The full SDK for the Microsoft Band is now available for developers

By John Callaham
last updated

Microsoft has now released the full version of their SDK tools for the Microsoft Band, allowing Windows, Windows Phone, iOS, and Android app developers to start making full-featured third-party apps for the fitness wearable.

Microsoft released a preview of the SDK tools in February, but it only supported access to a limited number of the Microsoft Band's hardware and features, such as sensors, a way to make custom backgrounds and others. The full version adds these features.

  • Build apps that support Windows.
  • Create your own custom layouts for pages on third-party tiles using icons, text, buttons, and barcodes for payment options.
  • Receive events and button-click callbacks from the Microsoft Band to your phone app. If you press a button on a page inside your tile, your app would know which button was pressed.
  • Connect to the Band from background tasks.
  • Tap into calorie subscription from the Microsoft Band.

The SDK also includes sample code so that developers have some working examples of how to make apps for the Microsoft Band.

Source: Microsoft{.nofollow}, Developer.Microsoftband.com

John Callaham
John Callaham
60 Comments
  • Yass
  • Now just release a sleeker version 2 of this band and I'm in.
  • Agreed. Also, in more countries. Sayyyy Canada.
  • Any news about wider market release?
  • Music control please
  • This⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆
  • Yes!
  • How you put emotion in the comment? :P
  • I believe that's what "emoticons" are for...?? Emotion + icon = emoticon
  • How do you put lack of emotion in a comment❓ That's much harder... Lol.
  • I am sure someone will start on that with the new support for buttons and pages!
  • I've not looked into it yet, but if this is possible somebody will probably do it within the next few days as it's an obvious and needed app :-)
  • joining in on this train, YES
  • I knew someone will come up with a smarter comment than a few who are simply saying bring Band 2 and I'll buy it. Music control will be sick!
  • I just want a little thinner, more water and scratch resistant one. We can ask...
    But music control? Explain a use case because. Only one I can see is if it is contracted to a sonos or something and it saves me steps to phone or hub.
  • I guess if your phone is in your pocket, plugged Into some speakers, or just on the other side of the room
  • Bring Band 2 and I'll buy it... No, really... If it's greatly improved on I'd buy it.
  • cool that has nothing to do with the sdk being released
  • Yeah, but it does have something to do with dudes comment above...
    ......
    Moral of the story... Quit trying to play topic police, and, Really... Who cares.
  • Receive events and button-click callbacks from the Microsoft Band to your phone app makes that possible?  
  • I've not looked In detail yet but I don't think it necessarily will....Your app likely needs to be running to receive the button press event I bet
  • Absolutely.   This and availability are the last show stoppers for me. If music controls come as an update, I'll buy the second generation of the device.
  • Just ask Cortana and shell control the music for you
  • Use Cortana to shuffle music, skip tracks, stop music, play music, and play certain songs/bands.
  • Come on I know I can get so much more potential out of my band
  • That is sick.... I wonder if it includes everything they asked for..
  • yea the band is a little bulkier right now.. looks too big even on average M/S wrist size for Fitbit. Maybe if the bulk was low I wouldnt might buying one. Fitbit Charge HR is the right size and weight for me. But I do understand Band has more sensors so it probably is not a fair comparison.
  • I think Band looks the part. I wear it day and night, except maybe half hour charging a day or sometimes on second day.
  • Same here. Find it very comfy and I've had people comment that it looks good in general too
  • I agree, I love my band and I often forget I have it on. The features it has over rule any flaws it has. I look forward to seeing what the developers can do with it
  • This is exciting, I've been wanting to work with the MSBand, but I don't have one yet, it keeps getting sold out.
  • I was in San Francisco a few weeks ago and they had loads in the Microsoft Store...if you know somebody there they could pick you one up. I waited and got mine when I got back to the Airport in the UK, airports are probably less likely to have sold out if you're travelling anywhere soon
  • Up here in Connecticut, they always have some in stock.
  • Same here... :( It's hard to buy one online. Thought it would be easier now that Target and Best Buy sell em online too, but they're always sold out too...
  • This is great, maybe the fitness app devs will update to allow the Band to be one of the options for BT HR source. Oh, and MS needs to update for auto pause option for exercise using GPS.
  • GPS receiver doesn't detect a foot here and there. Just saying. There are other sensors for detecting movement.
  • It is all GPS, when I am stopped at a light, my "speed" shows 0. This is all that needs to be monitored. Compared to Endomondo which is only using GPS on the phone, my avg speed is 1-3 mph less on the Band due to no Auto Pause.
  • Got an idea for my next band app which I should now be able to implement...if I can find the time that is. Was hoping for the full SDK would be released at Build, so I'm happy
  • I'll buy your app... Start now!
  • If SDK allows it and if you can come up with great looking analog watch face, I will buy your app too...so, go make one now.
  • Custom watch faces....Apple Watch springs to mind...access denied...LOL!   Sorry....could not resist... ;-)   Love the fact the SDK is out, look forward to some creative apps!!!!
  • lol sorry I don't want custom faces, I just want only one analog face. I miss my traditional watch :(
  • I'll be looking forward to seeing what you can develop for this awesome piece of technology
  • Bout time...
  • Now someone should make a tic tac toe game or some other simple game
  • ... And make It multiplayer!
  • I'm hoping for something that would let me put mobile boarding passes on it. Something I've wanted since I got mine on release day :P
  • If it uses a barcode it could work real easy. A lot of boarding cards I've had seem to use QR. I experimented with QR codes on the band with the preview SDK but my Lumia 1020 couldn't scan them at that size so I left that idea, (Could be possible with the new full SDK though)
  • The Starbucks app uses some kind of matrix bar code that uses the whole screen (PDF417 like?), and it looks a lot like the code on printed boarding passes, so it's probably possible that way. Fingers crossed
    (If only I was a couple years further in my cs degree... This might turn into a summer project, though :P )
  • I just want a update to have it work with the last Windows phone 10 update
  • Awesome!
  • so now we can have apps with music and podcast controls ?
  • Noice
  • Time for some public transport apps!! :D
  • Finally we could get those music controls. If it has that, I'm tempting to import myself a Band!
  • great news
  • Looks like Band SDK (Full not Preview) for Android is not yet available. EDITED: Available now! Yay!
  • Does anyone know if the SDK allows an app to pair a Bluetooth HRM and over-ride the Optical HRM for better accuracy?  If so, I' buy that app!
  • ummm, so when is facebook going to add support to the band by adding reply options to the messenger app as well as whatsapp?
  • Am currently using microsoft-band for my app development in android. I need to track my sleep activity in the app without using Microsoft Health Cloud API. In Band SDK, there are certain parameters such as pedometer, heart rate, calories burned and sensor data such as accelerometer and gyroscope can be obtained. Is it possible with Band SDK itself ?