To ease the process for developers, Microsoft has made some changes to streamline the onboarding and publishing process of its Windows Store.
This update gives developers more control in choosing the release date of their apps. In the past, apps went live in the store as soon as the certification and publishing process were completed. Now, developers can choose the date, hour and time zone. In addition, the release date can be changed while an application is in the certification process instead of having to repeat the process.
“This is handy if your plans change after you’ve already submitted the app, or if you find you need a little more time to prepare for its launch,” according to the Windows App Builder blog. “As long as the app hasn’t yet entered the Signing and Publishing phase, you can choose a new date (and time) for the app’s release.”
According to the blog, if a developer wants to remove an app from the Windows Store, now he or she has the ability to remove it at any time by clicking “remove this app’s listing” in the “manage availability” section of the “app details” page in the dashboard. To restore an app’s availability, developers just have to click “restore this app’s listing.”
“It’s important to remember that removing an app’s listing means that your app is no longer available for new customers to download,” according to the blog. “Your app’s existing customers can continue to use it, although they’ll no longer be able to make any in-app purchases.”
Also in this update was the version 5.0 release of the certification requirements. They have been updated to simplify the certification process “while still maintaining appropriate levels of app quality,” according to the blog. A full summary of changes in the certification requirements can be found here.
