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Apple is back under fire in the UK, for allegedly charging unfair commissions on its App Store. Reportedly, the unfair practice may have cost approximately 20 million iPhone and iPad users in the UK up to £1.5 Billion (roughly $1.8 billion). Apple is already facing a $1 billion class action in the UK by British developers, and now app buyers have also joined forces. The UK lawsuit accuses Apple of abusing its dominant position by imposing a 30% commission on app purchases. The case is currently being heard at London's Competition Appeal Tribunal. Notably, it marks the first mass legal action of its kind against a tech giant in the United Kingdom. With this lawsuit, Apple joins the unfortunate bandwagon of tech giants including, Google, Meta, and Amazon, who are also fighting high-value legal challenges in the country. A similar $1.1 billion case against Google, is set to begin later this year. Rachael Kent, a UK academic leading the lawsuit, claims that Apple's dominant position and its control over app distribution has allowed the company to make huge profits while keeping app developers and users under restriction. Her legal team has urged that "Apple is not just dominant ... it holds a 100% monopoly position." Apple, however, denied the allegations. The company's lawyer, Marie Demetriou, said in court filings that the commission reflects "the enormous benefits conferred through Apple's innovation by the iOS ecosystem as a whole". Apple insists that the commission is fair, as it also offers security and privacy benefits. Apple also highlighted that "85% of developers do not pay any commission at all." Marie also indicated that the lawsuit overlooks the value that Apple brings through its innovation and intellectual property. Demetriou further dismissed claims that Apple should allow developers unrestricted access to its technology, calling it an unreasonable demand. The trial is expected to last seven weeks, with Apple's Chief Financial Officier, Ketan Parekh, set to testify later this week, where both sides will present their arguments. Apple has recently settled a Siri privacy lawsuit in the US by agreeing to pay $95 million in settlement. Source: Reuters Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

As 2024 nears its end, Apple has revealed the list of its most downloaded apps and games of the year. The list highlights the top free and paid apps and games across iPad, iPhone, and Apple Arcade. The year-end charts are available on the App Store's Today tab. Users can also discover the 17 standout apps and games handpicked by App Store Editors for their creativity, innovation, and ability to enhance daily lives. The list also includes the top Apple Arcade games for iPhones and iPads in the US. Here is the list of the most downloaded apps and games for 2024 in different categories in the US: Top 10 free iPhone apps: Temu: Shop Like a Billionaire Threads TikTok ChatGPT Google Instagram WhatsApp Messenger CapCut - Video Editor YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream Gmail - Email by Google Top 10 paid iPhone apps: Shadowrocket HotSchedules Procreate Pocket 75 Hard AnkiMobile Flashcards AutoSleep Track Sleep on Watch Paprika Recipe Manager 3 TonalEnergy Tuner & Metronome Goblin Tools Forest: Focus for Productivity Top 10 free iPhone games: Block Blast！ MONOPOLY GO! Roblox Call of Duty®: Warzone™ Mobile Township Last War: Survival Royal Match Brawl Stars Subway Surfers My Perfect Hotel Top 10 paid iPhone games: Minecraft: Play with Friends Heads Up! Geometry Dash Papa's Freezeria To Go! Bloons TD 6 Five Nights at Freddy's Plague Inc. MONOPOLY: The Board Game Stardew Valley Red's First Flight Top 10 free iPad apps: YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream Netflix Max: Stream HBO, TV, & Movies Calculator - Pad Edition Disney+ Google Chrome Peacock TV: Stream TV & Movies Amazon Prime Video TikTok Goodnotes 6 Top 10 paid iPad apps: Procreate Procreate Dreams Shadowrocket forScore Nomad Sculpt ToonSquid Bluebeam Revu for ‌iPad‌ AnkiMobile Flashcards Teach Your Monster to Read Endless Paper Top 10 free iPad games: Roblox Magic Tiles 3: Piano Game MONOPOLY GO! Subway Surfers Brawl Stars Geometry Dash Lite Block Blast！ Among Us! My Perfect Hotel Royal Match Top 10 paid iPad games: Minecraft: Play with Friends Geometry Dash Five Nights at Freddy's Stardew Valley Bloons TD 6 Papa's Paleteria To Go! Five Nights at Freddy's 2 Poppy Playtime Chapter 1 MONOPOLY: The Board Game Ultimate Custom Night Top 10 Apple Arcade games: NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition Snake.io+ Hello Kitty Island Adventure Sneaky Sasquatch Bloons TD 6+ Sonic Dream Team NFL Retro Bowl '25 Disney Dreamlight Valley Cooking Mama: Cuisine! Solitaire by MobilityWare+ Let us know in the comments below, how many of these apps you have downloaded on your iPhone or iPad. Source: Apple Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. 