DPIAWARE

DPIaware is a designation used in Windows software to indicate that an application is aware of and handles high-DPI displays. It is commonly declared in the program’s manifest or via platform APIs. The term DPIAware historically referred to a manifest attribute named DPIAware, though modern terminology uses DPI awareness to describe the broader capability.

As displays with greater pixel density became common, Windows introduced DPI scaling to maintain legibility. A DPI-aware application renders its user interface at the intended size and avoids relying solely on OS scaling, which can blur or mis-size controls on high-DPI screens. In Windows, apps can be DPI-unaware (relying on automatic system scaling), DPI-aware, or per-monitor DPI aware (adjusting when moving between monitors with different DPIs).

Implementation typically involves declaring DPI awareness in a manifest, using elements such as dpiAware or similar indicators, and can also involve runtime API calls such as SetProcessDPIAware or SetProcessDpiAwareness, depending on the Windows version. Modern applications often opt into per-monitor DPI awareness to support high-DPI scaling on multiple monitors and to respond to changes in DPI while running.

Impact: For users, DPI-aware applications render more sharply and scale correctly on high-DPI displays, improving readability and consistent sizing of controls. For developers, achieving true DPI awareness may require layout adjustments, vector graphics or scalable assets, and testing across a range of DPI settings and monitor configurations.

See also High DPI, DPI scaling, Per-monitor DPI awareness, Windows application manifests.