14 DAY TRIAL // Earlier today, we've learned that MyFitnessPal is pulling its app from the Windows Phone store, citing the low usage as the main culprit, and now it turns out that another company is doing the same thing for the exact same reason.
Amtrak, which is the company behind the US national railroad system, has decided to shut down its Windows Phone app for a well-founded reason: nobody seems to be using it anymore, so it doesn’t make sense to continue updating and investing in its development. Of course, Android and iOS clients will continue to be available and receive updates.
Just use the browser if you miss the app
As far as Windows Phone users are concerned, their only way to access the service is to point their browsers to the official Amtrak website, which, according to the company, provides all the functionality of the app anyway, so they won’t feel like missing anything.
“Due to low levels of use by customers, Amtrak has decided to shutdown the Windows Phone version of the mobile app. Launched in December 2013, the app was well received by customers but the Windows Phone platform itself has not gained traction and is used by less than 1% of Amtrak customers,” an announcement released by Amtrak reads (via WindowsCentral).
“The app will be removed from the Microsoft Marketplace on Saturday, August 13, 2016 and server support disabled on Sunday, August 14, 2016. Customers using Windows Phones who attempt to use the app to check train status, search for available tickets or login to their accounts will receive a message informing them that support has ended and to visit Amtak.com (accessible through the browser on the phone).”
The number of apps pulled from the Windows Phone store is growing every week, and unfortunately, more important developers seem to follow this trend. PayPal, Amazon, and others are leaving Windows Phone, and nobody seems to be able to stop them from this - not even Microsoft, as the company itself isn’t quite willing to share too many details on what’s being planned for the future of the platform.