Microsoft’s Project Astoria wconnect tools Leaked

Project Astoria is a set of four new software development toolkits by Microsoft that will make it easy for developers to bring their code for the Web, .NET, Win32, iOS and Android to the Windows Store with minimal code modifications.

This will enable developers to start with an existing code base such as Android or iOS, integrate with the Universal Windows Platform capabilities, and then distribute their new application through the Windows Store.

The Project is currently running as a very limited beta but there are always those who will not stick to confidentiality agreements and leak files and documents before they are ready to be made publicly available.

Yesterday, the official documentation for Project Astoria  was leaked.  Following our policy of not publishing leaks that we feel could be harmful to a company, we ignored it. However, the wconnect tool has now also leaked. The wconnect tool is what is needed to install Android apps on Windows 10 Mobile.

What makes Project Astoria really impressive is that Android apps are not just run in-situ but “can” plug into various components of Windows 10 including notifications and Live Tiles. These are the ‘bridges’ to native functions.

Android developers who follow the process laid out by Microsoft, will be able to deliver Android apps to Windows 10 with the same quality that Windows users expect from the apps they install on their phones.

Astoria Leak

However, the project is not ready and not up to the standard that the final product will bring. In fact, I would go further and say that there is a good chance of messing up your Windows smartphone if you choose to install the leaked files and any other apks you obtain elsewhere.

At Rapid Meta we are cautious about reporting on leaks and have to make a decision of whether a leak is in the interests of users and/or whether it could be harmful to a company. In many cases the leaked information could be construed as theft and as a reputable company, we have no interest in aiding and abetting it.

For that reason, we are not linking to the file nor providing instructions on how to sideload apk files.

As a developer, Project Astoria is an impressive peace of work by Microsoft and developers should hold back and wait until the final version is ready to be released.