2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of November): 5,298 news posts RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Music streaming app Musi claims Apple removed its app from the App Store after "backroom conversations" with key music industry players. The app developer alleges this was an "unfair" and "tainted" removal process designed to put it out of business. Musi is seeking a preliminary injunction to reinstate its app while the legal battle plays out. In October, Musi filed a lawsuit against Apple after the company removed the music streaming app from the App Store. Filed at a California federal court, the Musi complaint states that the takedown was unjustified and accuses Apple of breach of contract, among other things. Wasting no time, Musi requested a preliminary injunction to compel Apple to reinstate the music app. While existing users still have access to the software, it’s no longer available for new users to download which directly impacts revenue. If this continues, Musi will eventually be put out of business. Apple Justifies ‘Removal’ Last month, a response was filed in court by Apple, opposing Musi’s request for a preliminary injunction. The company argues that the terms of the Apple Developer Program License Agreement (DLPA) allow the company to delist apps “at any time, with or without cause.” While claiming neutrality in these disputes, Apple stated that multiple complaints led to its action, including legitimate concerns aired by YouTube and music industry rightsholders. “Apple’s decision in this instance followed numerous, credible complaints alleging that the Musi app violates the legal rights of third parties,” Apple wrote to the court, mentioning complaints from various music industry parties. Musi Sees a ‘Backchannel’ Removal Scheme Last Friday, Musi filed a reply brief in support of its request for an injunction, countering Apple’s stance. According to the app developer, Apple isn’t as neutral as it would like the court to believe. Unfair & Tainted On the contrary, Apple allegedly engaged in private discussions with stakeholders including Google and this alleged ‘backchannel’ influenced the removal decision. “Apple positions itself as exercising this power as a neutral party that does not favor one app developer over another, but Apple’s Opposition reveals that it used its power over the App Store as part of a larger backchannel scheme with music-industry conglomerates bent on Musi’s destruction,” Musi writes. As an example, Musi notes that YouTube’s ‘five-word’ app store complaint was preceded by direct discussions between Apple and the music streaming platform. Musi was never involved in these discussions, and YouTube didn’t reply to Musi’s outreach after the complaint either. Misinformation? Apple cited numerous app disputes in its opposition brief, but Musi argues these were misrepresented to the court. For example, IFPI’s complaint expressly disavowed any claim under U.S. copyright law, Musi notes. In addition, Apple references a 2023 complaint from Sony Music Entertainment (SME). However, that dispute didn’t come from Sony at all, but from IFPI. This was confirmed by the music company over email, as shown below. “[W]hen Musi attempted to open a dialogue with SME, SME stated that it had no complaint, and that the complaint belonged to IFPI,” Musi writes. A letter sent by the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) to Apple further added to the ‘tainted backroom’ picture, as Musi highlights that it includes various false claims. Alleged False Claims All in all, Musi contends that Apple’s decision is based on a one-sided view. This includes numerous claimed inaccuracies, as well as “hit pieces” by the press, which were allegedly commissioned by the music industry. “Those articles signify nothing other than a one-sided press push by the same players involved in the backroom discussions with Apple, seeking to conjure up an image of support for Musi’s removal,” Musi writes. (Note TF: These supposed hit pieces include one of our previous articles, which detailed the music industry’s plans to put pressure on the app. For the record, this article was independently written and certainly not commissioned, directed or approved by anyone else.) ‘A Damaging Backroom Deal’ If copyright concerns were the primary motivator, Apple could have taken action against the YouTube app as well, Musi notes. After all, YouTube receives an astronomical number of copyright complaints and has been involved in various copyright lawsuits. Musi was never sued, not even by IFPI, which previously considered taking legal action. Instead, Musi was removed after a five-word complaint from YouTube, without a real opportunity to defend itself. This, Musi argues, puts the future of its business at risk. Musi is currently missing the typical inflow of over 886,000 new users a month. In addition, a future iOS update may render the app inoperable even for current users. All in all, Musi believes that the removal decision was not the result of a neutral review process. Therefore, the app should be reinstated through a preliminary injunction while the legal challenge unfolds. “Apple removed the app because a select few music industry conglomerates saw the Musi app as a threat and, using unique access to Apple, engaged in backroom conversations to ensure that the Musi app could no longer compete on the platform. “Apple’s claim to unfettered discretion is only a quest for power to operate the App Store for the benefit of a few powerful stakeholders, and at the expense of small developers—exactly what happened here. Granting Musi’s motion avoids that outcome. — A copy of Musi’s reply in support for the preliminary injunction is available here (pdf) Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. 