What's new with the Microsoft Store on Windows 11

Windows 11 Microsoft Store Source: Windows Cardinal

Microsoft is redesigning the Store app for Windows 11 with the hope of making it relevant and more than open for developers. In this new version, the Microsoft Shop has been completely overhauled with a new fresh interface that matches the new design language of Windows and makes it easier and faster for users to discover and download apps, games, shows, and movies.

However, the most pregnant change is perhaps the new policies that let developers and independent software vendors to brings virtually any class of apps to the Microsoft Store, including traditional Win32 (unpackaged .exe and .msi), .Net, and Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), and the option to let them keep 100 percent of the acquirement when using their ain commerce platform (excluding games). Microsoft will go along to offer its commerce technology that allows the company to proceed a small percent of the auction. However, developers will have the choice to employ their own monetization system.

In this Windows 11 guide, we will become a closer look at the rebuilt Microsoft Store app.

The new Windows 11 Shop experience

The new Microsoft Shop app follows the same pattern language that the company is pushing on Windows 11 with rounded corners, new Fluent Design materials similar Mica, new animations, and a unproblematic and responsive feel.

Microsoft Store new and old Source: Windows Central Windows xi (left), x (correct)

When y'all open the app, you will notice a carousel that includes curated collections of the best apps. Y'all will find dissimilar sections featuring essential apps, games, top costless apps, and more every bit you scroll down.

There's the new search box at the top-center that allows you to search and quickly detect the apps and amusement yous want.

This time around, the navigation pane is on the left with buttons to access the different tabs, including "Home," "Apps," "Gaming," and "Movies & TV," equally well equally "Library" and "Assistance."

In the Home tab that'south where you will find curated lists of content, you tin can get from Store. Also, you volition observe a new carousel at the meridian of the folio that features top apps, games, and videos that the Microsoft Store has to offer.

Microsoft Store navigation Source: Windows Central

The page is besides divided into sections to showcase essential and top apps, complimentary games, trending content, and more than.

The Apps tab looks similar to the Home tab, but it's dedicated to all the apps you tin can download on your Windows xi computer.

Microsoft Store Apps section Source: Windows Primal

The Gaming and Movies & TV tabs feature like layouts, but they feature content related to its category.

Gaming section Source: Windows Fundamental

When you select an app, game, or video, y'all will run into a new transition blitheness that takes y'all to the product page. As well, depending on the content, you volition get a new layout to learn more than and download the product.

For example, when selecting an app will smoothly manual with new animation to the new product page that includes the name and choice to download (or purchase) on the left side, while on the right side, y'all will find screenshots and videos, descriptions, rating and reviews, and other information near the app.

Microsoft Store app download page Source: Windows Central

On the other hand, when y'all select the game or a film (including shows), the page includes a hero image in the background and the name and choice to download the product above the reset of the game information, such equally screenshots, descriptions, rating, reviews, and system requirements.

Game download page Source: Windows Fundamental

Unlike the Apps page, you will get a floating bar with the name and option to download the product as you scroll downwards.

Game download bar Source: Windows Primal

Then there's the Library page that lists all the applications you ain across devices associated with the aforementioned Microsoft business relationship. You can sort the listing by apps, games, movies and shows, and the apps that came with the device.

Conveniently, at that place's a Go updates button that allows you to check and download updates for Microsoft Store apps manually. Even so, this shouldn't be necessary since, by default, these apps update automatically.

Microsoft Store library Source: Windows Fundamental

On the top-right corner, that's the profile carte that gives yous access to manage your business relationship and payments options. These are links to manage that information inside your Microsoft account online.

Source: Windows Central

The App settings page has also been redesigned, and it looks similar to the Settings app. Here, you tin can control various aspects of the apps. For example, you can enable or disable automatic updates and set the experience, so you are never prompted to enter a countersign for your purchases.

Microsoft Store settings page Source: Windows Key

Also, similar to the previous version of the app, in that location is an pick for offline permissions and disable video autoplay when viewing a product.

In conclusion, Windows eleven users will get the same Microsoft Store, but with a different interface and tweaks to make the experience faster and fluid. Too, since the company is relaxing rules and calculation new changes for developers, you will now exist able to discover even more apps, including traditional, modern, and web applications.

For instance, y'all will at present find more popular apps similar Adobe Lightroom, WinZip, Zoom, 7Zip (Unofficial), and you may even see apps like Firefox and Chrome and many others. Microsoft is even working to bring more of its apps to the Shop, including Microsoft Teams, Office, and Visual Studio, which have been in the Shop from the showtime.

Missing features

Microsoft has also promised a couple of other features, such every bit the new Pop-upward Store and back up for Android apps on Windows 11, but they are not available at the time of this writing.

The Pop-upwards Shop is expected to exist a feature that allows developers to offer a way to download apps similar to the Store experience but through the web using the browser.

Popup Store Microsoft Store Source: Microsoft

When the user clicks the download link on the programmer's website, a Microsoft Store prompt will appear to download and install the app from the Store, just without opening the app.

Android apps back up for Windows xi is a collaboration Microsoft is doing with Amazon and Intel. Since the Android apps are from a dissimilar platform, the software giant is building a virtualization layer known every bit Windows Subsystem for Android for the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) to run apps without the Google Play Services. Amazon volition exist providing the apps through the Appstore that volition integrate to the Microsoft Store. Though, side-loading apps may be an option. And the final piece of the puzzle is Intel's Bridge technology to allow apps to run on devices featuring Intel processors.

Android apps on Windows 11 Source: Microsoft

It's not clear when these features will be bachelor, but the visitor is at to the lowest degree expected to start testing the support for Android apps shortly.

Also, the Amason Appstore won't be the but tertiary-party app shop since the company is working with other companies to make their storefronts accessible through the Microsoft Store. For case, the Epic Games Store is expected to come to Store on Windows 11 in the coming months. Once the integration is in identify, every storefront apps volition have a product page, which users tin install to easily offset getting apps equally they were part of the Microsoft Shop app.

More than Windows resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions nigh Windows ten and Windows 11, visit the following resources:

Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know
Windows ten help, tips, and tricks
Windows xi on Windows Key — All you need to know

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