How To Access Windows 8 Apps

Windows 8.1 Tip: Find Your Installed Apps

Windows 8.1 Tip: Notice Your Installed Apps

A curious change from the original shipping version of Windows viii/RT

Information technology sounds silly, but ane of the problems with Windows 8.1 is that the Os no longer pins newly installed apps on your Offset screen. So y'all need to know where to find these apps, and then how to pivot them to the Offset screen—or, in the case of desktop apps, to your taskbar—then you can access them more easily going forwards.

Why would Microsoft brand such a change? The issue was that with the initial shipping version of Windows eight, legacy desktop applications could spew numerous tiles on the Beginning screen when installed; two notable examples are Role and Visual Studio. This wasn't an effect with Metro apps, which were merely allowed to place i tile on the First screen at install fourth dimension.

Obviously, Microsoft decided to "fix" this issue by going in the exact reverse direction: Amazing, no tiles appear on the First screen when yous install a Metro or desktop app in Windows viii.one.

Of form, most people volition wait to have installed apps be pinned for easy access from the Start screen (Metro and/or desktop) or taskbar (desktop apps only). Unfortunately, y'all demand to do this yourself.

Here'southward how.

Offset, install an app. Any app. Desktop or Metro, doesn't matter. If it's a Metro app, you will of course see an app installed notification.

But information technology doesn't announced on the Start screen. And then you lot must instead admission the Apps view, which is found "below" the Commencement screen. To go there, swipe upwards from the bottom of the screen with a touch-based system. Or mouse downward to the lower left corner of the Start screen and click the downward arrow that appears.

The Apps view appears.

Apps y'all have recently installed take the text "NEW" side by side to their name. But really finding a newly-installed app can exist difficult if yous have a lot of apps already installed, as I exercise.

A few tips for finding the app. You lot tin can apply Search, upwards in the right corner of the Apps view, if you know the name, though it's worth noting that some apps use casuistic names; Visual Studio Express for Windows Phone, for case, identifies itself as VS Express for Windows Phone for some reason. Or, you tin sort the Apps view by Recently installed to put those apps right at the front of the list.

To pivot the app to the Beginning screen or taskbar, select the app—mouse users can use a right-click—and then choose Pin to Start or Pin to Taskbar from the app bar that appears. (Remember: Metro apps can just be pinned to the Kickoff screen.)