Microsoft has launched UK AppChallenge for consumers in the region to win prizes by downloading and enjoying apps from both the Windows and Windows Phone app stores. Hundreds of thousands of apps are available on both platforms, but highlighted ones from participating developers will bag consumers points to put towards weekly prizes. Not only that, but this provides developers with free promotion.
This campaign from Microsoft UK is to celebrate app developer talent, as well as encourage consumers to check out and discover new apps for their devices. So what's involved to take part? It's really simple, all you need is a Windows and/or Windows Phone device and the UK AppChallenge app, which can be downloaded using links below.
Once the app is installed on either platform, you'll be able to participate in weekly challenges, earning points by downloading and sharing suggested apps. The more apps you download, the more points will be awarded. Those who find themselves in the top 3 (most points accumulated through a single week) will walk away with prizes. Points are reset each week to ensure a level playing field for everyone.
So, what prizes are on offer? Rewards will range from the Nokia Lumia 625 to the Xbox One, so be sure to get downloading, sharing and enjoying your Windows-based device.
It's not difficult to do and you may be one of the lucky ones. Check out more details and terms over on Microsoft's website.
Developers, get involved
We know what's available for consumers, but Microsoft has also made it easy for developers to get their apps included in this promotion. It's a perfect opportunity for developers to get free exposure for their work with consumers downloading and sharing said apps. There are a few steps to get your work included:
1. In the app "about" or "settings" area, add the AppChallenge button (see this .zip for all the materials required). Generate your private GUID for each app using guidgenerator.com.
2.a For Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8/8.1, link the above button with this:
await Launcher.LaunchUriAsync(new Uri("appchallengeuk:appGuid=[YOUR PRIVATE GUID]", UriKind.Absolute)); //(without the brackets)
2.b Apps compiled for Windows Phone 7, which can run on Windows Phone 8, should not display the AppChallenge logo. This can be achieved via the below code:
if (Environment.OSVersion.Version.Major> = 8)
imageAppChallenge.Visibility = Visibility.Visible;
else
imageAppChallenge.Visibility = Visibility.Collapsed;
3. Insert the following command on the event Tapped of the image:
WebBrowserTask wbTask = new WebBrowserTask();
wbTask.Uri = new Uri("http://theukappchallenge.azurewebsites.net/redirect?app=[YOUR PRIVATE GUID]",UriKind.RelativeOrAbsolute); //(without the brackets)
wbTask.Show();
4. Once the app is available in the Windows or Windows Phone Store with the above code present, send a table of correspondence between the GUID and the one generated for AppChallenge to appchallengeuk@microsoft.com.
Should you require any assistance, don't hesitate to give the team a poke on the same email address.
