Configure precise release scheduling

The Schedule section on the Pricing and availability page lets you set the precise date and time that your app should become available in the Store, giving you greater flexibility and the ability to customize dates for different markets.

A screenshot of the Pricing and availability section showing precise release scheduling options.

Note

Although this topic refers to apps, release scheduling for add-on submissions uses the same process. You can additionally opt to set a date when the product should no longer be available in the Store. Note that this means that the product can no longer be found in the Store via searching or browsing, but any customer with a direct link can see the product's Store listing. They can only download it if they already own the product or if they have a promotional code and are using a Windows 10 or Windows 11 device.

By default (unless you have selected one of the Make this app available but not discoverable in the Store options in the Visibility section), your app will be available to customers as soon as it passes certification and complete the publishing process. To choose other dates, select Show options to expand this section.

Note that you won't be able to configure dates in the Schedule section if you have selected one of the Make this app available but not discoverable in the Store options in the Visibility section, because your app won't be released to customers, so there is no release date to configure.

Important

The dates you specify in the Schedule section only apply to customers on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

If your previously-published app supports earlier OS versions, any Stop acquisition date you select will not apply to those customers; they will still be able to acquire the app (unless you submit an update with a new selection in the Visibility section, or if you select Make app unavailable from the App overview page).

Base schedule

Selections you make for the Base schedule will apply to all markets in which your app is available, unless you later add dates for specific markets (or market groups) by selecting Customize for specific markets.

You’ll see two options here: Release and Stop acquisition.

Release

In the Release drop-down, you can set when you want your app to be available in the Store. This means that the app is discoverable in the Store via searching or browsing, and that customers can view its Store listing and acquire the app.

Note

After your app has been published and has become available in the Store, you will no longer be able to select a Release date (since the app will already have been released). Here are the options you can configure for a product’s Release schedule:

  • as soon as possible: The product will release as soon as it is certified and published. This is the default option.
  • at: The product will release on the date and time that you select. You additionally have two options:
    • UTC: The time you select will be Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) time, so that the app releases at the same time everywhere.
    • Local: The time you select will be the used in each time zone associated with a market. (Note that for markets that include more than one time zone, only one time zone in that market will be used. For the United States, the Eastern time zone is used. A comprehensive list of time zones is shown further down this page.)

Stop acquisition

In the Stop acquisition dropdown, you can set a date and time when you want to stop allowing new customers to acquire it from the Store or discover its listing. This can be useful if you want to precisely control when an app will no longer be offered to new customers, such as when you are coordinating availability between more than one of your apps.

By default, Stop acquisition is set to never. To change this, select at in the drop-down and specify a date and time, as described above. At the date and time you select, customers will no longer be able to acquire the app.

It's important to understand that this option has the same impact as selecting Make this app discoverable but not available in the Visibility section and choosing Stop acquisition: Any customer with a direct link can see the product’s Store listing, but they can only download it if they owned the product before, or have a promotional code and are using a Windows 10 or Windows 11 device. To completely stop offering an app to new customers, click Make app unavailable from the App overview page. For more info, see Removing an app from the Store.

Tip

If you select a date to Stop acquisition, and later decide you'd like to make the app available again, you can create a new submission and change Stop acquisition back to Never. The app will become available again after your updated submission is published.

Customize the schedule for specific markets

By default, the options you select above will apply to all markets in which your app is offered. To customize the price for specific markets, click Customize for specific markets. The Market selection pop-up window will appear, listing all of the markets in which you’ve chosen to make your app available. If you excluded any markets in the Markets section, those markets will not be shown.

To add a schedule for one market, select it and click Create. You’ll then see the same Release and Stop acquisition options described above, but the selections you make will only apply to that market.

To add a schedule that will apply to multiple markets, you’ll create a market group. To do so, select the markets you wish to include, then enter a name for the group. (This name is for your reference only and won’t be visible to any customers.) For example, if you want to create a market group for North America, you can select Canada, Mexico, and United States, and name it North America or another name that you choose. When you’re finished creating your market group, click Create. You’ll then see the same Release and Stop acquisition options described above, but the selections you make will only apply to that market group.

To add a custom schedule for an additional market, or an additional market group, just click Customize for specific markets again and repeat these steps. To change the markets included in a market group, select its name. To remove the custom schedule for a market group (or individual market), click Remove.