2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of November): 5,298 news posts RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

The Digital Markets Act (DMA) has forced the so-called "gatekeepers" to introduce changes to their policies allowing users to use their devices, the way they want. The European Consumer Organization (BEUC) has been pretty strict towards Apple, urging compliance with DMA's rules. As a result, Apple announced amendments to its policies, especially for EU users, the result of which can be seen in the recently rolled out iOS 18.2 update. Apple already allows EU users to delete native apps such as Calculator, Calendar, Music, and Notes. However, with iOS 18.2, EU users can now get rid of the App Store itself. In addition, they can also delete more of the native apps from their iPhones. This allows iPhone and iPad users to own their devices and make them function as they like. Do note that the iOS 18.2 update is still in beta and it started rolling out to developers on Wednesday. Reportedly, iOS users after installing the iOS 18.2 beta update in the EU can delete the App Store, Camera, Safari, Messages, and Photos. This change is to comply with DMA'a articles requiring tech companies to allow users to uninstall any app they want. In the EU, Apple users can now download third-party app stores to replace the native App Store, based on their preference. Notably, the company has introduced a new button in the Settings app for those who would like to get back to the App Store after deletion. Additionally, with iOS 18.2, global iPhone users are also getting some changes. Apple has added a new menu within the Settings app that makes it easier to change the default apps on the iPhone or iPad. Users now get the option to set default apps for email, messages, calls, web browser, password manager, and keyboard. On top of this, iOS 18.2 is also adding multiple new features, which were teased for months. Source and images: MacRumors Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. 2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of September): 4,292 news posts RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

After being removed from Apple's App Store, music streaming app Musi is fighting back with a lawsuit. Musi claims the app's removal, which was prompted by a YouTube complaint, was unjustified. The company sues Apple for breach of contract, seeking reinstatement and damages. The lawsuit raises questions about YouTube-related copyright claims, which have yet to be answered. Last month, Apple removed the popular music streaming app Musi from its App Store. The removal is rather significant because the app has millions of users. Apple’s action didn’t come as a complete surprise, as music industry groups had been trying to take the app down for months. They branded Musi a ‘parasitic’ app that skirts the rules. Why action is being taken now remains a mystery. None of the parties involved have commented in detail on the reason for the removal. Musi, in response to the takedown, acknowledged the problem and said that it hoped to resolve it. However, with Apple seemingly unwilling to reverse its decision, Musi has now opted to pursue legal action. Musi Sues Apple In a complaint filed at a California federal court, Musi sues Apple for breach of contract, as well as a breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. The music app believes that the takedown was unjustified and wants Apple to reinstate it. “This case arises from Apple’s abrupt removal of Musi’s mobile software application from the Apple App Store, based upon an unsubstantiated third-party complaint, and in violation of the parties’ contractual agreements,” the complaint begins. “Despite its obligations to investigate complaints in good faith, Apple removed the Musi app based upon unsupported accusations from a third party who has failed to respond to Musi’s communications. Worse, Apple was fully aware that the third party had failed to substantiate its claims to Musi.” Musi vs. Apple Existing users who already installed Musi can continue to use Musi. However, the app can no longer be downloaded, effectively preventing new users from accessing the service. This puts the future of the software company in jeopardy, as Apple