Microsoft Is Changing How App Reviews Are Managed And Displayed

With the release of Windows 10, Microsoft introduced an updated app store for the desktop. And earlier this year, the company made changes behind the scenes to improve the accuracy of rankings, search enhancements, and the support process.

The company announced today further changes to the way they work with app store developers, specifically, changes to the app review management and display process. Starting in March, reviews created by customers who are running the Windows 10 preview builds in the Slow ring, will start showing up in the Dev Center and in the store.

Reviews from users who are in the Fast ring will still continue to be hidden from public view.

Microsoft says that, based on their data, reviews from Slow ring users are not statistically different than reviews from those running the public release builds. Therefore, by including these additional reviews, it gives users who are shopping for apps more data to help determine if they are going to purchase an app.

If you are a developer and you are still having issues with finding your app in the store, Microsoft recommends you submit a support ticket with your app ID and a direct link to your app and the company will assist you with making your app more visible. Seeing as the company is offering this advice, even though they made enhancements to the search algorithms in the past few months, it seems like there are still lingering visibility issues.

You can read the app review changes blog post, here.