We wouldn’t be the place we’re right now with out the developer neighborhood. Together, we’ve been on a journey to reimagine an open app retailer and supply a greater expertise for Windows prospects. It’s due to this partnership that the Microsoft Store on Windows is now utilized by over one billion prospects with greater than 50% of latest Windows 11 prospects participating with the Microsoft Store within the first 30 days.
The momentum of Windows prospects is a testomony to the expansion in high quality content material from our passionate neighborhood of builders, who’ve greater than doubled the variety of Win32 and PWA apps since final yr. Engaging PWAs like Snapchat and ESPN, refined native apps like Spark Mail, Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, Capture One, Bilibili and WhatsApp, together with Android apps like Epic Seven, Best Fiends, and Blink, are actually what makes the Microsoft Store the perfect place to seek out the suitable content material, whether or not for productiveness, leisure or creativity. There are many extra apps to acknowledge, together with the winners of the Microsoft Store Awards 2023 which could be discovered right here.
Today, we’re proud to share the subsequent part of our journey for the Microsoft Store on Windows and announce new experiences, options and instruments. We are centered on constructing an open retailer that’s prepared for the brand new AI period, and to supply builders with new instruments like Microsoft Store Ads to succeed in much more prospects.
Microsoft Store opens the doorways to AI
The world round us is altering day by day. As AI disrupts current workflows and creates thrilling new alternatives for patrons, we see a chance to evolve and assume in another way in regards to the position of the Microsoft Store on Windows. It’s not only a place to obtain an app or a sport, however quite, it ought to function a useful resource to teach prospects about how they are often extra productive, obtain their duties, and uncover new content material.
Introducing the AI Hub, a brand new curated part within the Microsoft Store the place we’ll promote the perfect AI experiences constructed by the developer neighborhood and Microsoft. This is an area the place we’ll educate prospects on the way to begin and increase their AI journey, inspiring them to make use of AI in on a regular basis methods to spice up productiveness, spark creativity and a lot extra. For instance, it is possible for you to to make use of AI to specific your creativity by means of Luminar Neo and Lensa, grasp your video and audio with Descript, Krisp and Podcastle, current your concepts with Gamma and Copy.ai, construct your resume with Kickresume, generate your voice with Play.ht, and even plan your journey with Tripnotes. All the content material shall be examined for safety, household security, and machine compatibility – so you’re all the time in management. This characteristic will quickly be accessible within the Microsoft Store. If you’re an AI developer and taken with being featured within the AI Hub, tell us right here.
Customers can make the most of AI-Generated evaluate abstract. This new characteristic summarizes buyer opinions and supplies a concise abstract highlighting the topline particulars. We know prospects use the Microsoft Store to view and collect neighborhood suggestions when contemplating and selecting new apps and video games. However, particularly with in style apps which have 1000’s of opinions, sifting by means of every one can take time. Supported by AI, this characteristic is designed to make the shopper expertise much more seamless. AI-Generated evaluate summaries will quickly be accessible within the Microsoft Store.
Microsoft Store AI-Generated key phrases: Coming quickly to preview, we’ll introduce a brand new developer device in Partner Center that leverages AI to generate and counsel Search Tags for apps. We are utilizing AI to devour your metadata, in addition to different alerts, and assist you enhance the discoverability of your app within the Microsoft Store search outcomes. Based on in style demand, we’re additionally introducing the flexibility to pick out a number of classes per app, which is able to additional enhance discoverability and assist you attain extra prospects. Learn extra right here.
Reach extra prospects with new developer instruments and expanded providers
Earlier this yr, we introduced the provision of Microsoft Store Ads in search outcomes and shared plans to increase the expertise to premium advert placements in search. In simply two months, we’ve got seen extra builders undertake this new channel and obtain optimistic outcomes. Miracle Games skilled a 25% enhance in app installs in comparison with earlier than at a CPI that’s 90% decrease than on different promoting channels. Learn extra about Miracle Games story right here.
Today, we’re excited to launch new providers that may assist builders hook up with extra prospects and handle among the hottest developer suggestions:
Microsoft Store Ads is increasing in additional methods than one
Starting subsequent month, Microsoft Store Ads shall be discoverable in Bing.com search outcomes, together with Microsoft Store search outcomes. To make the most of these capabilities, create a Store Ads Campaign in Microsoft Advertising. We are additionally making accessible a brand new Attribution SDK for MSIX apps and coming quickly for Win32 and PWAs. Learn extra right here.
Developers now have the choice to show wealthy promoting within the highlight part within the Microsoft Store. This supplies a brand new giant and high-traffic floor for advertisers and helps video advert codecs. If you have an interest in collaborating within the pilot program, please submit a request right here.
Starting in June, Microsoft Store Ads will increase past the U.S. market, supported by Microsoft Advertising, to greater than 150 areas worldwide. Advertisers with a presence in different nations will quickly be capable to leverage this channel to realize their acquisition targets.
Keeping prospects engaged throughout units has simply gotten simpler
Retention is one other key problem for builders. Last yr, we introduced a characteristic that permits prospects to simply transition apps from one machine to a different.
Today, we’re introducing a brand new backup and restore functionality on Windows that helps hold prospects engaged throughout units. When prospects transition from a Windows 10 or 11 machine to their new Windows 11 machine, the icons for Store apps will robotically get restored proper the place they’d them – on the Start menu and Taskbar. This new characteristic is in preview and accessible to Windows Insiders right now. To study extra about how to make sure the perfect expertise when restoring apps, study extra right here.
Over the final two years, we proceed to see a development of builders publishing PWAs or Win32 apps. We are excited to carry new capabilities for PWAs, sooner certification for Win32 apps and opening Android app submissions to all builders:
- PWAs stay a high precedence within the Microsoft Store, and we proceed to spend money on open-source instruments to assist builders. New capabilities can be found to assist increase your viewers by means of Windows Widgets and Edge Sidebar PWAs. In addition, the Digital Goods API will quickly be accessible enabling PWAs printed to the Microsoft Store to just accept in-app purchases and streamline the checkout course of. To study extra and leverage the brand new capabilities, go to pwabuilder.com.
- Due to in style demand, right now we’re making accessible a set of certification exams for Win32 app builders that may be run offline and can present steerage on the way to handle potential certification points. This will create extra predictability in your submission and scale back the certification turnaround time by as much as 50%. Learn extra right here.
- Any developer with an Amazon Appstore Developer account can now submit their apps for distribution on Windows 11 units. To greatest put together your app for a clean testing and publishing expertise, evaluate thedeveloper sources for dealing with window resizing and implementing native mapping within the new kind issue. The Windows Subsystem for Android proceed to get higher, with assist for Android 13, launch and runtime efficiency enhancements, and new options like Picture in Picture and reminiscence administration. Learn extra right here.
Today’s AI bulletins ventured the Microsoft Store on Windows into a brand new and unexplored period. Developers and prospects proceed to be on the core of every thing we do. We stay up for listening to your suggestions within the months forward, so we are able to proceed to construct a greater expertise for all.