is the only platform where it’s available. Complaint from ‘YouTube Legal’ In our initial coverage of the removal, we cited information which suggested that YouTube was involved in the matter. The complaint confirms that’s indeed the case. According to Musi, Apple’s action was triggered by a five-word complaint from ‘YouTube Legal’ which was sent to Apple late July. The takedown notice from YouTube Legal merely states that Musi is “violating YouTube Terms of Service”, without any concrete allegations. Apple email, YouTube complaint While YouTube is known to take action against external software that abuses its API to offer competing services, Musi maintains that it doesn’t rely on YouTube’s API and is unaware of any TOS violations. In response to the notice, Musi’s attorney tried to obtain more details from YouTube, but according to the complaint, the requests went unanswered. ‘Musi Remains Unheard’ In addition to reaching out to YouTube, Musi also tried to engage with Apple. Instead of more clarity, however, Musi’s calls went unanswered, and the matter remained unresolved. According to an email YouTube sent to Apple on September 6, Musi didn’t reach out to its legal team. Citing continued Terms of Service violations, YouTube therefore requested Apple to remove the app. YouTube’s email on September 6 Musi responded directly to YouTube’s email, noting that they had contacted YouTube and remained eager to resolve the issue. However, this had no effect on Apple’s decision, and on September 24th, the company informed Musi that the app would be removed. The removal email specifically cites “intellectual property infringement” as the reason to remove the app. “Apple informed you of the claim, and of your responsibility to resolve the matter directly with the Claimant, or risk removal of your app from the App Store. We regret that the dispute could not be resolved amicably. As a result, your app will be removed from the App Store on the basis of intellectual property infringement,” Apple wrote. Removed Unjustified Removal? Despite Musi’s repeated attempts to obtain clarification, the specific YouTube terms violated remain unclear. According to the complaint, Apple was aware of this lack of clarity but proceeded to remove the app anyway. “Apple nonetheless suddenly and unjustifiably removed the Musi app from the App Store on the basis of the July 2024 complaint. To date, the Musi app has not been restored,” Musi writes. “The removal was all the more galling in light of the fact that Apple threatened to remove the app if Musi did not try to resolve the alleged complaint with the Complainant, and Apple was fully aware that the Complainant had elected not to communicate in any way directly with Musi.” Email correspondence reveals that YouTube first complained to Apple in March 2023, and sent repeated notices after that. These notices didn’t result in any action, but Apple eventually removed Musi following the July 2024 notice. Musi Demands Restoration and Damages Musi ultimately claims that the removal was unjustified, as Apple removed the app based on an unsubstantiated third-party complaint without a thorough investigation. Musi says that it didn’t get a fair chance to explain the supposed misunderstanding of the app’s functionality. As a result, the complaint accuses Apple of contract breach and violating the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Through the lawsuit, the company hopes to set the record straight. The main goal is to obtain an injunction that requires Apple to restore Musi in the App store. In addition, the company also seeks compensation for all damages it suffered as a result of the ‘unjustified’ removal. This case is likely to be closely watched by the tech and music industries, as it could set a precedent for future app takedown disputes, as well as potential disputes about the third-party use of YouTube content. — A copy of Musi’s complaint against Apple, filed at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, is available musi-apple Source RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. 2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of September): 4,292 news posts

Musi, a massively popular free music app with millions of users, has been removed from the App Store. Apple took action following extensive complaints from music industry groups, but whether these complaints directly triggered the app's removal is unclear. Information received by TorrentFreak further reveals that YouTube weighed in as well. App stores are littered with apps that promise free access to music, but only a few live up to expectations. Musi is one of them. The music app first made headlines in 2016 when its founders, who were teenagers at the time, presented their brainchild in an episode of the Canadian edition of Dragons’ Den. The software itself works relatively simply. Musi can stream music, sourced from YouTube, and allows users to create and share playlists. It essentially uses YouTube as a music library, without showing the