DeviceCapability (package schema for Windows 8)

Article
09/20/2021

Declares a device capability required by a package.

Element hierarchy

<Capabilities>: <DeviceCapability>

Syntax

<DeviceCapability Name = A string between 1 and 50 characters in length or a GUID in the form xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx. />

Attributes and Elements

Attributes

Attribute	Description	Data type	Required	Default value
Name	The name of the device capability, either specified as a friendly name or a device interface class GUID.	A string between 1 and 50 characters in length or a GUID in the form xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx.	Yes

Child Elements

None.

Parent Elements

Parent Element	Description
Capabilities	Declares the access to protected user resources that the package requires.

Remarks

If the Name attribute is specified as a GUID, then it is validated as GUID.

By default, UWP apps have access to print, scanner, and sensor devices. To access other types of devices, you must specify them using a DeviceCapability element. Some device capabilities must be added to the package manifest manually. For more info, see How to specify device capabilities in a package manifest.

For more info about capability declarations, see App capability declarations.

Some device capabilities require child elements. This table lists device capabilities by name or GUID and specifies if any child elements are required.

Device capability	Description
bluetooth.genericAttributeProfile	Provides access to APIs in the Windows.Devices.Bluetooth.GenericAttributeProfile namespace. This capability requires child elements. For more info, see How to specify device capabilities for Bluetooth.
bluetooth.rfcomm	Provides access to APIs in the Windows.Devices.Bluetooth.Rfcomm namespace. This capability requires child elements. For more info, see How to specify device capabilities for Bluetooth.
humaninterfacedevice	Provides access to APIs in the Windows.Devices.HumanInterfaceDevice namespace. This capability requires child elements. For more info, see How to specify device capabilities for HID.
location	Provides access to the user's current location.
microphone	Provides access to the microphone's audio feed.
pointOfService	Provides access to Point of Service (POS) barcode scanners and magnetic stripe readers, via the Windows.Devices.PointOfService namespace. These APIs are not supported on Windows Phone.
proximity	Required for near-field communication (NFC) between devices in close proximity. Near-field proximity may be used to send files or connect with an app on a proximate device.
serialcommunication	Provides access to APIs in the Windows.Devices.SerialCommunication namespace. For more information about defining this capability in the manifest, see the Windows.Devices.SerialCommunication namespace page.
usb	Provides access to APIs in the Windows.Devices.Usb namespace. This capability requires child elements. For more info, see Updating the app manifest package for a USB device.
webcam	Provides access to the camera's video feed.
Other devices (represented by GUIDs)	Includes specialized devices and Windows Portable Devices.

Examples

Here's an example of aCapabilities node. For more examples, see How to specify device capabilities in a package manifest.

<Capabilities>
  <Capability Name="internetClient"/>
  <Capability Name="musicLibrary"/>
  <Capability Name="videosLibrary"/>
  <DeviceCapability Name="microphone"/>
  <DeviceCapability Name="webcam"/>
</Capabilities>

Requirements

	Value
Namespace	`http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/2010/manifest`