Microsoft Store
Microsoft Store (previously Windows Store) is an app store for Microsoft Windows, Windows Server and Xbox OS. It was first made for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 to make adding new programs easier for the users. When Windows 10 was released, Microsoft put Xbox Store, Windows Marketplace, Xbox Music, Xbox Video, and the Windows phone store all in one program they called Microsoft Store.
In 2015, there were more than 670,000 different programs on Microsoft Store. The biggest groups of programs were Games and Entertainment. Before a program is added to the Microsoft Store, it must pass security, content, and compatibility checks.
History
[change | change source]The Web-based storefront
[change | change source]Microsoft previously maintained a similar digital distribution system for software known as Windows Marketplace, which allowed customers to purchase software online. The marketplace tracked product keys and licenses, allowing users to retrieve their purchases when switching computers.[1] Windows Marketplace was discontinued in November 2008.[2] At this point, Microsoft opened a Web-based storefront called "Microsoft Store".[3]
Windows 8
[change | change source]Microsoft first announced Windows Store, a digital distribution service for Windows at its presentation during the Build developer conference on September 13, 2011.[4] Further details announced during the conference revealed that the store would be able to hold listings for both certified traditional Windows apps, as well as what were called "Metro-style apps" at the time: tightly-sandboxed software based on Microsoft design guidelines that are constantly monitored for quality and compliance. For consumers, Windows Store is intended to be the only way to obtain Metro-style apps.[5][6] While announced alongside the "Developer Preview" release of Windows 8, Windows Store itself did not become available until the "Consumer Preview", released in February 2012.[7][8]
Updates to apps published on the store after July 1, 2023, won't be available to all Windows 8 RTM users except Windows Embedded 8 Standard users. Per Microsoft lifecycle policies, Windows 8 reached the end of mainstream support on January 9, 2018 and will reach the end of extended support on January 10, 2023. The mainstream support for Windows Embedded 8 Standard ended on July 10, 2018 and will reach the end of extended support on July 11, 2023.
Windows 8.1
[change | change source]An updated version of Windows Store was introduced in Windows 8.1. Its home page was remodeled to display apps in focused categories (such as popular, recommended, top free and paid, and special offers) with expanded details, while the ability for apps to automatically update was also added.[9] Windows 8.1 Update also introduced other notable presentation changes, including increasing the top app lists to return 1000 apps instead of 100 apps, a "picks for you" section, and changing the default sorting for reviews to be by "most popular".
Updates to apps published on the Store after July 1, 2023, are no longer available to Windows 8.1. Per Microsoft lifecycle policies, Windows 8.1 reached the end of mainstream support on January 9, 2018 and will reach the end of extended support on January 10, 2023.
Windows RT
[change | change source]The installation of apps and games from the Windows Store is the only way to get apps on Windows RT, a mobile version of Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 designed to run on tablets. Normal apps such as Google Chrome, world's most popular web browser can't be installed through any web browser on the Internet for Windows RT, even through Internet Explorer, which is a built in web browser in Windows RT, and also in Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 and earlier.
Windows 10
[change | change source]Windows 10 was released with an updated version of the Windows Store, which merged Microsoft's other distribution platforms (Windows Marketplace, Windows Phone Store, Xbox Video and Xbox Music) into a unified store front for Windows 10 on all platforms, offering apps, games, music, film, TV series,[10][11] themes,[12] and ebooks.[13] In June 2017, Spotify became available in the Windows Store.[14][15]
In September 2017, Microsoft began to re-brand Windows Store as Microsoft Store, with a new icon carrying the Microsoft logo.[16] Xbox Store was merged into this new version of the platform.[17] This is in line with Microsoft's platform convergence strategy on all Windows 10-based operating systems.
Web apps and traditional desktop software can be packaged for distribution on Windows Store. Desktop software distributed through Windows Store are packaged using the App-V system to allow sandboxing.[18][19]
In February 2018, Microsoft announced that Progressive Web Apps would begin to be available in the Microsoft Store, and Microsoft would automatically add selected quality progressive web apps through the Bing crawler or allow developers to submit Progressive Web Apps to the Microsoft Store.[20][21]
Starting from Windows 10 version 1803, fonts can be downloaded and installed from the Microsoft Store.[22]
Windows 11
[change | change source]In Windows 11, Microsoft Store received an updated user interface, and a new pop-up designed to handle installation links from websites. Microsoft also announced a number of changes to its policies for application submissions to improve flexibility and make the store more "open", including supporting "any kind of app, regardless of app framework and packaging technology", and the ability for developers to freely use first- or third-party payment platforms (in non-game software only)[23] rather than those provided by Microsoft.[24][25][26]
Windows Server
[change | change source]Windows Store is available in Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 but is not installed by default.[27] It's unavailable in Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019. However, UWP apps can be acquired from Microsoft Store for Business (formerly Windows Store for Business) and installed through sideloading.[28][29]
Programmer tools
[change | change source]Microsoft Store provides developer (people who write programs) tools for tracking apps in the store. They can track downloads, the money they make, if the program doesn't work, and ratings.[30]
Most liked apps
[change | change source]These are the most liked apps and games on the Microsoft Store on Mobile and PC.