video. Apple Removes Musi While the app’s millions of users seem satisfied with Musi, music industry groups are not happy at all. They argue that Musi is a ‘parasitic’ app that doesn’t compensate creators or rightsholders. The app was previously removed from Google Play and, as we reported a few weeks ago, IFPI and other music insiders were pressing Apple to remove it too. Those efforts paid off yesterday when Musi was wiped from the App Store. Apple users who previously installed the software can continue to use it, but it’s no longer possible to install the app through the official store. There’s no official explanation from Apple about the reason for the takedown. Our inquiries to Apple weren’t immediately returned, and the sender of the takedown request is unknown. However, information seen by TorrentFreak sheds more light the background leading up to it. Music Industry Pressure The takedown didn’t arrive out of the blue. Music industry group IFPI reported the Musi app to the App Store last summer. This triggered a legal back and forth, which also involved Musi’s lawyer, who argued that the app was merely providing access to publicly available music, stressing that the app doesn’t store any content on its servers. It’s not clear whether Apple took any position in the dispute. We do know that the company, which typically has rigorous copyright standards, didn’t remove Musi from the app store at the time. IFPI, however, was determined to have the app taken down. The group escalated the matter and called on other stakeholders to complain to Apple. More complaints might help to convince Apple. YouTube In recent months, Apple indeed received more complaints, including a recent takedown request from the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA). Documentation seen by TorrentFreak further suggests that YouTube also got involved. YouTube’s arguments in favor of takedown are unknown but, according to some, Musi circumvents YouTube’s ‘rolling cipher’ measures, which violates the DMCA. In addition, the app goes against the company’s terms of service. The involvement of YouTube would be significant. Thus far, the video platform hasn’t taken any public action against “rolling cipher” issues. It’s often music companies who use this argument, against stream ripping platforms, for example. Over the past year, music industry groups and various companies, who are a major revenue source for YouTube, repeatedly urged the company to get involved. Judging by the comments we’ve seen, those efforts paid off. It’s Not Over Yet This is one of the most significant App Store takedowns ever. With over 100 million downloads, Musi is one of the most popular apps around. At the time of writing, the official Musi website still links to the iOS download, which is no longer available. In replies on social media, Musi says that it’s working on a potential comeback. “The app is currently unavailable while we address some comments relating to the App Store. We don’t have an estimated time as to when it’ll be back but rest assured this has our top attention!,” Musi notes. This is not the first time that Musi has been removed from the App Store. There’s still a possibility that, with some changes, it will return. Similarly, sideloading remains an option, and the music app may choose to focus on that going forward. Who was behind this week’s takedown is unknown, but music industry insiders aren’t completely satisfied yet. There are talks about a potential lawsuit, which would likely take place in Canada, but that matter still being discussed. The hesitation likely stems from the fact that a lawsuit could potentially be lost, which would make matters worse, much worse. If Musi doesn’t return to the App Store, it will be a major disappointment to millions of users. At the same time, it will be a massive blow to the app’s creators, who have turned it into a multi-million dollar business in recent years. Source RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every single day for many years. 2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of August): 3,792 news posts

Apple is relatively good at banning piracy-related software from its App Store. Now and then, a pirate app may slip through the cracks, as happened this week. These are typically dealt with right away, but not always. Just as intriguing is the fact that the App Store is riddled with apps that use pirate brands, presumably to attract users. Apple is known to have a rigorous app-review policy that aims to keep piracy at bay. In the past, several BitTorrent apps have been rejected from the App Store, for example. Despite these efforts, problematic apps slip through the cracks occasionally. We’ve seen piracy apps disguised as other tools getting approval and a recent report from The Verge shows that this trick still works today. Apple was swift to patch this recent leak after it hit the newswire. The company booted the ‘vision testing’ app “Kimi” from the iOS store, disappointing many pirates in the