Windows 8.1 reportedly updates apps silently
Windows 8.1 updates apps automatically, according to some users playing with the latest build of the upcoming OS.
Updating apps in Windows 8.1 will apparently be a simpler process than it is in Windows 8.
Users who installed the latest Windows 8.1 build, known as 9385, discovered that several apps had automatically updated themselves in the background, according to blog site Winbeta. One of the apps that took care of its own update was a new one called Movie Moments, which lets people create and edit short video clips.
The new update process could be an improvement over the one in Windows 8. Currently, people are notified of new app updates but need to venture into the Windows Store to view and install them manually. Instead, Windows 8.1 would appear to treat app updates the same way it treats OS updates by silently installing them without involving the user.
Several builds of Windows 8.1 have leaked out over the past couple of months. The builds released so far have pointed to such changes as a Metro-based File Manager, greater Start screen customization, and a smaller search pane.
Reports have suggested that Microsoft may add a boot to desktop option and a Start button. But those features have yet to show up in any builds. And one report says the Start button would simply lead users to the Start screen rather than offer a traditional Start menu.