Note

A market can’t belong to more than one of the market groups you use in the Schedule section.

Global Time Zones

Below is a table that shows what specific time zones are used in each market, so when your submission uses local time (e.g. release at 9am local), you can find out what time will it be released in each market, in particular helpful with markets that have more than one time zone, like Canada.

Market Time Zone
Afghanistan (UTC+04:30) Kabul
Albania (UTC+01:00) Sarajevo, Skopje, Warsaw, Zagreb
Algeria (UTC+01:00) Sarajevo, Skopje, Warsaw, Zagreb
American Samoa (UTC+13:00) Samoa
Andorra (UTC+01:00) Sarajevo, Skopje, Warsaw, Zagreb
Angola (UTC+01:00) West Central Africa
Anguilla (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Antarctica (UTC+12:00) Auckland, Wellington
Antigua and Barbuda (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Argentina (UTC-03:00) City of Buenos Aires
Armenia (UTC+04:00) Abu Dhabi, Muscat
Aruba (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Australia (UTC+10:00) Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Austria (UTC+01:00) Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna
Azerbaijan (UTC+04:00) Baku
Bahamas, The (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Bahrain (UTC+04:00) Abu Dhabi, Muscat
Bangladesh (UTC+06:00) Dhaka
Barbados (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Belarus (UTC+03:00) Minsk
Belgium (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris
Belize (UTC-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada)
Benin (UTC+01:00) West Central Africa
Bermuda (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Bhutan (UTC+06:00) Dhaka
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (UTC-04:00) Caracas
Bolivia (UTC-04:00) Georgetown, La Paz, Manaus, San Juan
Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Bosnia and Herzegovina (UTC+01:00) Sarajevo, Skopje, Warsaw, Zagreb
Botswana (UTC+01:00) West Central Africa
Bouvet Island (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
Brazil (UTC-03:00) Brasilia
British Indian Ocean Territory (UTC+06:00) Dhaka
British Virgin Islands (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Brunei (UTC+08:00) Irkutsk
Bulgaria (UTC+02:00) Chisinau
Burkina Faso (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
Burundi (UTC+02:00) Harare, Pretoria
Côte d'Ivoire (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
Cambodia (UTC+07:00) Bangkok, Hanoi, Jakarta
Cameroon (UTC+01:00) West Central Africa
Canada (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Cabo Verde (UTC-01:00) Cabo Verde Is.
Cayman Islands (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Central African Republic (UTC+01:00) West Central Africa
Chad (UTC+01:00) West Central Africa
Chile (UTC-04:00) Santiago
China (UTC+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi
Christmas Island (UTC+07:00) Krasnoyarsk
Cocos (Keeling) Islands (UTC+06:30) Yangon (Rangoon)
Colombia (UTC-05:00) Bogota, Lima, Quito, Rio Branco
Comoros (UTC+03:00) Nairobi
Congo (UTC+01:00) West Central Africa
Congo (DRC) (UTC+01:00) West Central Africa
Cook Islands (UTC-10:00) Hawaii
Costa Rica (UTC-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada)
Croatia (UTC+01:00) Sarajevo, Skopje, Warsaw, Zagreb
Curaçao (UTC-04:00) Cuiaba
Cyprus (UTC+02:00) Chisinau
Czechia (UTC+01:00) Belgrade, Bratislava, Budapest, Ljubljana, Prague
Denmark (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris
Djibouti (UTC+03:00) Nairobi
Dominica (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Dominican Republic (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Ecuador (UTC-05:00) Bogota, Lima, Quito, Rio Branco
Egypt (UTC+02:00) Chisinau
El Salvador (UTC-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada)
Equatorial Guinea (UTC+01:00) West Central Africa
Eritrea (UTC+03:00) Nairobi
Estonia (UTC+02:00) Chisinau
Ethiopia (UTC+03:00) Nairobi
Falkland Islands (UTC-04:00) Santiago
Faroe Islands (UTC+00:00) Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London
Fiji (UTC+12:00) Fiji
Finland (UTC+02:00) Helsinki, Kyiv, Riga, Sofia, Tallinn, Vilnius
France (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris
French Guiana (UTC-03:00) Cayenne, Fortaleza
French Polynesia (UTC-10:00) Hawaii
