Welcoming AI to the Microsoft Retailer on Home windows

We wouldn’t be the place we’re at this time with out the developer neighborhood. 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 latest 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 neighborhood of builders, who’ve greater than doubled the variety of Win32 and PWA apps since final yr. Participating 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 perfect place to search out the fitting content material, whether or not for productiveness, leisure or creativity. There are lots of extra apps to acknowledge, together with the winners of the Microsoft Retailer Awards 2023 which might be discovered right here.

Right this moment, we’re proud to share the subsequent section 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 offer builders with new instruments like Microsoft Retailer Advertisements to achieve much more prospects.

Microsoft Retailer opens the doorways to AI

The world round us is altering each day. As AI disrupts present workflows and creates thrilling new alternatives for purchasers, we see a chance to evolve and suppose in another way concerning the function of the Microsoft Retailer on Home windows. It’s not only a place to obtain an app or a recreation, however somewhat, it ought to function a useful resource to coach 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 are going to promote the perfect AI experiences constructed by the developer neighborhood and Microsoft. It is a area the place we are going to 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 via 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 will probably be examined for safety, household security, and gadget compatibility – so you’re all the time in management. This function will quickly be obtainable within the Microsoft Retailer. In case you are an AI developer and excited by being featured within the AI Hub, tell us right here.

Prospects can reap the benefits of AI-Generated assessment abstract. This new function summarizes buyer evaluations and offers a concise abstract highlighting the topline particulars. We all know prospects use the Microsoft Retailer to view and collect neighborhood suggestions when contemplating and selecting new apps and video games. Nonetheless, particularly with common apps which have 1000’s of evaluations, sifting via each can take time. Supported by AI, this function is designed to make the client expertise much more seamless. AI-Generated assessment summaries will quickly be obtainable within the Microsoft Retailer.

Microsoft Retailer AI-Generated key phrases: Coming quickly to preview, we are going to introduce a brand new developer instrument in Companion Middle that leverages AI to generate and counsel Search Tags for apps. We’re utilizing AI to devour your metadata, in addition to different indicators, and enable you enhance the discoverability of your app within the Microsoft Retailer search outcomes. Based mostly on common demand, we’re additionally introducing the flexibility to pick out a number of classes per app, which is able to additional enhance discoverability and enable you attain extra prospects. Be taught extra right here.

Attain extra prospects with new developer instruments and expanded companies

Earlier this yr, we introduced the supply of Microsoft Retailer Advertisements in search outcomes and shared plans to develop the expertise to premium advert placements in search. In simply two months, now we have seen extra builders undertake this new channel and obtain constructive outcomes. Miracle Video games skilled a 25% improve 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.

Right this moment, we’re excited to launch new companies that may assist builders connect with extra prospects and tackle a few of the hottest developer suggestions:

Microsoft Retailer Advertisements is increasing in additional methods than one

Beginning subsequent month, Microsoft Retailer Advertisements will probably be discoverable in Bing.com search outcomes, together with Microsoft Retailer search outcomes. To reap the benefits of these capabilities, create a Retailer Advertisements Marketing campaign in Microsoft Promoting. We’re additionally making obtainable 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 offers a brand new giant and high-traffic floor for advertisers and helps video advert codecs. In case you are excited by taking part within the pilot program, please submit a request right here.

Beginning in June, Microsoft Retailer Advertisements 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 of leverage this channel to realize their acquisition targets.

Conserving prospects engaged throughout units has simply gotten simpler

Retention is one other key problem for builders. Final yr, we introduced a function that permits prospects to simply transition apps from one gadget to a different.

Right this moment, we’re introducing a brand new backup and restore functionality on Home windows that helps hold 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 that they had them – on the Begin menu and Taskbar. This new function is in preview and obtainable to Home windows Insiders at this time. To be taught extra about how to make sure the perfect expertise when restoring apps, be taught extra right here.

Over the past two years, we proceed to see a development 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 put money into open-source instruments to assist builders. New capabilities can be found to assist develop your viewers via Home windows Widgets and Edge Sidebar PWAs. As well as, the Digital Items API will quickly be obtainable 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 common demand, at this time we’re making obtainable a collection of certification assessments for Win32 app builders that may be run offline and can present steering on learn how to tackle potential certification points. This may create extra predictability in your submission and cut 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 easy testing and publishing expertise, assessment thedeveloper sources for dealing with window resizing and implementing native mapping within the new kind issue. The Home windows Subsystem for Android proceed to get higher, with help for Android 13, launch and runtime efficiency enhancements, and new options like Image in Image and reminiscence administration. Be taught extra right here.

Right this moment’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 the whole lot we do. We look ahead to listening to your suggestions within the months forward, so we are able to proceed to construct a greater expertise for all.