Microsoft today announced it is increasing the app roaming limit from five to 81 for both Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 on October 9. This means you’ll be able to install the same app from the Windows Store on more than just a handful of devices associated with a single Microsoft account.
Microsoft says this change is being implemented in direct response to users complaining about the five-app maximum:
Since we launched Windows 8, we heard growing feedback from many developers and from our most enthusiastic customers that the limit of 5 was not enough for their needs. Developers asked for more flexibility in implementing their business models, and customers wanted to run those apps on the variety of tablets, laptops and desktops they owned.
Yet at 81 devices (which is clearly a play on the Windows 8.1 name), the limit may seem a bit redundant. Yet Microsoft insists it’s there to protect the app builders’ investment and help “prevent abuse.”
Free apps that have any revenue streams, this change will have no effect. For apps that have ads, the new policy may end up being beneficial to their developers, assuming their app isn’t already free.
Yet for developers who have a business model that depends on limiting the service that can be accessed simultaneously on devices, Microsoft has a solution. The company provides a set of APIs to build a service-side verification to set that limit.
If you’re in this boat, you’ll want to check out the following links: Using receipts to verify purchases and Guidance on using the App Specific Hardware ID (ASHWID) to implement per-device app logic. You’ll also have to disclose the constraint you set to Windows Store customers and “set expectations appropriately,” Microsoft notes.
In its announcement post, Microsoft noted the word “friction” when describing Windows 8 users installing apps and that this tweak would reduce it. Clearly the company and third-party developers aren’t seeing the app installation numbers they would want, and before Windows 8.1′s release has been picked as the time to act.
See also – Microsoft announces 100k apps now in the Windows 8 App Store and Microsoft fails to screen over 100 fake Windows Store submissions under the guise of popular apps and games
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