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The New York Times Gives Up on Its Windows App

No universal app planned by the newspaper, it seems

Aug 16, 2016 05:49 GMT  ·  By
The NYT might never come back to Windows 10
   The NYT might never come back to Windows 10

It’s a tough week for Windows users, including here not only those who own a smartphone running Microsoft’s operating system but also PC customers who rely a lot on Windows Store apps.

After both MyFitnessPal and Amtrak announced their departures from Windows phones, The New York Times is doing the same thing, only that this decision concerns PCs and tablets that were running its store app. The New York Times does not have a Windows Phone app, so with this move, the newspaper is leaving Windows completely.

As was the case with the other departures, the New York Times is recommending users to turn to its websites to read the news, although everybody knows that an app comes in handier than firing up the browser and connecting to various services.

“The New York Times will no longer support the NYTimes app for Windows tablet and desktop. You can access a more complete version of The New York Times through your device’s browser at our website, nytimes.com,” the company told subscribers in a notification message. “The NYTimes website includes the same content as the app, plus interactive articles, expanded video features and richer article content.”

Launched in 2012 with Windows 8

Seeing the New York Times leaving Windows is a bit surprising, especially because the company launched its app with much fanfare in 2012, when Microsoft introduced Windows 8, explaining that it was betting big on Redmond’s modern platform and its growing potential.

But now it seems like Windows Store apps are still failing to gain traction, despite the fact that Microsoft is pushing so hard for their adoption. Many, counting here some developers, think that apps available in the store, including here universal apps, are more appropriate for mobile phones, and only a few of those on PCs are actually using them.

At this point, Windows 10 is running on more than 350 million devices, according to Microsoft’s figures, so it’s very clear that the Store still hasn’t reached its full potential. It remains to be seen if the New York Times will return in the future with a universal app. Still, for the moment, it could be another sign that the universal app strategy isn’t exactly working.