Howto distribute an 8.1 App in Windows Store, but hide it from the store

Question

I would like to distribute an 8.1 App without it being visible for everyone.

In the Windows Dev Center under Pricing and availability section Distribution and visibility I have the following options (no screenshot possible as I just signed up and my reputation is poor):

1. Anyone can find your app in the Store - I want to avoid this option
2. Hide this app in the Store. Customers with a direct link to the app’s listing can still download it, except on Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. - This won't work for Win8/8.1
3. Hide this app in the Store. Only customers with the email addresses you enter below can download it, via a direct link on Windows Phone 8.1 and earlier. - Will work for Windows Phone only
4. Hide this app and stop selling - This option only works for Windows 10 and I have Surface One's that can't upgrade to Win10

So I'm stuck, anyone with ideas how to get this solved?

edit: after reading this I think this won't be possible at all for Windows 8/8.1.

Answer 1

Based upon the available documentation and having tried options 2, 3 and 4 my conclusion is that for Windows 8/8.1 this is not possible from the store.

The work around that seems to work pretty smooth is to upload the app to the store and hide it there (option 4).

Besides the package to be uploaded (.appxupload file) also a folder is created in your AppPackages folder with the packages and a powershell script to install the package.

Copy this folder to a USB stick, and run the Add-AppDevPackage.ps1 script, and the app can be run and tested on a W8.1 Surface.

Answer 2

I have this same question. From the research I've done, this is what I understand to be true:

1. Don't use a duplicate app listing. Microsoft now seems to be encouraging developers to use a single app listing instead of making a second app listing that is just for beta testers (e.g. "My App" and "My App - Beta").
2. Distribution and Availability settings are saved per submission. So "Submission 1" can be hidden from the store (using options 2-4 that you mentioned above) and used by beta testers. Then "Submission 2" of the same app listing can be released to the wild. Conceptually this is similar to the way Google Play lets you promote an apk from Alpha to Beta to Production.
3. You can return to beta at any time. Once your app is in the wild, you can make "Submission 3" for your beta testers (hidden from the public) while "Submission 2" is still available to the public. In other words, the Distribution and Availability settings of a newer submission do not affect the settings of an older submission.

To emphasize: I am not certain whether the above is actually true. Especially point 3 which is key to the release cycle. These are just the conclusions I've reached after reading Microsofts latest documentation (Beta testing and targeted distribution and Set app pricing and availability). To know for sure, we would have to experiment using an app that is released to the public, which is risky.

I know this solution may not help you if you use devices stuck on Windows 8.1, but the Windows 10 requirement makes sense (similar to how TestFlight only works on iOS 8 or later).