Microsoft UWP Map Control Retirement on Nov 30, OnTerra Builds Replacement

DENVER, Nov. 09, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Microsoft will retire the backend services powering the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) Map Control and Windows Maps APIs on November 30, 2026. OnTerra Systems, a Denver-based web mapping and geospatial development firm and Microsoft partner since 2005, has already built a replacement. The OnTerra UWP Map Control Replacement Package swaps the UWP Map Control for an Azure Maps-based control with minimal changes to the rest of the application, allowing businesses and government agencies to keep their Windows desktop and tablet applications with maps working well after the deadline.

The retirement is part of Microsoft’s broader transition away from Bing Maps for Enterprise, which was first announced in May 2024. Microsoft deprecated the UWP Map Control in April 2025. The UWP Map Control and Windows Maps APIs have continued to function since then, but no longer receive updates. On November 30, 2026, the services behind these controls will stop working entirely, and applications that still depend on them will no longer be able to display maps, search for addresses, or calculate routes.

It’s how crews get to job sites, how drivers run their routes, and how dispatchers make decisions. Microsoft doesn’t offer a drop-in replacement for the UWP Map Control, so OnTerra Systems built one. If your application depends on it, you don’t need to rebuild; there’s a ready-made replacement.”

OnTerra Systems has already built a replacement for the UWP Map Control, which will be available for organizations to use as of today. The package is an off-the-shelf solution that does not require a migration project once the contract is signed. It has been tested in real customer deployments, and installation requires minimal custom development. OnTerra’s step-by-step documentation walks developers through the process, so organizations can be running on the replacement well before November 30, 2026.

The retirement covers the UWP Map Control and its road, aerial, 3D and terrain map styles, Streetside imagery and 3D camera features, Windows Maps services used for geocoding (address search) and routing, and UWP map controls embedded in WPF or Windows Forms applications through XAML Islands. OnTerra can confirm which of these features an application uses and how the replacement package supports them.

The OnTerra UWP Map Control Replacement Package works by taking the place of the retiring control in an existing application. To install the package, developers must follow OnTerra’s step-by-step documentation. They then need to connect an Azure Maps account, configure the map settings the application needs, and test the application to ensure it works as expected. Finally, they can deploy the application to users.

Azure Maps does not include Streetside street-level imagery or Bird’s Eye angled aerial imagery. For applications that rely on those features, OnTerra can add alternative imagery services alongside the package. Organizations that prefer to build their own replacement can use OnTerra’s custom migration services: assessing which mapping features an application uses, migrating them to Azure Maps and alternative services as needed, and filling any gaps, with OnTerra support at every phase.

Organizations using the Bing Maps WPF Control have more time to migrate. The Bing Maps WPF Control will be discontinued as of June 30, 2028. OnTerra Systems also builds replacements for Bing Maps WPF mapping applications.

Those unsure which mapping features their application uses can request an assessment through the same contacts. OnTerra Systems’ full guide to the UWP Map Control retirement is available at www.onterrasystems.com/guide-to-microsoft-uwp-map-control-retirement-and-solutions.