How to Use the Microsoft Store

Learn more about the Microsoft Store, also called the Windows App Store, which allows you to choose from thousands of available apps to use on your Windows 10 or 8 device, including Surface laptops and tablets.

How to Use the Windows App Store

There are a couple of ways to access the Microsoft Store. Once there, begin browsing, searching, and installing the apps of your choice. Here's how to use the Windows App Store on your PC:

1. Select Start and choose Microsoft Store. The Microsoft Store is also available on the web if you prefer to access it that way.

   The Store takes advantage of the user interface that Microsoft introduced in Windows 8, so you'll notice it's laid out with a visual tile design that makes it clear what apps, games, movies, and other content are available. 

2. Browse the store. You can get around the store by swiping your touch screen, scrolling your mouse wheel, or clicking and dragging the scroll bar at the bottom of the window. Poke around, and you'll find the store's apps are laid out logically by categories. Some of the types you'll see include:

   • Games - Includes hit titles such as Minecraft and Angry Birds.
   • Social - Contains apps like Twitter and Skype.
   • Entertainment - Apps that pass the time like Netflix and Hulu.
   • Photo - Photo editing and management apps like Instagram and Adobe Photoshop Elements.
   • Music & Video - Apps for listening and watching like Slacker Radio and Movie Maker Pro.

3. To view all of the other titles in a category, select the category title. By default, the store sorts the apps by their popularity. To change this, select Show all in the right corner of a category list which takes you to a page that lists all of the apps in that category, and you can select sorting criteria from the drop-down lists at the top of the category page.

4. The store offers custom views accessible as you scroll through the main category view, such as Top Free Apps, Trending, and Collections.

Search for an App

Browsing is fun and is a great way to find new apps to try out, but if you've got something specific in mind, there's a faster way to get what you want.

Type the app's name or a keyword describing the type of app you want into the Search box on the store's main page and press Enter.

Install an App

Once you find an app you want, download it to your computer to begin using it.

1. Select an app to view more information about it. View the Description, see Screenshots and Trailers, and see what other people who downloaded the app also liked. At the bottom of the page, you'll find information about What's new in this version, as well as System Requirements, Features, and Additional information.

2. If you like what you see, select Get to download the app. When the installation is complete, Windows 8 and Windows 10 will add the app to your Start screen.

Keep Your Apps Up to Date

Once you start using Windows apps, you'll need to keep updates current to ensure you get the best performance and newest features. The Windows App Store will automatically check for updates to your installed apps and alert you if it finds any. If you see a number on the store's tile, it means you've got updates to download.

1. Launch the Windows App Store and select the three dots in the top-right corner of the screen.

2. In the menu that appears, select Downloads and updates. The Downloads and updates screen lists all of your installed apps and the date they were last modified. In this case, modified could mean updated or installed.

3. To check for updates, select Get updates in the upper right corner of the screen. The Windows App Store reviews all your apps and downloads any available updates. Once downloaded, those updates are automatically applied. 

While many of these apps are for use on a touch-screen mobile device, you'll find that most work great in a desktop environment. There's an impressive supply of games and utilities, many of which won't cost you anything.

There may not be as many apps for Windows 8 and Windows 10 as there are for Android or Apple, but hundreds of thousands are available.