Major changes are coming to the Microsoft Store -- including the ability to update Win32 apps

Using an app store to keep installed apps up to date is something that the likes of Apple’s App Store and Google Play brought to the mainstream, and it eventually moved to the desktop. Until now, the Microsoft Store has been limited in its capabilities, but Microsoft has announced some huge changes.

Perhaps the biggest change is support for updating Win32 apps directly in Microsoft Store, which is something users have been asking for for some time. But there are other changes too, including zero onboarding fees for developers, and an expanded set of Health Report insights.

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Microsoft says that as of June, individual developers will be able to sign up for and publish to the Microsoft Store for free. The company suggests that “this will make Microsoft Store on Windows the first global digital store to waive the fee for publishing apps”.

Also touted is the promise of “elevated distribution reach through App campaigns”:

Developers will be able to run App campaigns to promote their Windows app in the Microsoft Store and other Microsoft products. This will be available on the Microsoft Advertising Platform, currently in open-beta. App campaigns are an effective way to reach new audiences, drive incremental downloads of an app and easily track user actions in the app post-download.

In terms of changes that will be welcomed by users, Microsoft highlights a trio of upcoming updates:

• An expanded set of Health Report insights in Partner Center will give users enhanced visibility into app quality and performance. New health metrics like crash rate, hang rate and affected device counts will help users prioritize failures based onuser impact. Proactive notifications for unusual spikes in failures and the ability to compare quality metrics across different app versions, architectures and devices will help prioritize failure sources. The enhanced acquisition report will include an install success rate metric, offering clear insights into app conversion.
• Support for updating Win32 apps directly in Microsoft Store, even if the updates are provided by their publishers. Previously, once MSI/EXE apps were installed, users could not get the newer version via Microsoft Store. Now, when a new version is available, users will be able to update to the latest version from downloads or the product’s detail page.
• Microsoft Store will display when apps were last updated, addressing one of the top requests from the developer community. Developers will be able to signal their commitment to app quality, enhance user confidence and drive business growth on Microsoft Store.