We wouldn’t be the place we’re right now with out the developer group. Collectively, we’ve been on a journey to reimagine an open app retailer and supply a greater expertise for Home windows prospects. It’s due to this partnership that the Microsoft Retailer on Home windows is now utilized by over one billion prospects with greater than 50% of recent Home windows 11 prospects partaking with the Microsoft Retailer within the first 30 days.
The momentum of Home windows prospects is a testomony to the expansion in high quality content material from our passionate group of builders, who’ve greater than doubled the variety of Win32 and PWA apps since final 12 months. Partaking PWAs like Snapchat and ESPN, refined native apps like Spark Mail, Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, Seize One, Bilibili and WhatsApp, together with Android apps like Epic Seven, Greatest Fiends, and Blink, are really what makes the Microsoft Retailer the very best place to seek out the correct content material, whether or not for productiveness, leisure or creativity. There are numerous extra apps to acknowledge, together with the winners of the Microsoft Retailer Awards 2023 which might be discovered right here.
In the present day, we’re proud to share the subsequent part of our journey for the Microsoft Retailer on Home windows and announce new experiences, options and instruments. We’re targeted on constructing an open retailer that’s prepared for the brand new AI period, and to supply builders with new instruments like Microsoft Retailer Adverts to succeed in much more prospects.
Microsoft Retailer opens the doorways to AI
The world round us is altering daily. As AI disrupts current workflows and creates thrilling new alternatives for purchasers, we see a chance to evolve and assume in a different way concerning the function of the Microsoft Retailer on Home windows. It’s not only a place to obtain an app or a sport, however slightly, 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 Retailer the place we’ll promote the very best AI experiences constructed by the developer group and Microsoft. This can be a area the place we’ll educate prospects on learn how to begin and develop 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 way 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 of the content material shall be examined for safety, household security, and gadget compatibility – so you might be at all times in management. This characteristic will quickly be out there within the Microsoft Retailer. In case you are an AI developer and focused on being featured within the AI Hub, tell us right here.
Clients can make the most of AI-Generated evaluation abstract. This new characteristic summarizes buyer evaluations and supplies a concise abstract highlighting the topline particulars. We all know prospects use the Microsoft Retailer to view and collect group suggestions when contemplating and selecting new apps and video games. Nonetheless, particularly with standard apps which have 1000’s of evaluations, sifting by way of every one can take time. Supported by AI, this characteristic is designed to make the client expertise much more seamless. AI-Generated evaluation summaries will quickly be out there within the Microsoft Retailer.
Microsoft Retailer AI-Generated key phrases: Coming quickly to preview, we’ll introduce a brand new developer device in Companion Heart that leverages AI to generate and counsel Search Tags for apps. We’re utilizing AI to eat your metadata, in addition to different indicators, and enable you to enhance the discoverability of your app within the Microsoft Retailer search outcomes. Based mostly on standard demand, we’re additionally introducing the power to pick a number of classes per app, which can additional enhance discoverability and enable you to attain extra prospects. Be taught extra right here.
Attain extra prospects with new developer instruments and expanded companies
Earlier this 12 months, we introduced the supply of Microsoft Retailer Adverts in search outcomes and shared plans to develop the expertise to premium advert placements in search. In simply two months, we now have seen extra builders undertake this new channel and obtain optimistic outcomes. Miracle Video 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. Be taught extra about Miracle Video games story right here.
In the present day, we’re excited to launch new companies that can assist builders hook up with extra prospects and deal with a number of the hottest developer suggestions:
Microsoft Retailer Adverts is increasing in additional methods than one
Beginning subsequent month, Microsoft Retailer Adverts shall be discoverable in Bing.com search outcomes, together with Microsoft Retailer search outcomes. To make the most of these capabilities, create a Retailer Adverts Marketing campaign in Microsoft Promoting. We’re additionally making out there a brand new Attribution SDK for MSIX apps and coming quickly for Win32 and PWAs. Be taught extra right here.
Builders now have the choice to show wealthy promoting within the highlight part within the Microsoft Retailer. This supplies a brand new massive and high-traffic floor for advertisers and helps video advert codecs. In case you are focused on collaborating within the pilot program, please submit a request right here.
Beginning in June, Microsoft Retailer Adverts will develop past the U.S. market, supported by Microsoft Promoting, to greater than 150 areas worldwide. Advertisers with a presence in different international locations will quickly be capable to leverage this channel to attain their acquisition objectives.
Preserving prospects engaged throughout units has simply gotten simpler
Retention is one other key problem for builders. Final 12 months, we introduced a characteristic that enables prospects to simply transition apps from one gadget to a different.
In the present day, we’re introducing a brand new backup and restore functionality on Home windows that helps preserve prospects engaged throughout units. When prospects transition from a Home windows 10 or 11 gadget to their new Home windows 11 gadget, the icons for Retailer apps will robotically get restored proper the place they’d them – on the Begin menu and Taskbar. This new characteristic is in preview and out there to Home windows Insiders right now. To be taught extra about how to make sure the very best expertise when restoring apps, be taught extra right here.
During the last two years, we proceed to see a progress of builders publishing PWAs or Win32 apps. We’re excited to carry new capabilities for PWAs, sooner certification for Win32 apps and opening Android app submissions to all builders:
- PWAs stay a prime precedence within the Microsoft Retailer, and we proceed to spend money on open-source instruments to assist builders. New capabilities can be found to assist develop your viewers by way of Home windows Widgets and Edge Sidebar PWAs. As well as, the Digital Items API will quickly be out there enabling PWAs revealed to the Microsoft Retailer to simply accept in-app purchases and streamline the checkout course of. To be taught extra and leverage the brand new capabilities, go to pwabuilder.com.
- As a consequence of standard demand, right now we’re making out there a collection of certification assessments for Win32 app builders that may be run offline and can present steering on learn how to deal with potential certification points. This can create extra predictability in your submission and scale back the certification turnaround time by as much as 50%. Be taught extra right here.
- Any developer with an Amazon Appstore Developer account can now submit their apps for distribution on Home windows 11 units. To greatest put together your app for a clean testing and publishing expertise, evaluation thedeveloper sources for dealing with window resizing and implementing native mapping within the new type issue. The Home windows Subsystem for Android proceed to get higher, with assist for Android 13, launch and runtime efficiency enhancements, and new options like Image in Image and reminiscence administration. Be taught extra right here.
In the present day’s AI bulletins ventured the Microsoft Retailer on Home windows into a brand new and unexplored period. Builders and prospects proceed to be on the core of all the things we do. We sit up for listening to your suggestions within the months forward, so we will proceed to construct a greater expertise for all.