2025 was a significant yr for the Microsoft Retailer on Home windows, with greater than 250 million month-to-month customers discovering a Microsoft Retailer that feels extra customized, useful and pleasant to make use of. We welcomed thrilling new arrivals to the shop, together with progressive productiveness instruments like Raycast, Noteastic and Cephable, fan-favorite video games like Fortnite, Hole Knight: Silksong and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, accessibility apps like DotVista, and standout apps comparable to RunCat 365 and Adobe Premier Parts 2026. We additionally expanded in partnership with Tencent the catalog in China with mini apps and video games, comparable to Rednote, Kaipanla and Hearth to the Zombies, bringing much more option to prospects around the globe. And lastly, we just lately introduced our 2025 App Awards winners, every exemplifying great worth for Home windows customers.
Listed here are a number of the different methods we strengthened the Microsoft Retailer this yr.
Particular Occasions: Serving to prospects uncover extra
Clients informed us they need a better option to uncover what’s occurring inside their favourite apps – from new reveals and seasonal sport occasions to new options they could in any other case miss. This suggestions impressed us to introduce Particular Occasions, a brand new option to floor well timed, excessive worth content material immediately within the Retailer. We’re starting to roll out Particular Occasions in choose markets, providing a devoted house the place customers can shortly discover in-app experiences, sport occasions and have drops as they go dwell 1. By highlighting this content material in curated collections and on product pages, we’re making it less complicated for purchasers to remain updated and get extra out of the apps and video games they already love.
Themes: Make your PC your personal
For patrons on the lookout for not simply apps that match their wants, however for their PC to really feel extra like their house, simply final week we launched a devoted Themes division within the Microsoft Retailer on Home windows, making it less complicated than ever to find and apply designs that match your model. Whether or not you favor cozy aesthetics, energizing art work, stunning landscapes, gaming impressed seems or wallpapers out of your favourite reveals, the Retailer now provides a rising assortment curated with care and craft. With streamlined shopping and set up experiences, discovering a glance that feels best for you is quicker and extra pleasing. Be taught extra right here: Your PC, your character: New themes in Retailer for you.
A extra private Retailer expertise
Because the Retailer continues to develop, it’s change into more and more essential that each go to feels tailor-made, intuitive and related. As we shared in June, we refined the best way the Retailer adapts to particular person pursuits, regional traits and well timed offers, serving to folks uncover the apps and experiences that matter most to them. Since June, we’ve got expanded the customized content material from simply the house web page to apps and video games pages as nicely. Whether or not somebody prefers discovering new artistic instruments, exploring the newest video games or shopping productiveness necessities, the Retailer now does a greater job of assembly them the place they’re. Personalised suggestions are managed by your Retailer settings.
Set up made simpler
Putting in apps ought to really feel easy, whether or not you’re shopping on the internet or contained in the Retailer. This yr, we made significant enhancements to scale back friction and assist folks get to what they want extra shortly.
On the internet in choose international locations since November, multi-app set up lets folks select a set of apps, like a productiveness suite, a artistic toolkit, or the necessities for social and leisure, and set up them in a single click on. It’s a streamlined option to arrange a brand new gadget or refresh a workflow, and it’s rolling out in choose markets with international growth on the best way. Extra particulars are included right here: Introducing multi-app set up on Home windows – Microsoft Apps.
In June, we launched a new means for customers to seek out, set up and launch the app they’re on the lookout for by means of the Home windows Search Bar.
Lastly, in response to neighborhood suggestions we launched expanded inline installs in Retailer Highlight in October.
Serving to you discover AI
We proceed to see unimaginable power from the developer ecosystem, with progressive new apps and experiences powered by AI constantly arriving on Home windows. To assist Retailer guests navigate this quickly evolving house, in February we refreshed the AI Hub, to make it simpler to find excessive high quality AI apps and perceive what they will do at a look 2. The up to date design helps folks discover a rising panorama of instruments, brokers and creativity boosting options. As of June, on product pages, new app badges spotlight when apps embrace AI capabilities or are optimized for Copilot+ PCs, and within the U.S., Copilot can help with Retailer shopping. As of November, for Microsoft 365 customers, it’s now simpler than ever to seek out Brokers in Microsoft 365 Copilot, which provides choices like a private analyst, researcher, immediate coach, writing coach or thought coach in supported markets 3.
Specializing in the fundamentals
Final however actually not least, we continued to put money into our fundamentals – together with:
- Faster Navigation4: The Retailer app launches quicker than earlier than, due to efficiency enhancements we made earlier this yr. And shifting between departments within the Retailer is now noticeably quicker, due to new updates rolling out in December.
- Improved Error Dealing with: Our purpose is to make sure you have an error-free expertise – however once you do run into points, we’ve clarified our messaging to assist result in a decision. For instance, previously mismatched area settings would block a purchase order with an error message. Now, the Retailer robotically detects the difficulty and guides you to regulate your area settings, so you possibly can full your buy with out interruption.
- Uninstallation immediately from the Library: This has been a prime buyer ask in Suggestions Hub – now, merely head to the Library, click on the three-dot menu for an put in app and click on uninstall.
- Higher replace orchestration: Background updates at the moment are higher scheduled for smoother efficiency and minimal disruption whereas gadgets are in use.
- Improved search: Earlier this yr, we rearchitected how search works in order that it’s now extra intent-aware, leverages alerts like app updates and rankings extra diligently for rating, and addresses language-specific nuances. Whereas these enhancements mark progress, we all know search isn’t ‘performed.’ We proceed to refine and we actively examine suggestions coming by means of the Suggestions Hub to information the subsequent wave of enhancements.
Trying forward
As we transfer into 2026, our focus stays regular: Proceed bettering the basics, construct experiences that really feel considerate and maintain listening to what you want from the Retailer.
Your suggestions continues to information our work. Thanks for sharing it and please maintain it coming by means of the Suggestions Hub, (WIN + F) underneath Apps > Microsoft Retailer. We respect all of your assist in 2025, and we stay up for sharing extra with you in 2026!
1 Particular Occasions launched to pick out gadgets in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and america.
2 AI Hub is out there in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
3 AI Brokers can be found for M365 customers within the Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
4 Information primarily based on inner testing and topic to elements comparable to gadget, location, Home windows and Retailer app variations.