French Southern and Antarctic Lands (UTC+05:00) Ashgabat, Tashkent
Gabon (UTC+01:00) West Central Africa
Gambia, The (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
Georgia (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Germany (UTC+01:00) Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna
Ghana (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
Gibraltar (UTC+01:00) Sarajevo, Skopje, Warsaw, Zagreb
Greece (UTC+02:00) Athens, Bucharest
Greenland (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
Grenada (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Guadeloupe (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Guam (UTC+10:00) Guam, Port Moresby
Guatemala (UTC-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada)
Guernsey (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
Guinea (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
Guinea-Bissau (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
Guyana (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Haiti (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Heard Island and McDonald Islands (UTC-05:00) Bogota, Lima, Quito, Rio Branco
Holy See (Vatican City) (UTC+01:00) Sarajevo, Skopje, Warsaw, Zagreb
Honduras (UTC-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada)
Hong Kong SAR (UTC+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi
Hungary (UTC+01:00) Belgrade, Bratislava, Budapest, Ljubljana, Prague
Iceland (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
India (UTC+05:30) Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi
Indonesia (UTC+07:00) Bangkok, Hanoi, Jakarta
Iraq (UTC+04:00) Abu Dhabi, Muscat
Ireland (UTC+00:00) Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London
Israel (UTC+02:00) Jerusalem
Italy (UTC+01:00) Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna
Jamaica (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Japan (UTC+09:00) Osaka, Sapporo, Tokyo
Jersey (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
Jordan (UTC+02:00) Chisinau
Kazakhstan (UTC+05:00) Ashgabat, Tashkent
Kenya (UTC+03:00) Nairobi
Kiribati (UTC+14:00) Kiritimati Island
Korea (UTC+09:00) Seoul
Kuwait (UTC+04:00) Abu Dhabi, Muscat
Kyrgyzstan (UTC+06:00) Nur-Sultan
Laos (UTC+07:00) Bangkok, Hanoi, Jakarta
Latvia (UTC+02:00) Chisinau
Lesotho (UTC+02:00) Harare, Pretoria
Liberia (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
Libya (UTC+02:00) Chisinau
Liechtenstein (UTC+01:00) Sarajevo, Skopje, Warsaw, Zagreb
Lithuania (UTC+02:00) Chisinau
Luxembourg (UTC+01:00) Sarajevo, Skopje, Warsaw, Zagreb
Macao SAR (UTC+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi
Madagascar (UTC+03:00) Nairobi
Malawi (UTC+02:00) Harare, Pretoria
Malaysia (UTC+08:00) Kuala Lumpur, Singapore
Maldives (UTC+05:00) Ashgabat, Tashkent
Mali (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
Malta (UTC+01:00) Sarajevo, Skopje, Warsaw, Zagreb
Man, Isle of (UTC+00:00) Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London
Marshall Islands (UTC+12:00) Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - Old
Martinique (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Mauritania (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
Mauritius (UTC+04:00) Port Louis
Mayotte (UTC+03:00) Nairobi
Mexico (UTC-06:00) Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey
Micronesia (UTC+10:00) Guam, Port Moresby
Moldova (UTC+02:00) Chisinau
Monaco (UTC+01:00) Sarajevo, Skopje, Warsaw, Zagreb
Mongolia (UTC+07:00) Krasnoyarsk
Montenegro (UTC+01:00) Sarajevo, Skopje, Warsaw, Zagreb
Montserrat (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Morocco (UTC+01:00) Casablanca
Mozambique (UTC+02:00) Harare, Pretoria
Myanmar (UTC+06:30) Yangon (Rangoon)
Namibia (UTC+01:00) Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna
Nauru (UTC+12:00) Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - Old
Nepal (UTC+05:45) Kathmandu
Netherlands (UTC+01:00) Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna
New Caledonia (UTC+11:00) Solomon Is., New Caledonia
New Zealand (UTC+12:00) Auckland, Wellington
Nicaragua (UTC-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada)
Niger (UTC+01:00) West Central Africa
Nigeria (UTC+01:00) West Central Africa
Niue (UTC+13:00) Samoa
Norfolk Island (UTC+11:00) Solomon Is., New Caledonia
