Microsoft adopts Google's Dual-screen Windows Manager for the Surface Duo

On Microsoft’s Developer Blog the company has announced that it is adding support for Google’s Jetpack Windows Manager to the Surface Duo.

This would allow developers to code to a cross-device API which would work as well on the Surface Duo as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip.

The move was enabled by  Google adding support for dual-screens to the  Jetpack Windows Manager, targeting foldable devices.

Developers using the API will now be able to recognize two elements of a folding screen: its display features and the device state.

The display features API will let developers know about any disruptions in the continuous screen surface, for examples folds, hinges, curved areas, or cutouts, and adapt their app layout to avoid these.

The Device state API would let developers detect the state of hinge hardware such as closed, partially opened, fully opened (flat surface), or flipped.

The Microsoft Surface Duo SDK of course already provides this information, but switching to Google’s API would allow apps to be more universal.

Microsoft says developers building Surface Duo apps today have a choice to continue to use the Microsoft Surface Duo SDK which is ready for deployment or decide on a migration strategy to the Foldables Jetpack library provided by Google which is now only in its Preview/Alpha state or switch later when it is fully completed.

Read more about the options at Microsoft here.