Microsoft stops hiding apps in Windows 11 Store in latest update

It’s no secret that the Windows Store has app issues. In fact, the famous "app gap" was one of the reasons for Windows Phone's downfall. In the era of Windows 10 Mobile, many developers ignored their Windows Store code and focused on popular mobile stores like Play Store or Apple Store.

To cover up the embarrassment, Microsoft has removed the “last updated” date from the Microsoft Store on all Windows devices. It's almost impossible to know when the latest version of a particular app will be released in the Microsoft Store. In fact, users rely on random Twitter handles to track app updates in the App Store.

Microsoft made the change without acknowledging it on any public platform, and the tech giant is widely believed to want to hide the fact that many apps in the store were updated long ago. These theories certainly make sense, especially considering that apps on the Windows Store are more or less outdated compared to Android.

Last update date missing from old store

Needless to say, this practice violates Microsoft's own transparency policy, and the company is finally moving towards restoring the "last update" Updated date” has taken a step forward.

As we recently reported, Microsoft has started rolling out its new web store to Windows 10 and Windows 11 users.

Today, Microsoft released another server-side change, bringing back the "Last Updated" section, which finally shows when an app was updated. While it may not be a useful change for many users, it's still an important and necessary "transparency" feature for some.

This can also encourage developers interested in the store to keep their apps fresh, and it can also help users determine whether the app is well maintained by the developer before purchasing.

Learn more about the new Windows Store for the web

As mentioned at the beginning, the Windows Web Store has a new design.

If you don't have access to the native app store on your desktop, you can always find apps from the web store.

Microsoft’s online store has been updated with a new look, with a new design that aligns with Windows 11’s Fluent approach. This new web store matches Windows 11’s native App Store, and it also offers new categories to make browsing apps and games easier.

You'll find all your familiar apps like Notepad and Office in the online store. Additionally, Microsoft's updated Web Store also indexes desktop Win32 apps.

You can click the "Install" button to instantly install the app through the new store popup, which means you don't have to open the native store manually.

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