Add MSIX packaging and Microsoft Store distribution for the windows app
Sam
Please add a signed MSIX/MSIXBundle build of Heidi Desktop, alongside the existing EXE/MSI installers, and use it for Microsoft Store distribution.
This would be particularly valuable for Heidi because many clinicians use managed organisational PCs where they cannot install arbitrary downloaded applications or do not have administrator rights.
MSIX would provide:
- Microsoft Store installation and seamless automatic updates
- A signed package that organisations can deploy directly through Intune, Configuration Manager or similar management systems
- Silent IT-managed installation without requiring clinicians to have local administrator rights
- Easier application allowlisting using Heidi's publisher/package identity rather than changing executable hashes
- Cleaner installation, updating and removal
- A standard package that IT teams can deploy without having to build/repackage their own Heidi installer
- Direct organisational deployment even where the Microsoft Store is disabled
Ideally Heidi would provide the signed MSIX/MSIXBundle as a direct download as well as through the Store, optionally with an .appinstaller feed so directly installed copies can also update automatically without an organisation having to create and maintain its own update package.
The existing EXE/MSI installers should remain available for compatibility.
The goal is essentially to provide a first-class, Windows-native deployment and an easy seamless update path for both individual users and managed healthcare environments.
Sam
Just adding a bit more context on why I think this should be fairly achievable:
If Heidi is using Tauri for the Windows app, Microsoft now has a documented pathway for packaging Tauri apps as MSIX. So this appears to be something that could be added alongside the existing Windows build rather than requiring a rewrite of the desktop app.
The main benefit would be giving organisations an official, signed Heidi package they can deploy directly, rather than each IT department having to wrap or repackage the current installer themselves.
That would be particularly useful in healthcare environments where users often don't have admin rights, the Microsoft Store may be disabled, and software has to be distributed through Intune or another managed application catalogue.
A directly downloadable signed MSIX would therefore be useful even independently of the Store listing. If paired with an .appinstaller feed, it could also give directly installed copies a much cleaner automatic update path.
The existing MSI/EXE installers could stay exactly as they are for compatibility.
From what I can see, the main work would just be packaging and testing the desktop-specific features such as audio capture, Dictate/global shortcuts, background behaviour, authentication/deep links and Heidi Remote.