14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 10 comes with quite a lot of improvements and one of the best things is the possibility to launch Metro apps right on the desktop.
Thanks to this new change, users can now place shortcuts for Metro apps right on the desktop and launch them with ease, just like it’s the case of traditional software running on the desktop natively.
As you might know, Metro apps weren’t quite well received in Windows 8 and that was actually one of the biggest problems for Microsoft. Users criticized the company for focusing so much on the touch environment that they almost forgot about Metro apps, as many considered them more appropriate for tablets rather than for PCs.
Windows 8.1 improved things a little bit by adding more customization options for the Start screen and a Start button to ease the transition from the desktop to the Modern UI, but Windows 10 comes to make things even better for PC users.
Windowed apps for the win
In Windows 10, it’s finally possible to launch Metro apps right on the desktop in their very own windows, just like it’s the case with traditional software.
Modern apps can also be resized, while the charms have been directly integrated into their interface for easier access with a mouse.
The very same features were announced by Microsoft at the BUILD developer conference in April this year, but while the company initially said that they could be part of a second Windows 8.1 update, things have since changed and all improvements were introduced in Windows 10.
How to create the shortcuts
Basically, all you need to do to create a desktop shortcut for the Modern apps is launch the Start menu and drag its icon to the desktop.
As Neowin writes, the same can be used for pretty much any Modern app on your PC, no matter if you have a live tile on the Start menu or not.
If you do not have a live tile for your app and you can’t find it anywhere, use the search button in the Start menu to look for it and once found, simply drag its icon to the desktop.
As you can see, everything is quite simple and it doesn’t take more than just a few seconds. Needless to say, it’s just another helpful addition that should enhance working on the desktop and there’s no doubt that many users will be really pleased with it.