We wouldn’t be where we’re today without the developer community. Together, we’ve been on a journey to reimagine an open app store and supply a greater experience for Windows customers. It’s for this reason partnership that the Microsoft Store on Windows is now utilized by over one billion customers with greater than 50% of latest Windows 11 customers engaging with the Microsoft Store in the primary 30 days.
The momentum of Windows customers is a testament to the expansion in quality content from our passionate community of developers, who’ve greater than doubled the variety of Win32 and PWA apps since last yr. Engaging PWAs like Snapchat and ESPN, sophisticated 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 truly what makes the Microsoft Store the most effective place to search out the fitting content, whether for productivity, entertainment or creativity. There are numerous more apps to acknowledge, including the winners of the Microsoft Store Awards 2023 which may be found here.
Today, we’re proud to share the following phase of our journey for the Microsoft Store on Windows and announce latest experiences, features and tools. We’re focused on constructing an open store that is prepared for the brand new AI era, and to offer developers with latest tools like Microsoft Store Ads to achieve much more customers.
Microsoft Store opens the doors to AI
The world around us is changing on daily basis. As AI disrupts existing workflows and creates exciting latest opportunities for purchasers, we see a chance to evolve and think in a different way concerning the role of the Microsoft Store on Windows. It’s not only a spot to download an app or a game, but somewhat, it should function a resource to coach customers about how they may be more productive, achieve their tasks, and discover latest content.
Introducing the AI Hub, a brand new curated section within the Microsoft Store where we’ll promote the most effective AI experiences built by the developer community and Microsoft. This can be a space where we’ll educate customers on how one can start and expand their AI journey, inspiring them to make use of AI in on a regular basis ways to spice up productivity, spark creativity and so far more. For instance, you’ll give you the option to make use of AI to precise your creativity through Luminar Neo and Lensa, master your video and audio with Descript, Krisp and Podcastle, present your ideas with Gamma and Copy.ai, construct your resume with Kickresume, generate your voice with Play.ht, and even plan your trip with Tripnotes. All of the content will likely be tested for security, family safety, and device compatibility – so you’re all the time on top of things. This feature will soon be available within the Microsoft Store. In case you are an AI developer and focused on being featured within the AI Hub, tell us here.
Customers can benefit from AI-Generated review summary. This latest feature summarizes customer reviews and provides a concise summary highlighting the topline details. We all know customers use the Microsoft Store to view and gather community feedback when considering and selecting latest apps and games. Nevertheless, especially with popular apps which have 1000’s of reviews, sifting through each can take time. Supported by AI, this feature is designed to make the shopper experience much more seamless. AI-Generated review summaries will soon be available within the Microsoft Store.
Microsoft Store AI-Generated keywords: Coming soon to preview, we’ll introduce a brand new developer tool in Partner Center that leverages AI to generate and suggest Search Tags for apps. We’re using AI to devour your metadata, in addition to other signals, and enable you to improve the discoverability of your app within the Microsoft Store search results. Based on popular demand, we’re also introducing the power to pick out multiple categories per app, which is able to further improve discoverability and enable you to reach more customers. Learn more here.
Reach more customers with latest developer tools and expanded services
Earlier this yr, we announced the supply of Microsoft Store Ads in search results and shared plans to expand the experience to premium ad placements in search. In only two months, we’ve got seen more developers adopt this latest channel and receive positive results. Miracle Games experienced a 25% increase in app installs in comparison with before at a CPI that’s 90% lower than on other promoting channels. Learn more about Miracle Games story here.
Today, we’re excited to release latest services that can help developers hook up with more customers and address a few of the hottest developer feedback:
Microsoft Store Ads is expanding in additional ways than one
Starting next month, Microsoft Store Ads will likely be discoverable in Bing.com search results, together with Microsoft Store search results. To benefit from these capabilities, create a Store Ads Campaign in Microsoft Promoting. We’re also making available a brand new Attribution SDK for MSIX apps and coming soon for Win32 and PWAs. Learn more here.
Developers now have the choice to display wealthy promoting within the highlight section within the Microsoft Store. This provides a brand new large and high-traffic surface for advertisers and supports video ad formats. In case you are focused on participating within the pilot program, please submit a request here.
Starting in June, Microsoft Store Ads will expand beyond the U.S. market, supported by Microsoft Promoting, to greater than 150 regions worldwide. Advertisers with a presence in other countries will soon give you the option to leverage this channel to attain their acquisition goals.
Keeping customers engaged across devices has just gotten easier
Retention is one other key challenge for developers. Last yr, we announced a feature that permits customers to simply transition apps from one device to a different.
Today, we’re introducing a brand new backup and restore capability on Windows that helps keep customers engaged across devices. When customers transition from a Windows 10 or 11 device to their latest Windows 11 device, the icons for Store apps will mechanically get restored right where that they had them – on the Start menu and Taskbar. This latest feature is in preview and available to Windows Insiders today. To learn more about how one can ensure the most effective experience when restoring apps, learn more here.
Over the past two years, we proceed to see a growth of developers publishing PWAs or Win32 apps. We’re excited to bring latest capabilities for PWAs, faster certification for Win32 apps and opening Android app submissions to all developers:
- PWAs remain a top priority within the Microsoft Store, and we proceed to take a position in open-source tools to assist developers. Recent capabilities can be found to assist expand your audience through Windows Widgets and Edge Sidebar PWAs. As well as, the Digital Goods API will soon be available enabling PWAs published to the Microsoft Store to simply accept in-app purchases and streamline the checkout process. To learn more and leverage the brand new capabilities, visit pwabuilder.com.
- As a result of popular demand, today we’re making available a set of certification tests for Win32 app developers that may be run offline and can provide guidance on how one can address potential certification issues. This can create more predictability in your submission and reduce the certification turnaround time by as much as 50%. Learn more here.
- Any developer with an Amazon Appstore Developer account can now submit their apps for distribution on Windows 11 devices. To best prepare your app for a smooth testing and publishing experience, review thedeveloper resources for handling window resizing and implementing native mapping in the brand new form factor. The Windows Subsystem for Android proceed to improve, with support for Android 13, launch and runtime performance improvements, and latest features like Picture in Picture and memory management. Learn more here.
Today’s AI announcements ventured the Microsoft Store on Windows right into a latest and unexplored era. Developers and customers proceed to be on the core of every thing we do. We sit up for listening to your feedback within the months ahead, so we are able to proceed to construct a greater experience for all.