Microsoft replaces the Quick Assist app included with the Microsoft Store version

Quick Assist is a remote assistance application that is part of Microsoft’s Windows 10 and 11 operating systems. Until now, Quick Assist was available to all users to get remote assistance, for example, to solve problems that users experience while working on Windows machines.

Users can launch the interface by searching for Quick Assist or by using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Win+Q; the new app supports keyboard shortcut just like the previous version of Quick Assist.

As of May 23, 2022, that version of Quick Assist will no longer work. Announced on April 27, 2022, Microsoft informed Windows Insiders about upcoming changes to Quick Assist. The company delayed the change, which was originally scheduled for May 16, 2022, for a week.

The announcement explains how the new version of Quick Assist can be installed, but does not highlight the challenges administrators face.

The previous version of Quick Assist can no longer be used after May 23, 2022 according to Microsoft.

Users are notified that a new version is available and that they should download and install it from the Microsoft Store. The “not yet” option will be removed from the application window. Loads the quick assist interface when selected.

The change introduces several usability issues for both administrators and users, which Microsoft did not mention in the announcement.

administrators who answered To the official Twitter announcement of Microsoft’s Office Insider account, it was highlighted that installing the app required administrative privileges and that the user requiring assistance needed to install the new Quick Assist app from the Store to get help using the tool.

Previously, administrators could be sure that Quick Assist was available if the device used Windows 10 or 11 as the operating system. The change may require support to guide each user through installing the new Quick Assist app before it can be used to provide remote assistance.

Also, the new Quick Assist is installed together with the old Quick Assist application on the Windows machine, which makes it difficult for users to choose the right one during searches or select the right one for uninstall.

At least the last problem seems to have been fixed. Installing the new version seems to remove the old version from the device. A search lists only the newly installed app and the list of apps in the Settings app also lists it as the only app.

Microsoft explains the reason for the change

Kapil Tundwal, the engineering manager of the Quick Assist application explained on Twitter that the version of the Microsoft Store allows Microsoft to send security updates faster to the user base.

Regarding the Microsoft Store requirement, Microsoft notes that it is possible to distribute the offline version of the Quick Assist app. The administrators noted that this will not work in all environments.

closing words

Microsoft’s decision to replace the native Quick Assist app with a Store version has caught many administrators off guard. Microsoft could have replaced the original version with the new version gradually, integrating the new version into new versions of Windows. It could also have kept the previous version functional for the time being to give organizations time to adapt to the change.

Now you: Have you used Quick Assist in the past? (via computer beep)

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