process. Apple’s App Store Isn’t Piracy Free Yet Those determined to find a Kimi alternative still don’t have to look far. In less than a minute, we were able to spot another pirate streaming app that’s not concealed at all. The app in question uses popular piracy brands such as “Gomovies” and “123movies” in its name, and lives up to expectations. Users who manage to crawl through a web of advertisements eventually have access to a wide range of popular movies and TV-shows. This includes blockbuster movies, Disney shows, and Apple exclusives such as the hit series Silo, shown in action below. Pirate iOS App streaming Silo Apparently, Apple still has some work to do on the screening front. This includes fixing the link on its website through which people can report software piracy, as that currently goes to a 404-error page. The app we found has been around since May last year and has more than 1,600 reviews. We don’t know whether it always functioned as a pirate tool and Apple didn’t immediately return our request for comment. Apple generally has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to piracy. The company wants complete control over all installed apps and it previously noted that the ban on sideloading helps to prevent piracy as well. It’s clearly not perfect, however. Piracy Brands (Legally) in Apple’s App Store Our search also revealed that not all piracy ‘associations’ are off-limits at Apple. In fact, one could argue that piracy-related terms are actively used to promote some non-pirate apps in the official iOS store. Whether all users are happy with that is questionable. Let’s look at a few examples, searching the app store for well-known piracy brands such as 123movies, Fmovies, Cuevana, and ShowBox. All these terms return apps that offer access to a large library of movies and TV-shows, much like their pirate counterparts. Fmovies Results (doesn’t include the ‘piracy’ app) These brands and logos may look exciting to prospective pirates, but those who install the apps will soon realize that entertainment is limited to trailers. The lucky ones may get links to legal streaming platforms as well. No pirated movies here either In some cases, the apps allow users to keep track of what they’ve watched, which can be useful. However, most are riddled with ads. As such, it doesn’t take a genius to find out why their names, and in some cases logos, are similar to pirate streaming brands. Unlike the real piracy apps, many of these ‘mockoffs’ have been in the App Store for years. That makes sense, of course, as they are not breaking the law. That said, it can lead to disappointing reviews. Apple doesn’t seem to mind, or perhaps it isn’t privy to the problem. We assume that some anti-piracy groups are aware of these apps, but they should be fine with it. After all, it’s a great way to frustrate and annoy pirates. Needless to say, real pirate streaming apps are a completely different thing… Source

Before it disappeared on Tuesday, Kimi enabled iPhone owners to stream illegal bootlegs of popular movies like Barbie and Oppenheimer. Watching pirated movies on your iPhone just got a little harder. After climbing the charts of Apple’s App Store, the trendy Kimi app, with its collection of bootlegged movies, has just disappeared. Pretending to be a spot-the-difference vision-testing game, the widely downloaded app ranked above Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video in Apple’s charts this week for free entertainment apps before it was removed. Without having to pay for anything or log in to any kind of account, iPhone owners could previously use Kimi to browse a wide selection of bootlegs for popular movies and TV shows. Many of the movies up for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars were on Kimi, at varying levels of quality. Poor Things was included in a grainy, pixelated state, but a high-quality version of Killers of the Flower Moon was on Kimi to stream, although an intrusive ad for online casinos was splashed across the top. That definitely isn’t the viewing experience Martin Scorsese imagined for audiences. Not just limited to movies, viewers were also able to access episodes of currently airing TV shows, like RuPaul’s Drag Race, through the Kimi app. Who was behind this piracy app? It remains a mystery. The developer was listed as “Marcus Evans” in the app store before Kimi was taken down, and this was the only app listed under that name, likely a pseudonym. WIRED was unable to reach Evans or anyone involved with the Kimi app prior to publication. Apple is known for being meticulous and protective of its “walled garden” for safe-to-download apps, so it’s surprising to see a piracy streaming option, like Kimi, climb so high on the charts before being axed. Kimi received more than 100 user reviews in the App Store, many of which blatantly mentioned the free movies hidden within the app, and it had a four-star user rating. A representative for Apple did not respond to multiple requests for comment. This isn’t the first