Application Submission Requirements

4.1.1 - List of Package Requirements

The maximum size of the XAP package file is 225 MB.

The XAP package must contain the following:

• A valid Windows Phone application manifest file, named WMAppManifest.xml. For more information, see the Application Manifest File for Windows Phone topic.

• The <Title> element in the WMAppManifest.xml file must contain the application title. The <Title> element must not be empty. The Application title entered in Step 2 of the submission process to Windows Phone Marketplace and the title displayed on the phone must be the same.

  For more information about setting the application and tile titles, see How to: Set the Initial Properties for the Application Tile for Windows Phone.

• A valid .NET application manifest file, named AppManifest.xml.

• The assembly files as specified in the AppManifest.xml file.

• The small mobile app tile that you want displayed on the phone app list. Games must use the large mobile app tile in place of the small mobile app tile. The small mobile app tile must be a 62 x 62 pixel PNG file.

• The large mobile app tile that you want displayed when the user pins the application to the quick launch area on the phone Start experience. The large mobile app tile must be a 173 x 173 pixel PNG file.

4.1.2 - XAP File Repackaging Process

When you submit the XAP file to Windows Phone Marketplace, the file is decompressed, validated, and repackaged.

Repackaging involves the following steps:

• The Windows Phone application manifest is provisioned with a product identifier for each application.

• The security capabilities are rediscovered and listed in the manifest.

• The phone experience Hub type is set in the Windows Phone manifest (e.g. Music + Videos Hub).

• The Digital Rights Management header file is created and named WMAppPRHeader.xml.

• The original contents of the package, the updated Windows Phone application manifest, and the Digital Rights Management header file are compressed into a new XAP package.

4.2.1

You must develop your application using the documented APIs that are supported on the Windows Phone Application Platform for the OS version that your application is targeting. For more information, see the Class Library Reference for Windows Phone topic.

For more information on new and changed APIs for Windows Phone OS 7.1, and information on application compatibility for the two Windows Phone OS versions, see the Windows Phone OS Application Compatibility section.

4.2.2

The application must not invoke native code via PInvoke or COM interoperability. If it does, it will fail the certification process.

4.2.3

The application must be compiled using retail configuration instead of debug. The application must not contain debugging symbols or output.

4.2.4

The application must not redistribute the Windows Phone assemblies. However, you can re-distribute panorama, pivot, and map assemblies.

4.2.5

The application must not call any APIs in the Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Game assembly or the Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Graphics assembly when using any methods from the System.Windows.Controls namespace.

4.4 Language Validation

An application must be localized in at least one of the supported display languages for Windows Phone. For a full list of supported display languages, see Culture and Language Support for Windows Phone.

A Windows Phone application will fail this requirement if a Neutral Language is not set. For more information on how to localize your application and how to set a Neutral Language, see How to: Build a Localized Application for Windows Phone.

4.5 Windows Phone Marketplace Iconography

For each application, you must submit one icon to represent your application in the Windows Phone Marketplace catalog. This icon must match closely the icon provided in the XAP package. Users see this icon when browsing the application catalog on the phone before making a purchase.

Caution:

Do not use transparent PNG image files for the following phone application icons.

• A small mobile app tile icon (required), used in the phone Windows Phone Marketplace, 99 x 99 pixels in size.

• A large mobile app tile icon (optional), used in the phone Windows Phone Marketplace, 173 x 173 pixels in size.

• A large PC app tile icon (required), used in the phone Windows Phone Marketplace, 200 x 200 pixels in size.

• Background art (optional), used in the Background panorama, 1000 x 800 pixels in size.

1. Locate the iconography files that you plan to submit with your application.

2. Verify that the icons are representative of the application, and match the icons that are present on the device after the XAP package is installed.

3. Verify that all applicable image files are included in the submission, are the right dimensions and are in non-transparent PNG format.

4.6 Application Screenshot

For each application, you must provide at least one or up to a maximum of eight screenshots. Users see these screenshots in the details page of the catalog before they make a purchase.

• Screenshots must only contain application graphics, and must not include any emulator chrome, frame rate counters or debug information.

• You may not graphically enhance your screenshots, except for the addition of informative overlays designated and pre-approved by Microsoft. For more information about these overlays, see this blog post.

• The Details page screenshot must be a 480 x 800 pixel PNG file.

• Screenshots must not be transparent PNG files.

• You must not submit screenshots that are photos of the application while it runs on a phone or on the emulator. Use the built-in emulator screenshot tool to take the screenshots for your application instead.

For more information, including how to use the built-in emulator screenshot tool, see How to: Create Screenshots for Windows Phone Marketplace.

1. Locate the application screenshot files.

2. Verify that each screenshot shows a direct capture of the phone screen or emulator when the application was running.

3. Verify that each screenshot does not contain emulator chrome.

4. Verify that each screenshot is not graphically-enhanced.

5. Verify that each screenshot is 480 x 800 pixels, and is a non-transparent PNG file.

4.7.1 Applicable Application Tile Images

The large and small mobile app tile images must be representative of the application.

1. View the Application list.

2. Verify that the small mobile app tile image is representative of the application.

3. From the Application list, tap and hold the small mobile app tile of your application and select 'pin to start'.

4. Verify that the large mobile tile image on the Start screen is representative of the application.