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There isn’t one update method for every “Windows Catalog App” in Intune. Microsoft Store apps, Enterprise App Catalog apps, and Win32 apps you package yourself follow different rules. First identify which type of app you deployed and whether its assignment is Required or Available; then use the matching update workflow below.
Identify which kind of Intune app you deployed
In Intune, “catalog app” can refer to different app sources. The distinction matters because automatic updating for a Microsoft Store app is not the same feature as automatic updating for an Enterprise App Catalog app.
- Microsoft Store app: Added through Intune’s Microsoft Store integration. Store UWP apps and Store Win32 apps have different update-policy details.
- Enterprise App Catalog app: A third-party application managed through Enterprise App Management. You can enable automatic updates for apps with Required assignments, or review an available update and create a superseding app.
- Manually packaged Win32 app: An app you package as an
.intunewinfile, upload, configure, and assign. You manage new versions using a replacement package and, if appropriate, supersedence.
If you are unsure which route you used, open the app in the Intune admin center and check its app type and assignment. Do not assume an app uses Enterprise App Catalog updating simply because it is a third-party Windows app.
How Microsoft Store app updates work
Microsoft says Store apps deployed through Intune are kept current automatically, but the relevant policy depends on the app type. See Microsoft’s Microsoft Store apps in Intune documentation for the current setup and policy details.
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Store UWP apps
Automatic updating depends on not enabling the policy that turns off automatic downloading and installing of updates. If that policy is enabled, the expected automatic update behavior may be blocked.
Store Win32 apps
Microsoft’s documentation currently marks Microsoft Store Win32 app availability as preview. Not every app is available or searchable, and publishers host installer content on their own infrastructure. For an app assigned as Required, Intune manages it and its updates. For an app assigned as Available, the user must first select Install in Company Portal before Intune takes over management and automatic updates. Store Win32 updates are handled by Intune and are not affected by Store update policies.
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Enable automatic updates for Enterprise App Catalog apps
Enterprise App Catalog auto-update checks for a newer catalog version and applies it to devices targeted by a Required assignment. This avoids creating a new app and supersedence relationship for every release. The documented support scope is Windows 10 and Windows 11, and the feature applies only to Enterprise App Catalog apps. An Available assignment continues to use the existing update workflow rather than this automatic update path. Microsoft explains the feature in its Enterprise App Management documentation.
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Review an Enterprise App Catalog update before deployment
If you want to inspect a new catalog version before applying it, use guided update supersedence rather than automatic updating. In Intune, view the app’s available update, select Update, then choose Supersede app. Intune creates a new app using the latest package and adds a supersedence relationship. Follow Microsoft’s guided update supersedence instructions for the current admin-center flow.
Review the replacement before creating it: settings such as scope tags and assignments are not copied automatically. Set the assignments and other required settings on the new app so the intended devices actually receive it.
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Microsoft’s service-level objectives say most catalog app updates are available within 24 hours of vendor release and updates requiring manual validation are typically available within seven days. These are objectives, not guarantees for a specific vendor release.
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Update a manually packaged Win32 app with supersedence
For an app outside the catalog, prepare and upload a new .intunewin package, configure its installer commands and detection rules, and assign it. Microsoft’s guides cover adding and assigning Win32 apps and configuring Win32 app supersedence.
- Prepare the new version. Package the current installer as an
.intunewinfile and define the install command and detection rules for the new version. - Configure supersedence. In the new Win32 app’s supersedence settings, identify the previous Intune app it replaces and choose whether to uninstall the previous version.
- Target the replacement. Assign the superseding app to the intended users or devices. It must have explicit targeting; otherwise, the Intune agent ignores it.
- Choose removal behavior deliberately. If the new installer updates the existing installation in place, an uninstall command for the old version is not necessary. If the new app replaces rather than upgrades the old one, uninstalling the previous version may be required.
Compare the three update routes
| Update route | App scope | Administrator’s role | Assignment and rollout | Previous version handling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise App Catalog auto-update | Enterprise App Catalog apps only | Enable auto-update; Intune checks for a newer catalog version and applies it | Required assignment; new version goes to all targeted devices, with no rollout rings or phased deployment | No rollback or automatic uninstall remediation |
| Guided update supersedence | Catalog apps with an available update | Review the update and create a superseding app | Review and set assignments on the replacement app | Configure the replacement behavior through the supersedence workflow |
| Manually packaged Win32 supersedence | Win32 apps managed in Intune | Package and configure the new version | Explicitly target the superseding app; assignment controls deployment | Choose whether to uninstall the previous version, based on how the installer replaces it |
Limits to plan for with Enterprise App Catalog auto-update
- No rollback or automatic uninstall remediation: If you need to remove or remediate an update, take a separate action such as an Uninstall assignment or a script.
- No rollout rings or staged deployment: Microsoft states, “Auto-update doesn’t support rollout rings or deployment plans for staged update deployment.” A new version goes to all targeted devices at once.
- Catalog data can lag: Catalog data may be cached for up to one hour, so the version displayed can briefly be out of date.
- Update reporting is not a full history: It reflects the latest state, not a complete record of earlier versions or actions.
- Licenses remain your responsibility: Some catalog apps may require a vendor license. Intune does not check whether the tenant has obtained one.
Microsoft documents Enterprise App Management as available standalone or in the Intune Suite; the cited documentation does not establish current prices. Microsoft also offers a training module on managing Enterprise App Catalog applications.
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