Why is this important: Installing Windows Store apps from the web can be complicated for some people. Microsoft recognizes this and is rolling out a slightly friendlier way to install Windows Store apps. It could also make it easier for developers to distribute their software without relying solely on the native Windows Store.
Microsoft has revealed a new way to install apps from the Windows Store via the web. Instead of using “deep links,” the company will instead use a “non-anchored” version of the Windows Store to make app installations easier. Ironically, the new method is more akin to installing regular executable files and should reduce the hassle of installing Microsoft Store apps.
Previously, clicking the “Install” button on the web version of the Windows Store prompted the user to open the native Windows Store app and then click “Install” again. It seemed pointless to just install an app. The new one runs a lightweight installer that runs with just one click.
This method effectively reduces the number of “clicks” from three to two, which doesn’t seem like a big deal but can at least maintain a sense of transparency since there’s no need to go from the web to the native store. However, the standalone executable does not contain the full application installer (hence the light description). Instead, it downloads the rest during the installation process.
Microsoft claims that having an undocked version of the Windows Store still allows apps to stay up to date with the latest features and even supports multiple installations in parallel. The executable can also work even if users uninstall the app from the native store from their computer.
Rudy Huyn, principal architect at Microsoft, noted that the reason for the second installation sequence was to prevent Malicious scripts take advantage of deep links. Deep links are types of links that take a user directly to an app rather than to a website or store. However, user complaints about installing Windows Store apps from the web prompted a five-month experiment to see if a standalone installer was more effective.
Following the experiment, Huyn said the new installation method resulted in an average 12 percent increase in installations and a 54 percent increase in the number of apps launched. Microsoft will expand its efforts to other products and markets following positive feedback.
At the moment, not all apps work with the new installation method. The Verge’s Tom Warren could download Snapchat and GroupMe using the new process, but the Discord app defaulted to the old method.
The quickest way to install Windows Store apps is still to go directly through the Store, but it’s good that Microsoft is trying to accommodate developers who also want to link from a website.