Microsoft is making a huge change to Windows 8 that will affect millions of users

If you are a Windows 8 user you might want to start thinking about upgrading to a newer version of Microsoft's operating system.

That is because the tech giant has announced it will not be accepting new apps into the Windows 8 Store from 31 October.

This means developers making new apps for the Windows operating system (OS) will have just over two months to put their creations in the Windows app store for Windows 8.

Instead, they will only be able to publish them in Windows 10, the latest version of the software.

Microsoft has made the move to encourage developers to focus their energies on creating apps for Windows 10, and thus persuade current Windows 8 users to upgrade.

According to some estimates, there are currently over 45 million people using the Windows 8, globally, so the move to stop new apps from entering the store for that version of the OS affects a lot of people around the world.

A recent blog post from the Microsoft Store Team said that by 1 July 2019, the company plans to stop distributing app updates to Windows Phone 8 (or earlier) devices as well.

By 1 July 2023, the firm plans to stop distributing updates to all apps on Windows 8 devices as well.

"[Developers will] still be able to publish updates to all apps, however, these updates will only be made available to Windows 10 devices," the firm told developers.

The announcement comes less than a year after Microsoft rolled out its latest edition of Windows 10 to PC users in the UK and around the world.

Known as the Windows 10 Creators Update, the upgrade placed focus squarely on creative types who use their PCs and laptops to create content.

With its announcement, Microsoft revealed that it has scrapped the idea of releasing a substantial new version of Windows every few years and is instead going to keep issuing these updated versions of Windows 10.

The Creators Update brought a range of new features and came pre-installed on any newly bought laptops or desktops.

It was also said to be rolled out more smoothly than earlier versions. This is because Microsoft was heavily criticised during the launch of the original Windows 10 in 2015, when it was claimed the software "forced" updates on users, crashing some older computers.

Several users have pursued legal cases against the company claiming their businesses were affected.