| Rank | Apps | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | iTunes | Candy Crush Soda Saga |
| 2 | Spotify | Hidden City: Hidden Object Adventure |
| 3 | Netflix | Caesars Casino |
| 4 | Roblox | |
| 5 | Messenger | Minecraft for Windows 10 |
| 6 | Asphalt 9: Legends | |
| 7 | Microsoft Sticky Notes | March of Empires: War of Lords |
| 8 | Hulu | Candy Crush Saga |
| 9 | Whatsapp Desktop | Microsoft Solitaire Collection |
| 10 | Pandora | Seekers Notes: Hidden Mystery |
| 11 | Slack | House of Fun Slots Casino |
| 12 | Microsoft OneNote | Slotomani- Free Casino Slots |
| 13 | Adobe Photoshop Express | Sniper Fury |
| 14 | Honey | Disney Magic Kingdoms |
| 15 | VLC | Asphalt 8: Airborne |
| 16 | TED | Forza Horizon 4 Ultimate Edition |
| 17 | Readtit | Age of Empires:Definitive Edition |
| 18 | Sway | Gear of War 4 |
| 19 | Picart | The Walking Dead: Season 1 |
| 20 | Farming Simulator 18 | |
| 21 | Power Director 9 | Stat Of Decay 2: Ultimate Edition |
| 22 | Affinity photo | Minecraft Story Mode: Season Two |
| 23 | Affinity Designer | Demon Hinter 2: New Chapter |
| 24 | Mixer Go | Euro Truck Simulator 2017 Pro |
| 25 | TikTok | ReCore |
| 26 | Kodi | Bonfire Stories: The Faceless Gravedigger |
| 27 | Plex | Assassin's Creed Pirates |
| 28 | Hotspot Shield | Wenjia |
| 29 | Share.it | Stronghold Kingdoms: Castle Sim |
| 30 | Bigo Live | Instnt War |
| 31 | Linkedln | Phantom Trigger |
| 32 | We Chat for Window | StarTraders:Frontiers |
| 33 | Office Lens | Asphalt 9: Legends |
| 34 | Sniper Fury | |
| 35 | Samsung Flow | Hill Climb Racing |
| 36 | Cricbuzz | Traffic Rider 3D |
| 37 | Saavn Music and Radio | OverKill 3 |
| 38 | SoundCloud | |
| 39 | Dailymotion | PUBG |
| 40 | Evernote | Ludo King |
| 41 | Cooking Fever | |
| 42 | LastPass:Free Passward Manager | Dead Rivals - Zombie MMO |
| 43 | Line | CHESS FREE! |
| 44 | Wikipedia | My Talking Tom |
| 45 | Save To Pocket | Iron Blade - Meadieval Legenda RPG |
| 46 | CNN | Word Link |
| 47 | Quora | Gangster - Guns of Boom |
| 48 | Splash | Township |
| 49 | Drawboard PDF | Smash Hit Ball |
| 50 | UC Browser | Dragon Mania Legends |
| 51 | Blender | Sunset Overdrive |
| Rank | Apps | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Candy Crush Saga | |
| 2 | Netflix | Candy Crush Soda Saga |
| 3 | Olympus Rising: Hero Defense | |
| 4 | House of Fun Slots Casino | |
| 5 | Messenger | Township |
| 6 | Facebook (Beta) | Dragon Mania Legends |
| 7 | Free Player for YouTube- Watch and Share | Bingo Blitz - Free Bingo + Slots |
| 8 | Spotify | Seekers Notes®: Hidden Mystery |
| 9 | Messenger (Beta) | Bubble Witch 3 Saga |
| 10 | Pandora | Subway Surfers |
| 11 | Video Player Downloader for YouTube | Knife Hit Pro |
| 12 | Imo Free Video Calls and Text | Hungry Shark Evolution |
| 13 | Viber | World At Arms - Wage War for Your Nation |
| 14 | MyRadar | Jewel legend |
| 15 | Xodo: PDF Reader and | March of Empire: War of Lords |
| 16 | Telegram | Modern Combat 5 |
| 17 | Skype | Angry Birds |
| 18 | Vine | Temple Run 2 |
| 19 | Line | Machinarium |
| 20 | Yummly | Hungry Shark Evolution |
| 21 | Shazam | FIFA 17 Mobile |
| 22 | HULU | Stickman Soccer |
| 23 | VLC | Score! World Goals |
| 24 | Bloomberg | Pool Tour Masters |
| 25 | Pocket Tanks | |
| 26 | Fuse | Sniper Fury |
| 27 | Adobe Photoshop Express | Dredd vs Zombies |
| 28 | Oneshot | Baseball Riot |
| 29 | LastPass | Flight Control |
| 30 | 8 Zip | Tap The Frog |
| 31 | Uber | Cut the Rope (original + Experiments + 2) |
| 32 | Yelp | Flow Free |
| 33 | Avis | Epic Battle Dude |
| 34 | UC Browser HD | Royal Revolt! |
| 35 | Evernote | Battleloot Adventure |
| 36 | eBay | Rainbow Tangle |
| 37 | Amazon Store | Chess By Post |
| 38 | Adobe Reader | Subway Surfers |
| 39 | Instanote | Spider-Man Unlimited |
| 40 | One Drive | Sonic Dash |
| 41 | Office Lens | Rail Rush |
| 42 | Slack (Beta) | Despicable Me: Minion Rush |
| 43 | Readit | Battery Guy |
| 44 | TED | Crimson Dragon: Side Story |
| 45 | IMDb | Air Soccer Fever Pro |
| 46 | Groove Music | Zombie Anarchy |
| 47 | OneNote | Rainbow Tangle |
| 48 | Edmodo | Final Fantasy |
| 49 | Kahoot! | Age of Cavemen |
| 50 | PicsArt | Age of Empires: Castle Siege |
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Microsoft Adds Digital Locker To Windows Marketplace". CRN. The Channel Company. August 28, 2006. Retrieved October 26, 2012.
