Microsoft is testing a new feature called the Update Orchestration Platform (UOP), which aims to once and for all solve the chaotic situation in which Windows 11 currently finds itself when it comes to updating applications. Instead of several different mechanisms: Windows Update for security updates, Microsoft Store for applications from the store, and numerous internal “updaters” used by every third program, Windows 11 could in the future take complete control over all updates.
According to available information, UOP would allow the system to automatically scan, download and install updates depending on how the user uses certain applications.
Windows 11 gets a centralized update system
A particularly important novelty is that even programs that are not available in the Microsoft Store, as well as drivers from other manufacturers, can use this platform if it integrates them with the UOP API.
In the test versions of the operating system, a new page appeared “App updates” in the section “Settings > Apps“, where all applications that use UOP will be visible. This means that Windows can centrally download or install updates even for programs that the user manually downloaded from the Internet, and everything will be unified in one menu.
UOP is an optional feature, so it’s up to software vendors to register as an “update provider” and provide Windows with an executable to scan for available versions. After that, Windows will run that scanner periodically and manage updates automatically.
This approach represents the biggest reorganization of the Windows application ecosystem in the last few years and could drastically improve the user experience, especially for those who use a large number of applications outside the Microsoft Store.