Terry Myerson
Microsoft’s Terry Myerson at Build

Microsoft is making a big move to get existing Android and iOS developers making Windows apps, announcing this morning that code from the rival platforms can be reused to easily build software for Microsoft-powered devices.

Speaking at the company’s Build developer conference in San Francisco, Microsoft operating systems chief Terry Myerson announced that Windows Phones will include an Android subsystem that lets developers reuse all of the Java and C++ code from an Android phone app to create apps for phones running Windows 10.

“An app can be written that takes advantage of the Android code but also the extensions you would write in the Windows platform to really delight the Windows user,” he said.

Related Coverage: Live from Microsoft’s Build developer conference

In addition, Myerson announced that developers will be able to compile Objective C code from Apple iOS apps inside Visual Studio on Windows, allowing them to leverage that code to create Windows apps.

Aiming to show the effectiveness of bringing the code over to Windows, Myerson revealed that King Digital Entertainment already has the technology to bring Candy Crush Saga to Windows Phone.

Lest anyone think Microsoft has lost its competitive zeal, Myerson took a jab at Apple by showing how to use Visual Studio to highlight all the “weirdness” in Objective C. Later, he showed how the resulting app gave a user an Xbox Live achievement by subtracting all the apples from the screen.

Related: Microsoft’s new goal: 1 billion Windows 10 devices within 2 to 3 years

Like what you're reading? Subscribe to GeekWire's free newsletters to catch every headline

Job Listings on GeekWork

Find more jobs on GeekWork. Employers, post a job here.