- ↑ Leonhard, Woody (July 6, 2010). "What do we really know about Windows 8?". InfoWorld. IDG. Retrieved October 26, 2012.
- ↑ Chandran, Chakkaradeep (December 12, 2008). "Microsoft: Closing your digital locker account". Neowin. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
- ↑ "Keynote #1 | BUILD2011 | Channel 9". Channel 9. September 13, 2011. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
- ↑ "Microsoft talks Windows Store features, Metro app sandboxing for Windows 8 developers". The Verge. Vox Media. May 17, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
- ↑ Rosoff, Matt. "Here's Everything You Wanted To Know About Microsoft's Upcoming iPad Killers". Business Insider. Archived from the original on January 22, 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ↑ "Windows 8 Developer Preview Available Tonight". PC Magazine. Retrieved May 29, 2013.
- ↑ "13 New Features in Windows 8 Consumer Preview". PC World. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
- ↑ Thurrott, Paul (June 17, 2013). "In Blue: Windows Store 2.0". Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows. Penton. Archived from the original on June 20, 2013. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
- ↑ LeBlanc, Brandon (April 9, 2015). "Delivering a single unified Store experience in Windows 10". Windows Experience Blog. Microsoft.
- ↑ LeBlanc, Brandon (July 6, 2015). "Updates to Entertainment in Windows 10". Windows Experience Blog. Microsoft.
- ↑ Sarkar, Dona (January 12, 2017). "Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 15007 for PC and Mobile". Windows Experience Bog. Microsoft.
- ↑ Sarkar, Dona (January 19, 2017). "Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 15014 for PC and Mobile". Windows Experience Blog. Microsoft.
- ↑ Warren, Tom (2017-06-20). "Spotify is now available in the Windows Store". The Verge. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
- ↑ Cakebread, Caroline. "You can now get Spotify in the Windows Store". Business Insider. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
- ↑ Warren, Tom (September 22, 2017). "Windows Store rebranded to Microsoft Store in Windows 10". The Verge. Vox Media.
- ↑ "Xbox Store rebranding to 'Microsoft Store' on Xbox One". Windows Central. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
- ↑ Peter, Bright (March 3, 2015). "Microsoft's next attempt to fill the Windows 10 app gap: Web app apps". Ars Technica. Condé Nast.
- ↑ Foley, Mary Jo (April 29, 2015). "Here's how Microsoft hopes to get Android and iOS phone apps into its Windows 10 Store". ZDNet. CBS Interactive.
- ↑ "Microsoft is turning Progressive Web Apps into Windows apps". The Verge. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
- ↑ "Welcoming Progressive Web Apps to Microsoft Edge and Windows 10". Microsoft Edge Dev Blog. February 6, 2018. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
- ↑ "Here's what's new in Windows 10 April 2018 Update 18 – Page 18". ZDNet. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
- ↑ Peters, Jay (2021-06-24). "Microsoft will let devs keep every penny their Windows app makes — unless it's a game". The Verge. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
- ↑ Blog, Windows Experience (2021-06-24). "Building a new, open Microsoft Store on Windows 11". Windows Experience Blog. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
- ↑ Warren, Tom (2021-04-29). "Microsoft shakes up PC gaming by reducing Windows store cut to just 12 percent". The Verge. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
- ↑ Hollister, Sean (2021-06-24). "Microsoft reveals the new Microsoft Store for Windows 11, and it has Android apps, too". The Verge. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
- ↑ "Managing Privacy: Windows Store and Resulting Internet Communication". TechNet. Microsoft. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
- ↑ Benisch, Derk (October 4, 2016). "Appreciating the Windows Server 2016 Desktop Experience". Nano Server blog. Microsoft.
- ↑ Savill, John (October 5, 2016). "Get Universal Applications on Windows Server 2016". Windows IT Pro. Penton. Archived from the original on October 6, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
- ↑ "Using the Windows Store Dashboard apps". May 17, 2013.
- ↑ "Most popular games - Microsoft Store". Microsoft Store. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
- ↑ "Most popular apps - Microsoft Store". Microsoft Store. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
- ↑ "Most popular games - Microsoft Store". Microsoft Store. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
- ↑ "Most popular apps - Microsoft Store". Microsoft Store. Retrieved 2018-08-28.