Why is Microsoft making apps only for Android and iOS, and relegating Windows to web apps?

Why is Microsoft making apps only for Android and iOS, and relegating Windows to web apps? Some examples Microsoft Authenticator, Microsoft Azure Management App, Microsoft Stream, etc ... All of these should have been Windows apps first and then moved to other platforms, if Microsoft wants Windows to stay relevant . Look, the major competitors make their apps first on their own OS platforms and then move on to third party platforms. I'd just like some insight.

4 answers

Michael Taylor 54,316 Reputation points

2023-01-24T22:03:54.9566667+00:00

Many MS apps are Windows first (and sometimes) only. Many companies are moving away from platform-based apps and to web apps. This has literally been going on for decades and isn't new. Why build an app for a specific platform (Windows, Mac, Android, etc) when I can build a single web app that runs on all of them. Furthermore since it is a web app I can make updates to the app and I don't have to worry about customers needing to upgrade. Web apps are easier to build and maintain compared to the equivalent amount of effort needed to support multiple platforms.

The only time a web app doesn't make sense is when you need either platform-specific functionality or when the web simply cannot handle the requirements (which is becoming less and less of an issue). For example a program that is graphics card intensive wouldn't be doable in the web.

In some cases a platform-specific version may be provided as well if there are things an app can do to make it easier to use on the platform. For example MS Teams is a web app but also has platform-specific versions that allow better integration with the platform for those who want that. But each platform that is added increases costs and maintenance requirements so there really needs to be business justification for doing it.

As for the apps you mentioned. Microsoft Authenticator is for authenticating when you're not on Windows (which you'd already have credentials for). Therefore a "Windows" version would be redundant in my opinion.

All the Azure tools are web-based because Azure itself is a cloud service. There are Windows app that expose a subset of the Azure infrastructure in a Windows desktop version. OneDrive, Power BI, Outlook all come to mind here.

Never used MS Stream before but it is clearly a collaboration tool designed for SharePoint (which is a web app), Teams (which has both platform-specific and web apps) and Yammer (which is also web based). If you need to support web and Windows in your app then just building a web app makes the most sense and then integrating into apps as needed.
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Ján Krnáč 0 Reputation points

2024-08-29T12:06:32.6766667+00:00

Problem of web apps is that they taking like 3 times more energy than native apps. C++ and C# are simply much better than HTML and Java script for battery + web browser alone taking some energy and do not provide full access for OS tools. So MS hardware division maybe doing everything to get Windows on portable hardware but software division sabotaging it to them nicely.

Rajmund Dán 0 Reputation points

2024-09-23T08:49:15.41+00:00

Many MS apps are webapps only on Windows, while on Mac, Android etc., those platforms have native MS apps. Just like the new Windows App, it's a webapp on windows but on Macs it's a native application.
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Steskal, John (GE CoreTech & Cyber) 20 Reputation points

2023-01-24T22:07:42.5166667+00:00

Based on your answer there should be no use for Android or iOS apps either, hell get rid of the OS all together. To get people to use you platform and ecosystem you need to develop apps for it. Hence Microsoft needs to eat it's own dogfood again and make all apps Windows first, and everything else second.
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Michael Taylor 54,316 Reputation points

2023-01-24T22:36:25.4166667+00:00

You are entitled to your opinion and MS does make apps that don't run on other platforms. But if you were to get rid of Android/iOS apps then you'd lose features that those apps have that web apps don't, such as integration into the user's calendar and photos. If you want to take advantage of a platform's features then you have to build a platform-specific app. If you don't need any platform features then web apps are sufficient and, again, why many companies have moved to that approach. It is easier to manage.

Steskal, John (GE CoreTech & Cyber) 20 Reputation points

2023-01-24T23:22:08.3866667+00:00

That is my point, those same features exist on Windows, but since they are web app only for Windows you loose those features. Also, when I mentioned authenticator earlier it was due to the password management feature. They should have that either integrated in to Windows, or allow the app on it.
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S.Sengupta 18,656 Reputation points MVP

2023-01-25T01:11:58.56+00:00

I think using cross platform technologies will increase more popularity of Microsoft. With Windows 11, Microsoft adds built-in support for Android apps.
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Wesley Li-MSFT 4,481 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2023-01-26T03:48:05.0733333+00:00
Web applications have many benefits. Some common benefits include the following:

Multiple users can access the same version of an application.

Users don't need to install the app.

Users can access the app through various platforms such as a desktop, laptop or mobile.

Users can access the app through multiple browsers.
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Steskal, John (GE CoreTech & Cyber) 20 Reputation points

2023-01-26T14:00:37.7766667+00:00

That does not explain why there is a focus on third-party OSs before Windows. There are more Windows 10/11 devices than all iOS and MacOS devices combined. If you want to focus on web then that is fine, but it should be Web and Windows. Then it should be all other platforms. Windows needs to be the primary OS Microsoft is developing for if they want it to grow.

Michael Taylor 54,316 Reputation points

2023-01-26T15:35:16.1766667+00:00

Windows demand isn't going to grow. That is the same mentality that sunk many a great product historically. At some point the market is saturated and I'm pretty sure Windows is at that point (and likely has been for several years). Assuming that you have Windows-only apps and therefore Windows will grow is not business aware. Apple has Apple-only apps and their demand isn't growing because of the apps. It grows because of other reasons, price not being one of them.

Users want convenience and today that means mobile devices. Android, iOS are the mobile platforms and hence they are becoming more popular. If MS could get Windows on a mobile device and that device was significantly better than what is available today then you could get a demand. But MS has tried before (as have others) and it didn't pan out. It isn't sufficient to have awesome hardware but you also need awesome software. I don't know a single Apple person who would switch to Windows because of any of their apps. People want familiarity and usability. To get a platform to take off today you need a UX that people are already used to (runs on multiple platforms) AND already has all the apps that people are using today. The only way to do that is have a multi-platform (or web) apps, hence the desire to support multiple platforms.

Bear in mind that for most of MS existence they built Windows-only apps and Windows did grow but probably a decade or two ago other platforms became available and that is eating into the Windows share. Clearly having Windows-only apps won't increase Windows sales. That isn't how the market works.

Steskal, John (GE CoreTech & Cyber) 20 Reputation points

2023-01-26T15:46:05.5866667+00:00

Well mobile is at that same saturation point, and many people reach for their mobile device simply because the app exists there. That is what killed Windows Mobile, Microsoft didn't give the developers enough incentive to write for it, and Sataya killing it even though it had 10% worldwide market share. If you want to grow the market, you need to make something killer, and eat your own dog food. Windows can be both those things again if Microsoft would eat their own dogfood and write apps for Windows again as a priority.

Michael Taylor 54,316 Reputation points

2023-01-26T16:37:53.64+00:00

Windows mobile ran Windows apps so your argument that building apps for Windows only would lead to Windows mobile becoming popular doesn't really work. Building a web app that runs on all mobile devices and costs less is a better marketing move.

I think it is clear at this point that you are really just trying to argue your point that MS should build Windows apps first. No amount of counter arguments are going to change your mind and ultimately this is your opinion that I disagree with and neither is going to convince the other. Therefore I'm dropping off this conversation. Perhaps somebody else can provide you a better couterpoint.

Steskal, John (GE CoreTech & Cyber) 20 Reputation points

2023-01-26T21:59:45.4933333+00:00

I'm just trying to understand why Microsoft doesn't focus on their own products. They need to build Windows apps to keep the dev community engaged and expanding.
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Why is Microsoft making apps only for Android and iOS, and relegating Windows to web apps?

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