Besides releasing Windows 11"s first feature update called "2022 Update," Microsoft today revealed some stats about the Microsoft Store and announced the launch of the Microsoft Store Ads pilot.
Microsoft says the past 12 months have been very productive and record-breaking for its digital storefront. Over 900 million customers use the Microsoft Store to download apps, games, and other sorts of content on Windows 10 and 11. Besides the growth of customers, Microsoft reported a 122% year-over-year increase in developer submissions, resulting in more popular titles joining the Microsoft Store. The latter results from significantly reworked policies and guidelines that give developers more freedom.
To keep the momentum going and developers happy, Microsoft has launched the Microsoft Store Ads pilot today. Announced earlier this year during the Build conference, Microsoft Store Ads allow developers to promote their projects to the Microsoft Store customers using Microsoft Advertising on devices with Windows 10 and 11.
Developers can now sign up to promote their apps using banners in the Microsoft Store. These banners will appear in the search results, helping customers find relevant products and boosting downloads and sales for developers. The new program is in its infancy as Microsoft tries to find the balance between developer success and customer experience, so expect future changes and improvements.
Speaking of customer experience, Windows 11 and 10 users will soon get several quality improvements for the Microsoft Store. In October, Microsoft will release a reworked search experience with screenshot previews and new tools to improve transferring apps when setting up a new Windows 11 computer. Finally, in the coming weeks, Windows 11 users in 31 countries will receive Android apps and games support.