Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Henri-Charles Machalani

Anshul Rawat

Samer Fouad Sawaya

Richard Jennings Duncan

Thomas Henry Alphin, Iii

Sarah W McDevitt

David S Amenta

Chaitanya Dev Sareen

Miron Vranjes

Christopher Doan

Jaclyn Carley Knapp

Megan Lesley Tedesco

Marina Dukhon

Benjamin Salim Srour

Brian Eric Uphoff

Poorva Singal

Jeff G Arnold

Ananda Sarkar

Clement Basile Fauchere

Matthew Neil Akers

Samuel D Clement

Bahram Bahram Pour

Jakub Piotr Kotynia

Robert Macklin

Daniel W DeKlotz

Marina Dukhon Taylor

Marko Panic

Chris McGuire

Naresh Chandrasekaran

Thomas Alphin

Thomas H Iii Alphin

Matthew N Akers

Samer F Sawaya

Sarah W Mcdevitt

Iii Thomas H Alphin

Jaclyn C Knapp

Megan L Tedesco

Brian E Uphoff

Surfacing visual representations of universal applications is described. In one or more implementations, visual representations of universal applications purchased or installed on other devices associated with a user account are surfaced in an application launcher interface on a current computing device. The visual representations are selectable (e.g., with a single click or tap) to install the universal application on the current computing device. This enables the user to quickly and easily install universal applications already purchased on other devices onto a current device without having to perform any additional action, such as navigating away from the application launcher interface to enter payment information. In one or more implementations, the visual representations of the universal applications are surfaced under a 'recently added' section and/or an 'on other devices' section of the application launcher to enable the universal applications to be easily located by the user.

Surfacing visual representations of universal applications

Techniques for visual configuration and activation are described. Techniques discussed herein enable visuals to be presented to a user based on a user-specific visual configuration. The visuals are activated such that the visuals are selectable to access various functionalities. In at least some embodiments, a visualization that represents a user-specific visual configuration is provided to and displayed on a device. The visualization includes inactive visuals that are activated based on various considerations.

Visual configuration and activation

Various systems, such as operating systems and application suites, have multiple programs that are installed and settings that are configured in order to put the system in a desired operational state (e.g., a substantially fully functioning state). Different users can have different experiences based on different programs they use, and the set of programs they use can come from network locations. A set of system readiness tasks is created that identifies the various actions to be performed to put the system in the desired operational state. Performance of the set of system readiness tasks is coordinated to display, prior to achieving the desired operational state, a preview of a user interface of the system that is customized to a specific user of the system. Performance of the set of system readiness tasks continues, while displaying the preview of the user interface, until the desired operational state is achieved.

Coordination of system readiness tasks

Application launcher sizing techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a likely usage context is determined, by a computing device, of a user in interacting with the computing device. An application launcher is dynamically sized within a display area of the user interface by the computing device based on the determined likely usage context of the user. The application launcher is configured for output responsive to an input received from a user and includes a plurality of representations of applications that are selectable to navigate to a user interface corresponding with a respective said application.

Application launcher sizing

Embodiments described herein relate to synchronizing configuration information between devices associated with a user. The synchronized configuration information can relate to application installations and uninstallations as well as to user modifications to user interfaces for managing and invoking the applications. For example, layouts of application representations provided by respective application launchers on a user's respective devices are kept automatically synchronized when the user modifies any of the layouts. Installations and uninstallations are similarly synchronized between the user's devices. Installations and uninstallations that might stem from synchronization may be circumscribed in various ways, such as by allowing the user to specify whether specific applications are to be installed/uninstalled only on specific devices or globally, by filtering propagation of synchronization updates according to hardware or software features and incompatibilities, or others.

Application install and layout syncing

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Henri-Charles Machalani