Windows 10 Cloud will let you install Win32 apps from the Windows Store only
3 min. read
Updated on
Share this article
Improve this guide
Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help MSPoweruser sustain the editorial team Read more
Microsoft is working on a new SKU for Windows 10 called Cloud, and that’s been known for a while now. Microsoft is yet to officially announce Windows 10 Cloud, but there have been a couple of reports on the upcoming version of Windows 10 which gives us a pretty good idea of what it likely will be. Windows 10 Cloud, for those who don’t know, will allow users to only download apps from the Windows Store — meaning that you won’t be able to install the classic Windows apps such as Skype desktop, Google Chrome, Spotify, etc.
When Windows 10 Cloud initially leaked, it was reported that Windows 10 Cloud also won’t allow users to download Win32 apps from the Windows Store. And now, it looks like that isn’t the case. In a recently leaked build of Windows 10 Cloud, users can download and install Win32 apps from the Windows Store. As you can see in the screenshot above, I was able to install Tweeten from the Windows Store. Tweeten was released on the Windows Store using Microsoft’s Desktop App Converter that lets Win32 app developers bring their apps to the Store, in case you’re wondering.
When you try to install a Win32 app downloaded from the internet, you will get a dialog saying that the app isn’t “designed” for Windows 10 Cloud. Interestingly enough, Microsoft is showing a special dialog for users who try to download Google Chrome — mentioning Microsoft Edge’s extra security, performance and power usage features:
Windows 10 Cloud will be a major competitor for Google’s Chromebooks if Microsoft and its OEM partners start selling cheaper Windows 10 device running Cloud in the near-future. Moreover, if Windows 10 Cloud takes off, it might help the Windows Store gain a lot of powerful apps in the future. For example, companies like Google or Spotify would want all of their users to be able to use their services on their Windows 10 device — and to make sure Windows 10 Cloud users don’t miss out, they might bring their Win32 apps to the Windows Store which is going to benefit Microsoft quite a lot.
Windows 10 Cloud will still allow users to upgrade to a more powerful version of Windows 10 such as the Pro SKU at a price, which some users might need to do if they really want to be able to run the classic Win32 apps on their device.
Disclaimer: Tweeten is a free app developed by me.
