Microsoft is pushing the kill switch on app downloads through the Zune PC software. Instead, from now on if you want to download Windows Phone apps you’ll need to do it on your device or using the web-based Windows Phone Marketplace.

Windows Phone Marketplace

The move makes sense, because the Zune PC software wasn’t really designed to be an app store or app management service. It was originally a media management service for Zune media players, and those extra features were tacked on.

Microsoft says most people weren’t using the Zune PC software to buy or download apps anyway.

There’s another major change on the horizon — Microsoft will soon disable app downloads for devices running Windows Phone 7.0. That’s not as scary as it sounds, because every phone that shipped with Windows Phone 7 can be upgraded to run Windows Phone 7.5.

But if you haven’t updated your software yet, you’ll want to do it soon because within the next few weeks you won’t be able to download apps from the Windows Phone Marketplace unless you do.

Brad Linder

Brad Linder is editor of Liliputing and Mobiputing. He's been tinkering with mobile tech for decades and writing about it since...

3 replies on “You can’t download Windows Phone apps from Zune PC software anymore”

  2. I am not used to the subscribing feeds. I dont know how they work.
    Cant you just give me a solution. Right now Im angry after replying to a
    lot of post during the last 7 Months. It shows Nokia/Microsoft dont
    responds to custormer’s requests. That is why they removed Marketplace
    in Zune.

    First of all I wanna
    swear each and every one working at Nokia&Microsoft as they are
    dumb,stupid and ignorant. I bought this fu*k Lumia 800 phone in march
    2012. I wanted to update then but the Internet I rely on is at
    university. Which means it has proxy username/password authentication I
    cant use 3G on the phone the internet is expensive in South Africa. So
    after months try to get an internet connection with enough bandwidth, I
    saved up & finally bought R60GB for R1600 (Approximately $200) worth
    of Data for my PC Modem.

    Being excited to finally update my
    useless phone with no basic tools such as unit converter or a
    dictionary I only receive another inconvenience, this thing about
    Lumia/Windows phone had enough already. If I would count them the list
    will be endless. All over sudden I cant use Zune or my PC to install
    applications. I paid R6500 for the Phone and R1600 for this Data just to
    get my life miserable. Im frustrated about this. I have wasted roughly
    $1000 dollars. How am I supposed get Apps now. The Idiots who work for
    Nokia/Microsoft are so nerdy they forget basic needs. This is a Huge
    mistake that Microsoft has done I have always trusted them but this is
    bullish. At first I liked Windows Phone OSes but now its limited like,
    or more than ipod is I will never buy a Windows Phone again.

    Now I
    only have Internet on my PC, Internet Data inconvenience and expensive
    how am I going to get apps from MarketPlace. There is still no way to
    connect your phone to the internet using Zune. Using Zune to install
    apps was a pain in an A*s. Now they decrease the available methods to
    only 1. Having an internet connection on your phone without a proxy.
    Wake up bunch of fools money does not grow on trees. Most of you who
    liked this announcement are;nt aware that you are just getting more
    limited as prisoners.

    This move was dumb as a results many
    customers are gona find alternative brands like Android. How can the
    only way to get apps is via the 3G internet on the phone with is limited
    to 20MB. I wouldn’t be complaining if the Proxy Authentication on the
    phone applied to Marketplace and other apps. It only works for
    IExplorer9 only. I cant connect to maps, markertplace, XBOX Live,or even
    update my phone just because proxy authentication is not supported by
    those apps. If I had a choice I would brake this phone then buy me a
    Galaxy S3 or iPhone they are much better than this.

    How is
    this gonna improve speed and security. I feel sorry for those Developers
    who will die of starvation due to a decrease in customers due to this
    bad-strategic move. The Developers like Mazhar Mohammed and their bosses
    did not think through this well.

    Its like go to work every
    morning then instead of improving accessibility and reliability they
    just figure out more ways of making their customer’s lives miserable. I
    hate this

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