Microsoft Store: More apps, more open
In June, we introduced the new Microsoft Store on Windows, redesigned from the ground up to meet the needs of customers across a variety of app experiences. We also opened up the Microsoft Store on Windows to developers using different types of frameworks, packaging technologies, and commerce platforms – in alignment with our commitment to choice, fairness, and innovation.
The new Microsoft Store will launch to the public alongside Windows 11 on October 5th. It will also be available to Windows 10 customers in the coming months.
As we continue our journey, we are grateful for the response from the app developer ecosystem, and we will continue to listen to their feedback. Today, we would like to recognize some of the new apps that are now available in the Microsoft Store and share some updates to our policies for third-party stores.
Opening to more apps
Developers told us they love not having to re-write their existing desktop apps or change their business models in order to be part of the Microsoft Store on Windows. Since June, hundreds of app developers have registered to our preview program to bring their desktop apps onboard. An initial wave of new desktop apps that you can try today includes communication platforms like Discord, Zoom Cloud Meetings, and KakaoTalk, and creativity-focused tools such as Luminar AI, Music Maker, and VLC. Desktop productivity applications, like TeamViewer, Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, and LibreOffice, are also available for download and are joined by new additions from inside Microsoft, like Microsoft PowerToys, Visual Studio Code, and Visual Studio Community.
Furthermore, several high-quality Progressive Web Apps (PWA) are also now available in the Microsoft Store on Windows, including Reddit, Wikipedia, TikTok, Lyft, Quizlet and Tumblr. PWAs on Windows allow developers to bring the best of their web experiences even closer to their customers, for example by easy access in the taskbar or Start menu, icon notification badging, or matching the user preference on light/dark theme mode. Clipchamp, available for free on the Microsoft Store, is a video editor with a deep feature set and seamless web-sharing workflow. Now part of the Microsoft family, Clipchamp is a great example of what Windows developers can deliver using PWA as a foundation.
Opening to other stores
Our commitment to being an ‘open Store for an open platform’ isn’t just about the various technical underpinnings of how apps are built. It’s also about making sure our business terms are fair and help promote innovation. For instance, the Microsoft Store on Windows no longer requires app developers to share revenue with Microsoft, when apps manage their own in-app payment systems.
In that spirit, today we’re announcing another significant update to our Microsoft Store on Windows policies, which will allow third-party storefront apps to be discoverable in the Microsoft Store on Windows. Just like any other app, third-party storefront apps will have a product detail page that can be found via search or by browsing – so that users can easily find and install it with the same confidence as any other app in the Microsoft Store on Windows. Today, we are sharing that Amazon and Epic Games will bring their storefront apps to the Microsoft Store over the next few months, and we look forward to welcoming other stores as well in the future.
As we shared back in August, we’re excited about the journey we’re on to bring Android apps and games to Windows 11, including the ability to discover and search the Amazon Appstore catalog directly in the Microsoft Store. This will start as a preview for Windows Insiders soon; we will share soon more details about the system requirements and market availability of the preview experience, and we look forward to the engagement and feedback with the Windows Insiders community.
Opening to other browsers
In June, we updated our policies for browser apps, enabling developers to bring their own browser engines (instead of relying on the OS’ web platform) and continue to innovate with their user experience. Today we are welcoming two browsers, joining Microsoft Edge in the Microsoft Store on Windows: Opera and Yandex Browser.
Opening to your apps
Our journey has just started, and we look forward to continuing to work together with the developer ecosystem to deliver even more great experiences for the Microsoft Store on Windows. You can learn how to publish your app to the new Microsoft Store on Windows here, as well as catch the latest docs and best practices to reach new customers.
Source: Microsoft Store: More apps, more open
