windows Phone 8.1.
Yes, if you just re-target the project! But make sure you aren't using native WP 8.1 features, as they wouldn't work on WP8.
Related
I've got a small app that was built and shipped for Windows Phone 8.0. I need to publish a small update and I'm encountering all sorts of IDE bugs & missing classes/types when upgrading to VS2015/WP8.1 platform.
So, I'd like simply to keep the app at WP 8.0 but:
Question 1: Will this app run on WP 8.1 and Windows 10 phones?
Question 2: Will Microsoft's app store let me publish this update despite target platform being 8.0?
Firstly, Microsoft provides awesome backward compatibility when it comes to running your old OS apps on new devices. As per your question,
Yes, all your apps that were built to target windowsphone 8.0 OS will run successfully with no issues on all latest windows supported MOBILE devices.
I have tested my old Windowsphone 8.0 OS apps on latest windows 10 preview without any issues.
You can easily support your app with new updates based on windowsphone 8.0 OS. You will have no problem submitting your ( .xap ) packages on the new Windows 10 dashboard.
A large portion of windowsphone mobile devices ,the old lumias still don't have windows 10 yet so there is still a market for your apps. You don't have to consider your apps dead just because you belong to an older OS version.
You're encountering these missing types because Windows Phone 8.0 apps are written in Silverlight and Windows Phone 8.1 (on VS 2015) and Windows 10 are Windows Runtime apps. This is a different API, so some types are moved to other namespaces (most likely for small apps) or completely missing.
Your app should still run on WP 8.1/10 devices, although they might not scale perfectly to the newest screen ratios and will miss access to the newest features of these platforms.
For extra help on getting your app packaged and published, check this reply on another SO question.
I've downloaded the Windows Phone 8.1 SDK Update and I'm attempting to make a Windows Phone 8.1 project. I've updated visual studio with the latest patches but the only template options I have for 8.1 is the standard Windows Store apps as seen in the screenshot below:
Windows Store
Any idea how I can get "Windows Phone" to appear with the appropriate OS target?
I think you didn't install everything. Because i've got actually another screenshot. Following this link you must install Visual Studio 2013 Update 2 - everything needed for WP8.1 is there. Also if you wish to develop Windows Store apps (universal or something) you should install Windows 8.1 SDK from here
Look a bit bown in the list on your screenshot. On the same level the 2nd last option is Windows Phone. That should be it.
2008: We don't allow the capability you've specified: ID_CAP_RINGTONE_ADD
I'm submitting a windows phone app (WP8 version) that uses SaveRingtoneTask, and in its WMAppManifest.xml I've specified ID_CAP_RINGTONE_ADD capability, however the error message above still showing
There's WP7.1 version of this app, which I add the assembly reference to this WP8 version, and the SaveRingtoneTask is code is stored in that assembly, does this affect the error above ?
AppPlatformVersion in WMAppManifest.xml already set to "8.0"
Are you creating a Windows Phone 8 app? ID_CAP_RINGTONE_ADD is only available for Windows Phone 8 version.
From this link
In case you haven't you should upgrade the app to Windows Phone 8 by right-clicking the Windows Phone 7.1 project in Visual Studio 2012 and selecting Upgrade to Windows Phone 8. You’ll receive a prompt that cautions you that this upgrade can’t be undone and doesn’t update any referenced projects. You’ll want to make sure that your app is backed up before proceeding. You can also upgrade to Windows Phone 8 by selecting Project Properties, clicking on the Application page, selecting Windows Phone OS 8 from the dropdown list and saving your changes.
I recommend backing up your project before trying this because the changes are not reversible.
Thanks and hope this helps you.
How can I downgrade the target of my project from 8.0 to 7.1?
I tries to set it from project>settings>"Target Windows Phone OS Version" , but in dropdown list there is only one line: "Windows Phone OS 8.0".
Thank you.
That is probably not possible. One thing you can try, set up windows phone 7.0 sdk and try to port your app there from scratch.Yes, i think that's the only way, so create a new project under wp 7.0 and import all of your files there.
SO also tells about it, some suggestions for you that may help:
How to downgrade a Windows Phone 8 app?
Is there any easy way to downgrade an wp OS 8 app to OS 7.1?
I am developing an application in Windows 8.1 Preview release using VS 2013. When i deploy the App package in the Windows 8 PC, it did not run. I have a small question that whether Windows 8.1 developed apps will run in Windows 8 PC. If it needs to run, any other specification suppose to be provided for the apps or PC ?
If you target 8.1 then the app will not run in windows 8. That is because the api of 8.1 is extended and the new features do not exist in windows 8. If you develop in windows 8.1 and you target windows 8. Then the apps will just work out of the box.
For example, windows 8.1 supports new controls. If you target 8.1 you can use those controls, but when you use windows 8, those controls do not exist and thus the application cant run.