14 DAY TRIAL // They say the lack of apps continues to be one of the main problems of Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile, and this is one of the reasons Microsoft considered bringing Android apps on its new platform.
But before bringing Android apps to Windows 10 users, Microsoft has another problem to address: the number of spam apps in the stores.
We first reported on fake apps that reached the store soon after the Windows 8 launch in October 2012, and since then, we’ve frequently brought to light new applications that somehow get past Microsoft’s filters and show up in the store for download.
After many articles and complaints from users, Redmond finally cleaned the store and promised to pay more attention to quality rather than quantity. The same problem existed on Windows Phone too, and just like on the desktop, Redmond cleaned the store after reports went public.
New OS, old issue
But it appears that, with Windows 10, this issue is back, and a new report now shows that the problem is real, and mobile users are among those impacted.
The screenshot you see here shows the results of a typical search query in the Windows 10 Mobile store for “Traffic Rider,” a popular game whose name is being used by quite a lot of fake apps that are already available for download in the store.
Obviously, the biggest question here is how on Earth these apps actually get past Microsoft’s filters, especially given the fact that the company promised to block such attempts a long time ago. It’s clear that they’re fake by simply looking at their names, so blocking them should actually be piece of cake with the help of automated scripts.
Most likely, Microsoft will remove them in the coming hours or days, but for the moment, users’ only weapon is to report the listings and hope that the company will do better in the future. But the truth is, this is one very effective way to address the lack of apps.