Find Windows 8 Apps

If you want more apps, you can go to the Windows store. In the store, you can find free apps, or apps to buy.

In the Windows Store, there are two types of tiles – app tiles, and category tiles such as New Releases.

1. To open the Windows Store, click or tap the tile () on the Start screen.

2. The Windows Store opens to the home page of the Windows Store. Scroll sideways to see more categories.
   
   Figure 1: Navigating the Store
   

3. Tiles for individual apps show the name and logo for the app, as well as the price and current rating. Category tiles such as New Releases display a title or graphic.
   
   Figure 2: Windows Store Hompage
   
   1. Category Tiles
   
   2. Individual Apps

4. To browse all of the apps that fall into a category, click or tap the category name, such as Games.
   
   Figure 3: Viewing a Category
   

5. To search in a category, click or tap All subcategories. Choose a subcategory such as Card to browse all the card games.
   
   Figure 4: Selecting a Sugcategory
    
   
   NOTE: These subcategories will be different, based on the category you are searching. For small categories, the subcategory setting might not be available.

6. For more information about an app, click the tile.
   
   Figure 5: Search Results
   

7. On this page, you can find more information or purchase and install the app. When you click or tap Install, text displays on the upper right corner indicating that the installation is in progress.
   
   Figure 6: Installing an App
   

8. When the installation is complete, Windows displays a notification stating that the app was installed and adds a tile to the Start screen. Click or tap the tile to open the new app.
   
   Figure 7: New App on Start screen
   

9. To keep your apps updated, check the lower-right corner of the tile for the Windows Store.
   
   Figure 8: Updating Apps
   

10. If updates are available, open the Store and click or tap Update in the upper-right corner to see a list of the updates. Click or tap Select All and then click or tap Install.
    
    FIgure 9: Updating Apps Cont.
    

11. Windows displays a list of the apps that are being updated.
    
    Figure 10: Installing App Updates
    

12. You can go on to your next task and Windows will notify you when the update is complete.
    
    Figure 11: Update Notification
    
    
    NOTE: You can also search for apps by using the Search charm. If you do this while inside the Windows Store, you automatically search the Store instead of the computer.
    
    Figure 12: Using the Search Charm in the Windows Store
    
    
    
     
    
    

The Maps app provides a touch-centric interface for Bing Maps on a computer running Windows 8. This includes key features of Bing Maps, such as driving directions, traffic and aerial view.

The People app connects to your email and social accounts, bringing together all your contacts (and what they’re up to) in one convenient place. All your personal and work contacts are there, live with their social activities and photos, letting you instantly engage and react to them.

The Calendar app is part of the Windows 8 Communications apps - Mail, Calendar, People and Messaging. These four apps are designed to help you stay organized and connected with the people in your life.

If you have more than one calendar, such as Hotmail, Outlook, or Google, you can view them all by adding the account to the Calendar app. Use the Settings charm to add accounts and set calendar options and permissions.

SkyDrive, a virtual hard drive in the cloud, is a core part of the Windows 8 experience.  Documents can be accessed from any connected device, using a Windows Phone, Android or iPhone.

The Photos app brings all your photos together in one place―collecting them from Facebook, Flickr or SkyDrive.  The Photos tile displays your photos on the Start screen and integrates seamlessly with the People app using the charms bar.

The Messaging app enables you to easily chat with your friends in Messenger and Facebook. Organized by conversation and available off-line, the Messenger app can be snapped to the Start screen in portrait orientation.

The Mail app is a modern email experience for Windows 8 that embodies the new Start screen style design principles. It is fast and fluid, works great with touch as well as with a keyboard and mouse, allows you to focus on your content, and provides the right features at the right time.

With the Camera app, you can take photos or shoot video using the camera in your computer or with an external USB webcam. When you open the app, the camera displays an image preview. Tap or click anywhere on the screen to take a picture.

Your pictures and videos are saved to the Webcam folder in your Pictures library. Pictures are saved as a JPEG. Videos are saved as MP4.

The Music and Video apps are a great way to access the Xbox Music and Xbox Video Marketplaces, as well as providing a touch friendly experience for your local media. These apps also allow you to play media on the Xbox 360® and use the touch interface to navigate the Xbox 360 dashboard.

The Finance app provides information and news about business and the stock market. The data in the app is updated every 15 minutes. The data on the Finance tile on the Start screen is updated every 30 minutes. Click or tap the tile to open the app.

Travel is very useful for finding vacation spots and information about flights and hotels at your destination. Use this app to plan and book your vacation from start to finish, and then find out what to see and do once you are there.

The Weather app provides a tile on the Start screen for viewing weather information, focused on weather in your location. From the Start screen, you can swipe or scroll to view additional information about the city you are viewing, such as the hourly forecast, weather maps, and historical weather data.