Microsoft is updating its app store for Windows Phone devices to bring it in line with the new Windows Store for Windows 8 products (the two also share the same Store icon).

Windows Phone Store will replace the Marketplace brand and includes a range of improvements aimed at making it easier for users to find apps and games, such as the addition of Microsoft’s Bing search technology.

According to a post on the Windows Phone Blog the addition of Bing means the store search can deal with typos and find apps that are related or fall into the same genre. The Bing technology also learns from previous searches, meaning it returns search results most relevant to each user.

The new Windows Phone Store also adds new browsing options to make it easier to find specific apps. App lists include Top Free, Top Paid and Best Rated as well as New+Rising, which is updated more frequently than the list it replaces and takes into consideration the speed at which apps are downloaded. The Spotlight section includes apps that Microsoft’s in-house team has selected.

In response to user feedback, more adult-themed apps will become less visible to casual browsers, making the store better suited to children and family users. The new ‘Report concern’ function will allow users to report apps they have concerns about.

The changes are being rolled out globally over the next few weeks, starting with Australia and New Zealand.