Top Tips and Shortcuts for Character Map UWP Power Users

Character Map UWP vs Traditional Character Map: Which Is Better?

Overview

• Character Map UWP: Modern Windows Store app (Universal Windows Platform). Touch-friendly, uses Fluent UI, supports high-DPI, sandboxed deployment, automatic updates via Microsoft Store.
• Traditional Character Map: Legacy Win32 desktop app (charmap.exe). Lightweight, fast, predictable, available on all Windows versions without Store.

Key differences

• Interface & usability

  • UWP: Cleaner, touch-optimized, resizable with modern controls.
  • Traditional: Minimal, no-frills grid view; familiar to long-time users.

• Font and character support

  • Both show Unicode characters available in installed fonts. Traditional can feel more direct for fonts with extensive glyph sets; UWP often provides better search/filtering and previews.

• Search & navigation

  • UWP: Typically better search, filtering, and browsing by Unicode blocks.
  • Traditional: Basic search by character code or name; navigation by font and block dropdowns.

• Copying & insertion

  • Both let you select characters and copy to clipboard. UWP may include additional copy formats (e.g., HTML or Unicode code point) depending on the app version.

• Performance & resource use

  • Traditional: Extremely lightweight, starts instantly.
  • UWP: Slightly heavier but still responsive on modern machines.

• Compatibility & availability

  • Traditional: Included in all Windows installs (no Store required).
  • UWP: Requires Microsoft Store or sideloading; may not be available on older Windows editions or restricted environments.

• Security & updates

  • UWP: Sandboxed, gets automatic Store updates.
  • Traditional: No automatic updates; part of OS updates.

• Accessibility

  • UWP: Generally better high-DPI, touch, and screen-reader support.
  • Traditional: Works well with keyboard and legacy assistive tech.

Which should you choose?

• Choose