North Macedonia (UTC+01:00) Sarajevo, Skopje, Warsaw, Zagreb
Northern Mariana Islands (UTC+10:00) Guam, Port Moresby
Norway (UTC+01:00) Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna
Oman (UTC+04:00) Abu Dhabi, Muscat
Pakistan (UTC+05:00) Islamabad, Karachi
Palau (UTC+09:00) Osaka, Sapporo, Tokyo
Palestinian Authority (UTC+02:00) Chisinau
Panama (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Papua New Guinea (UTC+10:00) Vladivostok
Paraguay (UTC-04:00) Asuncion
Peru (UTC-05:00) Bogota, Lima, Quito, Rio Branco
Philippines (UTC+08:00) Kuala Lumpur, Singapore
Pitcairn Islands (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)
Poland (UTC+01:00) Belgrade, Bratislava, Budapest, Ljubljana, Prague
Portugal (UTC+00:00) Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London
Qatar (UTC+04:00) Abu Dhabi, Muscat
Reunion (UTC+04:00) Port Louis
Romania (UTC+02:00) Chisinau
ROW (UTC-07:00) Mountain Time (US & Canada)
Russia (UTC+03:00) Moscow, St. Petersburg
Rwanda (UTC+02:00) Harare, Pretoria
São Tomé and Príncipe (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
Saint Barthélemy (UTC+04:00) Yerevan
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (UTC+00:00) Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London
Saint Kitts and Nevis (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Saint Lucia (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Saint Martin (French Part) (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon (UTC-02:00) Mid-Atlantic - Old
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Samoa (UTC+13:00) Samoa
San Marino (UTC+01:00) Sarajevo, Skopje, Warsaw, Zagreb
Saudi Arabia (UTC+03:00) Kuwait, Riyadh
Senegal (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
Serbia (UTC+01:00) Sarajevo, Skopje, Warsaw, Zagreb
Seychelles (UTC+04:00) Abu Dhabi, Muscat
Sierra Leone (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
Singapore (UTC+08:00) Kuala Lumpur, Singapore
Sint Maarten (Dutch Part) (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Slovakia (UTC+01:00) Belgrade, Bratislava, Budapest, Ljubljana, Prague
Slovenia (UTC+01:00) Sarajevo, Skopje, Warsaw, Zagreb
Solomon Islands (UTC+11:00) Solomon Is., New Caledonia
Somalia (UTC+03:00) Nairobi
South Africa (UTC+02:00) Harare, Pretoria
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (UTC-02:00) Mid-Atlantic - Old
Spain (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris
Sri Lanka (UTC+05:30) Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi
Suriname (UTC-03:00) Cayenne, Fortaleza
Svalbard and Jan Mayen (UTC+01:00) Sarajevo, Skopje, Warsaw, Zagreb
Swaziland (UTC+02:00) Harare, Pretoria
Sweden (UTC+01:00) Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna
Switzerland (UTC+01:00) Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna
Taiwan (UTC+08:00) Taipei
Tajikistan (UTC+05:00) Ashgabat, Tashkent
Tanzania (UTC+03:00) Nairobi
Thailand (UTC+07:00) Bangkok, Hanoi, Jakarta
Timor-Leste (UTC+09:00) Seoul
Togo (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
Tokelau (UTC+13:00) Nuku'alofa
Tonga (UTC+13:00) Nuku'alofa
Trinidad and Tobago (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Tunisia (UTC+01:00) Sarajevo, Skopje, Warsaw, Zagreb
Türkiye (UTC+03:00) Istanbul
Turkmenistan (UTC+05:00) Ashgabat, Tashkent
Turks and Caicos Islands (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Tuvalu (UTC+12:00) Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - Old
U.S. Minor Outlying Islands (UTC+13:00) Samoa
U.S. Virgin Islands (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Uganda (UTC+03:00) Nairobi
Ukraine (UTC+02:00) Chisinau
United Arab Emirates (UTC+04:00) Abu Dhabi, Muscat
United Kingdom (UTC+00:00) Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London
United States (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Uruguay (UTC-03:00) Brasilia
Uzbekistan (UTC+05:00) Ashgabat, Tashkent
Vanuatu (UTC+11:00) Solomon Is., New Caledonia
Vietnam (UTC+07:00) Bangkok, Hanoi, Jakarta
Wallis and Futuna (UTC+12:00) Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - Old
Yemen (UTC+04:00) Abu Dhabi, Muscat
Zambia (UTC+02:00) Harare, Pretoria
Zimbabwe (UTC+02:00) Harare, Pretoria

Important

Release schedules are currently not available for MSI and EXE apps.