14 DAY TRIAL // Reports that reached the web in the last few days revealed that Microsoft started removing apps without age ratings from the Windows Store, as it’s trying to offer a better experience to users who want to download content appropriate for their age.
The original announcement was made by Microsoft in the summer, but seeing some apps going away was a little bit surprising for both developers and users, especially because the cleaning process actually involved thousands of apps.
We’ve reached out to Microsoft to find out if this is true or not, and in a statement provided to us, the company confirms that it indeed removed some apps from the Windows Store because they didn’t comply with its policy.
Focus on quality
Here’s what the company told us today (we’ve left the links untouched because they could be helpful for developers who were impacted by this removal):
“As we’ve communicated over the last several months, Microsoft has adopted the simplified IARC rating system for app and game submissions to the Windows Store. All Windows Store content is certified by Microsoft to help ensure a quality experience and interact with content that is appropriate for you and your family. We periodically run tests and remove content that does not meet our quality certification. Please visit the Windows Developer blog for more on the IARC age rating system and visit this page for more on Windows Store policy.”
According to unofficial reports, Microsoft removed somewhere between 90,000 and 150,000 apps from the Windows Store, but the company refused to provide us with any specifics on this. Instead, a Microsoft spokesperson explained that the focus is now on quality and not on quantity, which certainly makes sense given the fact that the company wants Windows 10 to offer users the best possible experience.
“We aren’t disclosing exact numbers. However, we’re always working to provide the highest quality of apps to Windows Store customers, and are constantly looking for ways to improve the Store which includes implementing the IARC age rating system,” the spokesperson said.
The good thing is that Microsoft has only removed less-known apps, so all the big names are still there, as most famous developers already updated their apps with age ratings. Developers whose apps were removed can access the Dev Center to fill in the age ratings and have their apps listed back in the Store.