Deploy Windows Store Apps via Intune

This blog post is my take on how to Deploy Windows Store Apps via Intune. This feature makes it much easier to deploy apps via Intune. Intune provides all apps that are available in the winget repository and you can easily select them via a very large software catalog in Intune. This saves the cumbersome packaging of apps. In this blog post we will have a look how you can use this nice feature, what the prerequisites are, and what happens behind the scenes when you Deploy Windows Store Apps via Intune.

Why Deploy Windows Store Apps via Intune?

Before this integration, admins had to manually package every application, build an .intunewin file, and maintain detection rules. When you Deploy Windows Store Apps via Intune, all of that disappears. The new Microsoft Store app (new) type uses winget under the hood, so Intune pulls the package directly from the official winget repository. That means automatic updates, clean uninstall behavior, and no manual repackaging. For most line-of-business and productivity tools, the ability to Deploy Windows Store Apps via Intune is the fastest and most reliable path to a managed software catalog.

You can read more about the underlying mechanism in the official documentation on Microsoft Learn, which explains how the Microsoft Store app (new) type maps to winget. If you are new to application management in Intune, you may also want to read my earlier guide on jannikreinhard.com covering Intune app deployment basics.

What is winget?

Winget is a command-line package manager for Windows. It allows users to discover, install, upgrade, and remove applications on their Windows devices. winget is designed to be a lightweight and efficient way to manage applications on Windows, and is intended to be used by advanced users and developers. Because the Store integration relies on winget, understanding how it works helps you troubleshoot whenever you Deploy Windows Store Apps via Intune.

To install an app using winget, you will need to use the following command:

winget install <app-name>

Replace <app-name> with the name of the app you want to install. For example, to install the app “7-Zip,” you would use the following command:

winget install 7-Zip

winget will search the available repositories for the app you specified, and if it is found, will install it on your system. This is exactly the same source Intune uses, which is why the experience is so consistent when you Deploy Windows Store Apps via Intune from the admin center.

How can you install apps via the new Windows Store integration in Intune

The workflow to Deploy Windows Store Apps via Intune is short and intuitive. Follow the steps below and you will have your first app assigned in a couple of minutes.

• Open the Intune Console
• Navigate to Apps -> Windows

• Select + Add
• Select Microsoft Store app (new) -> Select

• Click Search the Microsoft Store app (new)

• Search for the App you want to install in my case PowerBi
• Click Select

• Adapt the app information (optional you can also add an app icon)
• Click Next

• Create a required or available assignment
• Click Next

• Click Create

Tips before you Deploy Windows Store Apps via Intune

A few practical tips will help you get the most out of this feature. First, always test a new package on a pilot group before you roll it out broadly. Second, remember that the app version is managed by winget, so updates flow automatically once you Deploy Windows Store Apps via Intune. Third, use the required assignment for mandatory tooling and the available assignment for self-service through the Company Portal. With these habits in place, the decision to Deploy Windows Store Apps via Intune becomes a safe, repeatable, and fully managed process across your entire device fleet.

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