a piracy app that has garnered tons of downloads in the App Store, though. In 2015, WIRED spoke with the developers behind Popcorn Time, a similar app. Security reporter Andy Greenberg wrote, “With Popcorn Time, the complexity of BitTorrent search engines, trackers, clients, seeds, decompression, playback, and storage is reduced to a single click.” It’s unconfirmed how Kimi was providing the streams, but the process of watching bootlegs was definitely simplified for users—just download the smartphone app and press Play. The Kimi app’s saga is emblematic of a new resurgence in online piracy. A serious challenge for rights holders and movie and TV studios, piracy is once again on the rise. As streaming services crack down on shared passwords, and budget-conscious users search for cheaper entertainment options, the black market for bootlegs will likely continue to blossom. Source

In a significant shift in its approach, Apple has relaxed its App Store policies and now finally opened the doors for retro game emulators to be published in its marketplace. For years, Apple has been pretty strict on what is published in its marketplace and has blocked game emulators from being downloaded from the App Store. As per updated guidelines (spotted by 9to5Mac), retro game emulators are now allowed in the App Store and can also offer downloaded games. Apple has warned the developers that the games should adhere to all relevant laws, and failing to comply would lead to stricter action against the developers. Apple has also emailed game emulator developers to inform them that they can create and offer their emulators on the App Store. Before this update, game emulators weren't allowed on the App Store. However, there were ways to use emulators on an Apple device, which usually required jailbreaking and sideloading tools. Thanks to the newly updated guidelines, Apple has eliminated the need to jailbreak to enjoy emulators on Apple devices. Developers need to take precautions that pirated game offering is a big no-no. It is unclear what has caused the change of hearts for Apple, but there is speculation that this could be because of the mounting legal pressure from the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). Recently, Apple has also relaxed its policies to allow sideloading apps on the iPhone and iPad. Even though Apple has eased the restrictions, don't expect a flood of retro game emulators to pop up on the App Store as the hurdle of Apple's app review process stands in place. Apart from allowing game emulators onto the App Store, the updated guidelines also introduced new "Music Streaming Services Entitlements" in the European Union, allowing music streaming apps in specific regions to include links to an external website. Source

Bloomberg reports how Apple’s work on search and generative AI could create a Google competitor. Apple will soon bring its powerful internal search engine to the App Store and other apps, as Mark Gurman reports in this week’s Power On newsletter for Bloomberg. Apple debuted upgrades to its Spotlight search feature in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, letting users search there for web results, details from apps, documents, and much more. According to the newsletter, former Google executive John Giannandrea’s search team is working to bake the internally-named “Pegasus” search engine more deeply into iOS and macOS and could even use generative AI tools to enhance it further. Last year Apple also launched Business Connect, a tool that helped strengthen its information database with details about businesses’ hours and locations in a way that could help it compete with Google. Gurman points out that although Apple’s Spotlight and app search engine isn’t as powerful as Google’s, it has a robust App Store ads business that serves ads to its other apps, like Apple News and Weather. Those things combined give Apple enough pieces to launch its own search engine, perhaps sooner rather than later. Whether Apple will do that is another question. Apple executive Eddy Cue has said before that Apple doesn’t need to make its own search engine, and the company reportedly turned down an offer to buy Bing in 2020. Source

India’s digital payment and services company PhonePe has launched the Indus AppStore Developer Platform to break Google’s Play Store monopoly in the country. The USPs of this new AppStore Developer Platform are that it has zero platform fee and no commission on in-app purchases, which, on paper, appear to be more developer-friendly. While developers will be able to list their apps on the Indus AppStore without paying a fee, PhonePe will charge a “nominal” fee one year after the listing. In other words, developers will have to pay nothing to list their apps for one year. Luckily for developers, PhonePe will not charge a commission for in-app purchases until the rule changes. On the contrary, Goole levies a 15-30% commission on in-app purchases, which can significantly reduce developers’ revenue. According to