Windows Phone Marketplace to now be called Windows Phone Store
The Windows Phone Marketplace will now be known as Windows Phone Store. A post on the...
The Windows Phone Marketplace will now be known as Windows Phone Store. A post on the Windows Team Blog announcing the rebranding states that Microsoft has also revamped its Windows Phone website. Microsoft would be rolling out the changes beginning with Australia and New Zealand, with the rest of the world to follow. The rebranding of Windows Phone Marketplace to Windows Phone store has probably been undertaken to streamline the user experience between the Windows 8 Store and Windows Phone Store. The two even share the same Store icon.
The Windows Phone site has been renovated to feature a cleaner design and new menu options. The Marketplace menu option has been replaced by ‘Apps+Games’ to make it easier for new users to know where to download apps from.
Along with the rebranding, the Windows Phone Store also sports a few changes like improved app search, smarter app lists, some censorship to make racier apps less visible, and the ability to report an app.
Changes to the Windows Phone Store
The Windows Phone Store’s app search feature has been overhauled to depend on Microsoft’s Bing search engine for results. App search now finds apps even if you make spelling mistakes or typos — for example, “Facebok” instead of “Facebook” - and it also shows relevant app results for your searches. The search engine now also sorts search results based on genre – for instance, you can type in productivity to see apps related to time management, making lists, etc.
More from News AnalysisYou also have a few additions to the app lists. Marketplace previously divided apps into three categories: New, Free and Top. Windows Phone Store now makes these labels clearer and adds new browsing options to make finding apps easier. Apps are now divided into Top Free, Top Paid, a New+Rising category which takes into consideration how quickly an app is being downloaded; and Best Rated, which ranks apps based on user ratings and actual usage patterns.
The Windows Phone Store’s Spotlight area, which displays new and popular apps chosen by Windows staff, now showcases recently-published apps in a Windows 8-style mosaic.
Microsoft is also aiming to make the Windows Phone Store more family-friendly by making apps with overtly sexual content less visible. The post states that it will not stop carrying racy apps, but will just reduce their visibility to make them less front and centre to casual browsers.
You can now also report apps in the Windows Phone Store. Microsoft has added a ‘Report concern’ link on every app’s download page so that users can report apps that they find offensive or problematic.
The company has also added some other minor changes. When you review an app, for instance, the name shown next to your write up is now the first name you entered for your Microsoft Account.
Behind his cold and drowsy exterior is the still cold but slightly less sleepy Ram. He's essentially paid to be our own personal grammar nazi. He tends to take his job a little too seriously, so you may sometimes see him running around punching his colleagues in the arm for typos and grammar mistakes. Some of his favorite topics to find mistakes in are games and open source stuff like Linux, but he also maintains a fleeting interest in smartphones. He also loves Michael Jackson's Heal the World the same way a little girl loves cockroaches.
Why AI notetakers are raising serious privacy and security concerns
China's low-cost AI models are changing the global AI race. Here's why Silicon Valley is worried
China's Kimi K3 challenges US AI leaders with frontier-level performance at lower cost
How did Instagram run ads promoting child abuse in India?
Why has India halted WhatsApp’s username feature before launch?