Microsoft is bringing a few notable enhancements to the Microsoft Store, including changes to the library page, a dedicated section for updates and downloads, game events, etc.
Managing your apps on Windows 10 and Windows 11 will receive a much-needed boost with improved filters and search. “We have improved the default filters to show all the products you own, not just products that are installed,” Microsoft said in a blog post. Thanks to a new search bar, finding a specific app or game you’ve previously downloaded from the Microsoft Store no longer feels like finding a needle in the haystack. Instead of scrolling through a long list of downloaded software tied to your Microsoft Account, type the app or publisher name into the search field.
Updates and downloads now have a dedicated page, so they no longer occupy the top section of your library. It gives you a better overview of your active downloads and pending updates without distracting you with other details. Each pending item in this section displays a version number and a changelog snippet highlighting improvements. There’s also a new section dedicated to in-app events on the Games page, but it’s only available in certain countries, and could change or be removed if it doesn’t work out in those regions.
Finally, Microsoft’s designers have tweaked the design of the Microsoft Store badge to read “Download from the Microsoft Store” instead of “Get it from Microsoft.” The updated Microsoft Store is currently available for testing with Windows Insiders on the Canary and Dev channels. The company plans to push it later to everyone on Windows 11 version 22407.xxxx.x and higher.
For those unaware, the Microsoft Store also happens to have a web version that resembles the native Windows version of the app. You can use it to get a web preview of an app, but Microsoft created it so that apps on the store are easier to discover through search engines.
Unfortunately, the Microsoft Store is still pretty annoying with integrated advertisements and sponsored ad placements. Apple also does that with its own App Store, but this only skews app discovery toward developers willing to pay extra money to surface in searches.
Source: Microsoft
