Redesigned Microsoft Store Won’t Update Win32 Apps

Microsoft informs developers that users will not be able to receive updates for Win32 apps through the revamped Microsoft Store. Developers are recommended by the company to distribute updates through Win32 apps themselves.

In the Win32 App Developer Terms for the Microsoft Store, Microsoft states that end users cannot receive updates through the Store. Apps can receive updates through the app itself, after it has been downloaded from the Store. These updates must still meet the terms of the Microsoft Store.

Developers can also update a Win32 app with an updated version and then distribute the updated version through the Microsoft Store. New users who download that app will then receive the updated version. Users who downloaded an earlier version will therefore not automatically receive the new version. Incidentally, developers are not obliged to update Win32 apps in the Store.

On Thursday, Microsoft introduced the new Store that should appear with Windows 11. The new Store is also coming to Windows 10. With the new Store, Microsoft wants to breathe new life into the download store and make it more attractive to developers. Therefore, it becomes possible to add Win32 apps to the Store and these developers can integrate their own payment systems into software.