If you’ve been managing ARM-based Windows devices, you probably ran into challenges when deploying Win32 apps via Intune. Until recently, there was no clean way to natively target ARM64 architecture, filtering or custom detection logic was often the only way.
That’s changed now. (June 9th, 2025)
For references, the MS Docs: Win32 app management in Microsoft Intune | Microsoft Learn
With the latest update to Microsoft Intune, we can finally select ARM64 as a supported platform during the app creation process. No more hacks. No more filters. Just a clean, built-in option.
Let me show you how I’ve started using this new feature in real-world testing scenarios.
Table of Contents
- Why This Update Matters
- Target Win32 Apps for ARM / ARM64 Devices in Intune
- Packaging ARM-Compatible Win32 Apps
Why This Update Matters
I regularly work with customers who are exploring ARM-based Windows devices. Whether it's for energy efficiency or long battery life, the interest is growing.
To test this new capability myself, I used an ARM-based Windows 11 virtual machine running on my MacBook (Apple Silicon). It’s a great way to simulate deployment scenarios and validate app compatibility before rolling anything out to production.
Sadly, I still don’t own a proper Windows on ARM device, unless we count this VM, which technically lives rent-free on my MacBook. But hey, it gets the job done!
Target Win32 Apps for ARM / ARM64 Devices in Intune
Here’s how to do it using the new Operating system architecture option.
More on Win32 Apps: Create Win32 App / .intunewin | scloud
Creating a Win32 App
In the Intune admin center, go to:
Apps > All apps > + Add > App type: Windows app (Win32)
Upload your .intunewin file and proceed through the wizard.
Set Architecture in Requirements
When you reach the Requirements step, you’ll notice a new setting:
- Operating system architecture
Select ARM64 to target only devices running Windows on ARM processors.
This replaces the need for assignment filters or architecture-specific dynamic groups.
What If You Need a Specific OS Version?
Some apps (or their features) require a minimum OS version (e.g., 24H2 or later). Unfortunately, the built-in OS version dropdown in Intune often lags behind and doesn't list the very latest Windows builds.
When that's the case, I add an extra custom requirement rule based on the registry.
Here’s how I do it:
- Path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion - Value name:
DisplayVersion - Data type: String
- Operator: Equals
- Value:
24H2(or whatever version you need)
This lets you ensure the app only installs on specific Windows releases, critical if the app depends on features only available in newer builds.
Complete App Setup
Continue through the wizard:
- Define detection logic
- Assign the app to a group
- Review and create
Once deployed, the app installs only on devices that meet the ARM64 requirement.
Packaging ARM-Compatible Win32 Apps
Targeting ARM64 is one thing, running apps successfully is another.
Be sure that:
- The app has native ARM64 support, or
- It works well under x64 emulation (Windows 11 ARM now handles this better than ever)
I packaged my apps using the PowerShell App Deployment Toolkit and validated deployment behavior in the ARM VM running on my MacBook. It’s a quick and repeatable way to test deployments without relying on physical ARM hardware.
