11 things to know about the new Microsoft Store on Windows 11
Starting today, Windows 11 users around the world have access to a brand-new Microsoft Store. Let’s explore what’s in store for you!
1 – The best apps and entertainment for your Windows device
Whether you use a desktop PC, a tablet or one of our new Surface devices, the Microsoft Store connects you with experiences that help you do more of what you love. With a newly expanded catalog of apps, games, movies and TV series, the redesigned Microsoft Store is ready for you – with content that’s tested for security, family safety and device compatibility. Here’s some ideas to get started, if you’re using the new Microsoft Store:
- Looking for the latest in entertainment? Stream movies and TV on Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, PlutoTV, Paramount+ or SlingTV.
- Are you a social type? Connect with others using apps like Discord, Reddit, Facebook, Messenger, Zoom Cloud Meetings, Twitter or Telegram.
- Feeling creative? Grab a pen (or just touch) and explore Bamboo Paper, Corel Painter, Concepts or Affinity Designer.
- Ready to work? You will find Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel and PowerPoint in the Microsoft Store, alongside third-party productivity and utility apps like Canva, Acrobat Reader DC, LibreOffice and WinZip.
- Want to customize your PC? Check out popular utilities like PowerToys, Ear Trumpet or Lively Wallpaper.
2 – Built for gaming
Gaming has always been fundamental to Windows, and the new Microsoft Store will connect you to the full diversity of games in our ecosystem. Along with a bevy of casual games (such as Candy Crush Soda Saga and Microsoft Solitaire Collection), and classics like Minecraft, we’ve built a seamless bridge to the Xbox App where gamers will find easy access to community and an extensive selection of more than 100 stellar PC games that are available with Xbox Game Pass – from Microsoft Flight Simulator to Sea of Thieves. In fact, this October kicks off an incredible season for PC gaming, with launches including Age of Empires IV on Oct. 28, Forza Horizon 5 on Nov. 9 and Halo Infinite on Dec. 8. All three games will be available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox Game Pass for PC members on day one. And keeping to Microsoft Store’s mission to connect you with all the experiences that matter, Windows 11 users can also find third-party storefronts, like the Epic Games Store, inside the Microsoft Store.
3 – Faster and easier (and better-looking, too!)
We’ve redesigned the Microsoft Store on Windows 11 from the ground up, paying attention to every detail, and listening to customer feedback. The Microsoft Store is now 35% faster to open and navigate between pages than ever before. It features a new, refined design with animations to smoothly guide you from one page to the next, and subtle lighting effects to show details on spotlights. Product detail pages have also been updated to highlight unique content from each developer, while keeping consistency across content types. And the redesigned library will help you keep track of your installed apps and updates.
4 – New search experience
We’re making improvements to search, to ensure you can find the best experiences from the Microsoft Store on Windows. This includes features like a new search results page that puts the content you seek front and center. We’re also making it easier to filter search results, for example, by setting an age rating or filtering by category. We know search is important, and there’s even more we have planned – we’ll have additional improvements to share with you in the coming months.
Highlighted product cards help customers find the right content.
5 – New Disney+ app, optimized for Windows
The Disney+ PC app for Windows is now available in supported territories. Disney+ is a must-have for streaming all your favorite stories from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and more. In select international markets, it also includes the new general entertainment content brand, Star. With original series and specials, the latest movie releases, classic adventures, documentaries, nostalgic TV shows and so much more, there’s always something new to explore!
Starting later this week, you can easily find your favorite Disney+ movies and series using Microsoft Store’s search feature – here’s a quick look at the experience a Windows 11 user sees when they search for “Dug Days,” a new collection of shorts from Pixar Animation Studios:
Media search with the Disney+ app. Subscription required.
6 – Entertainment widget
Windows 11 includes a great starter set of widgets, including a new entertainment widget to keep you connected to what’s trending in media and the hottest new titles. This is already one of Windows Insiders’ most interacted-with widgets, and we plan to add even more content over the next few months. Here’s what the widget looks like in supported markets:
7 – Editorial stories to help you discover the best apps and games
The Microsoft Store on Windows isn’t just the place to install your favorite apps – it’s a place to get introduced to new experiences you might not even know about yet. Beginning this month, you will see curated stories and app collections to help you get the most out of your Windows PC – and keep you informed on the latest trends and development in Windows apps and gaming.
8 – Pop-up store to help you on the web
The main goal of the Microsoft Store is to always make it easy and convenient for users to install the best Windows software – even when you’re not using the Microsoft Store app itself. Our new pop-up store can help if you’re installing apps directly from a website, too. When you click the new “Get it from Microsoft” badge on a web page, an unobtrusive “mini” version of our store can pop-up to broker the installation, so you know that you’re installing software from a trusted service. If you’re using the new Microsoft Store, you can demo the experience by clicking the badge below.
9 – Integrated with your Windows workflow
One of the many refinements in Windows 11 is how it keeps you connected with relevant apps and experiences from the Microsoft Store. The new “Get Started” app helps elevate the right apps for the moment, including suggested resources from the Store. Windows 11 can also connect you with apps that help with specific workflows – for example, if you’re viewing a photo in the Photos app, you can now easily jump to a more powerful image editor app with just one click. If you like to deeply personalize the look and feel of your desktop, Windows’ settings will connect you to the Microsoft Store to browse and install custom themes for your device.
Quickly jump from Microsoft Photos to photo-editing apps from the Store, such as PicsArt.
10 – Coming soon to Windows 10
The new Microsoft Store is available now on Windows 11, and we’re happy to share that it will be available to Windows 10 customers in the coming months, too! We’ll be sharing more details about that soon.
11 – Open to developers, listening to users
We’ve opened up the Microsoft Store on Windows to developers using different types of frameworks, packaging technologies and commerce platforms – aligning to our commitment to choice, fairness and innovation. For instance, the Microsoft Store on Windows no longer requires app developers to share revenue with Microsoft, when apps manage their own payment systems. If you’re a Windows developer, you can learn how to publish your app to the new Microsoft Store – or if your app is already in the Store, you can get the resources to add the new badges and pop-up store to your website.
We want to recognize and thank the Windows Insider community for sharing their feedback since we started this journey in June — you’ve helped make this product better for all Windows customers. We are excited about the journey we are on, and look forward to bringing Android apps and games from the Amazon Appstore to Windows 11 and the Microsoft Store in partnership with Amazon and Intel; this will start as a preview for Windows Insiders soon.
As Windows 11 rolls out globally, we encourage all users to provide their feedback through Feedback Hub… We’re listening!
Source: 11 things to know about the new Microsoft Store on Windows 11
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