Microsoft updates Quick Assist on older Windows versions, promises to continue supporting it

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced changes to the Quick Assist app, Windows' built-in TeamViewer-like tool that lets you connect to remote computers and help people troubleshoot or set up their devices. Microsoft decided to move the app to the Microsoft Store to speed up its development and improve security. However, the change upset customers, sparking a wave of negative feedback from regular users and IT Admins. Now Microsoft is ready to fix the situation.

Starting with Windows 11 22H2, the updated Quick Assist app is a part of the operating system, and those using older Windows versions (21H2 and older) had to install the new app from the Microsoft Store. That process was anything but smooth, so December 2022 Patch Tuesday is here to fix that, as described in a newly published post on the Tech Community forums.

The update adds the new Quick Assist app's features to the old version on Windows 11 21H2, Windows 10 22H2, 21H2, 21H1, and 20H2. It also ensures that the Quick Assist shortcut launches the correct version of the app. You can press Win + Ctrl + Q, and the operating system will run the original variant if the Microsoft Store version is not installed.

More importantly, Microsoft is now committed to continue supporting the old built-in Quick Assist app on older Windows versions as long as the operating systems remain supported. Users can ignore the Microsoft Store version and stick to the old one. Microsoft also promises to release the same update for Windows 10 Enterprise 2019 LTSC and 2016 LTSC next month.

Finally, the software giant warns that the Quick Assist app now requires WebView2 Runtime. WebView2 is available to all Windows 11 customers by default, and Microsoft is rolling out the runtime to Windows 10 users. Quick Assist will take care of WebView2 upon the first launch if it is not installed on your computer.

Microsoft updates Quick Assist on older Windows versions, promises to continue supporting it