Microsoft no longer lets you switch regions in the Microsoft Store

Microsoft made a small, but impactful change to the Microsoft Store over the past year.

Previously, Microsoft used to allow users who wanted to gain access to content in the Store that wasn’t in their current physical location by switching regions. This means that a user who wanted to purchase a US exclusive  content or deals could gain a access by changing language and region on their Windows device and purchase the content they needed, then changing it back later.

That workaround has been shut down by Microsoft. Now, even if you go to the website, or change your region in the Store, the firm will insist on you being physically present in the region and throw up an error if you aren’t. This means that to get US content, you’ll need to be in the US, even if you’re simply a holidaymaker travelling to Canada for the weekend.

It’s not clear what prompted this change, but essentially, it restricts Windows 10’s already restricted content store even more especially for users of more limited stores in a way that even Apple doesn’t do yet.