Mastering Microsoft Dev Home: Setup and Usage Guide

Microsoft Build 2023 has already gone live and showcases multiple advancements for Windows users. Whether we talk about Windows Co-Pilot or the MS Paint feature, everything is focused on providing a better user experience. However, if you are a developer, you will be glad to know that something is cooking for you this time. Yes, Microsoft Build 23 introduced the concept of the Dev Home App, where developers can manage their entire workflow.

Not only that, but they also have multiple benefits from such a Dev Home app, such as a centralized dashboard to track coding tasks, GitHub issues, pull requests, system performance, and other types of monitoring. Moreover, developers can easily access repositories from GitHub. Meanwhile, this new Dev Home app has many things a developer would not have hoped for. However, some developers need help setting it up, so let us look at how.

Getting Started with the Microsoft Dev Home App

This time, Microsoft is working on a significant issue that developers ultimately face. Previously, they did not have any centralized monitoring pages or spaces. Developers can use third-party applications to manage their workflow, but there is still a need for a centralized dashboard. Thanks to Windows 23H2, which has contributed to both users and developers, developers now have integrated support to align their developments with Microsoft.

As mentioned above, we have highlighted a few features of the Dev Home app. The Microsoft Dev Home app is a centralized dashboard that helps developers connect with their developer accounts and tools and monitor their workflows and coding tasks. It is a one-stop space for developers to access everything, eliminating the need to look for different spaces for each task. However, some new developers still need help with setup. So, here are the easy steps to setting up the app.

1. On your PC, visit the Microsoft Store.
2. Search for the Dev Home app there.
3. Next, download and install it on your PC.
4. Now, open the Dev Home app and log in to your GitHub account.
5. After that, click on the “Get Started” button.
6. Then, choose the option “End-to-end setup.”
7. Following this, it will install all the tools needed for development.
8. Next, customize the above setup (optional).
9. Lastly, click on “Finish” and you are done.

Once you finish the above instructions, you will find the Dev Home app accessible. All the benefits the Dev Home app offers are now available. However, we have mentioned a few highlighted features of this new Dev Home app, such as Dev Drivers (for storage), Widgets (for faster access), App and Package Management (for managing installed packages), etc. Nevertheless, I understand that you may need some guidance on how to use such an app. Do not worry; we share a few examples below to help you know better.

Clone GitHub repositories.

Before the Dev Home app, developers needed to use third-party apps to clone GitHub repositories. Then, when they wanted to load such files, they needed to get them from a different folder on their PC. However, the issue has been resolved, as the Dev Home app has a tool to clone GitHub repositories, which will be saved to a particular folder on Dev Drive.

Install the application.

With the new Dev Home app, developers can install any app or tool directly from the Dev Home app’s dashboard. This is useful because, while doing development, they need to install numerous tools and apps to support them. Previously, they had to look for different platforms to install such apps, but now it is possible with the Dev Home app.

Manage your development drive.

While downloading different apps and tools for development, we sometimes lose some or all the files, resulting in mismanagement. However, the Dev Home app has developed Dev Drive, which helps developers manage their downloaded files. Additionally, they can keep track of storage parameters. In other words, you can also use the Dev Home app to manage your Dev Drive.

Monitor your workflow.

The new Dev Home app has a widget on the dashboard that analyses your work orders. It shows your CPU and GPU performance and your Git activity. So, if you are losing your workflow, the Dev Home app can help you get back on track. In this way, the Dev Home app can contribute much to you.

Other than this, as a developer, you are creative and know how effectively you can use this Dev Home app. After reading this guide, you will know precisely what the Dev Home app is. Also, note how to set it up and a few examples of how to use it. I hope you are happy with this guide. However, if users still have questions, ask them in the comment section below.

Frequently Asked Questions