a report from TechCrunch, PhonePe partnered with several phone makers to distribute the app store. It’ll also be available in 12 Indian languages to attract people who don’t understand English. To address developers’ issues promptly, an India-based team will provide support. This is not the first time an Indian company has launched an alternative to challenge Google’s monopoly in distributing apps through its Google Play Store. Paytm launched a mini app store alliance with similar objectives. However, Paytm’s Play Store alternative hasn’t seen much success since its launch. But with PhonePe promising better app discovery and consumer engagement and aiming to build a “credible” alternative to the Play Store, it’ll be interesting to see if the company manages to taste success. Earlier this year, the Indian government forced Google to allow third-party app stores in the country, paving the way for the likes of PhonePe to launch Play Store alternatives. Only time will tell if the government’s decision truly helps Indian companies develop a successful app store that is more focused on addressing issues faced by local developers. Source

In a move to prevent users from installing apps that may not have the latest privacy and security features, Google and Apple are looking to remove apps that haven’t been updated in the last two years. The latest policy change of Apple and Google may result in the removal of around 869,000 apps from the Google Play Store and around 650,000 iOS apps from the App Store, according to a report from Pixalate. Google has recently been cracking down on apps that do not comply with the store policies for a long time. The company recently banned 190,000 malicious developers from Play Store. The search giant is also looking to introduce new restrictions to prevent installing sideloaded apps. As per the Pixalate report, 68% of Google Play Store and App Store apps have received an update in the last two years. To put this into perspective, nearly 3.1 million apps across Play Store and App Store have received updates and, therefore, are abiding by the new rules. The report estimates that nearly 869,000 apps in the Google Play Store and around 650,000 apps in the App Store are likely to face the consequences since they haven't got an update in the last two years. This is equivalent to nearly one-third of Google Play Store and App Store apps combined. While Google has required developers to update their apps at least once in the last two years, Apple's policy change doesn't have enough clarity. The latter says it would remove apps that have been "updated in a significant amount of time" from the App Store. Apple has given developers 90 days to update their apps. Google's new policy change will be effective when it officially releases Android 13 for Pixel devices. As a result of the changes, outdated Android apps may either get removed or be hidden from the search result. Unless outdated apps get removed from the store, users who're using them can continue to use them if they wish to. Source: CNET via Android Central Nearly one-third of App Store and Play Store apps may get removed

While Apple claims its App Store to be one of the most secure digital storefronts to download apps on your iOS device, one thing it severely lacked up until now was the ability to rate and review apps made by the company. This was in stark contrast to third-party apps which prominently feature ratings and reviews to facilitate a user in deciding whether the app is worth their time. As noted by 9to5Mac, Apple - in its infinite grace that we should all be thankful for, really - has finally enabled the ability to rate its own apps. Apart from finally making the App Store a relatively more level playing field for developers competing with the tech giant's offerings, it also allows consumers to tell Apple what they love or hate about its apps. You can view ratings for individual apps developed by Apple on the dedicated webpage here or through the App Store available on your iOS device. While some apps like iTunes Remote have a very favorable 4.6/5 rating after 28,000 reviews, others like Apple News are at an abysmal 2.3/5 score after a handful of reviews from people airing their grievances at the firm. Of course, reviews have only started coming in so expect them to stabilize within a few days. Some stock apps like Phone and Messages do not have App Store listings, so they are exempt from this process. In its infinite grace, Apple finally lets users rate its apps

New MS Store will be more convenient (and useful) for users and developers. Enlarge / The Microsoft Store in Windows 11. Microsoft When Microsoft introduced Windows 11 over the summer, it also detailed a major shift in strategy for its app store. In an effort to woo more developers and their apps after years of indifference, Microsoft said it would allow all kinds of apps developed and packaged with all kinds of tools into the Microsoft Store, including everything from traditional Win32 apps to Electron apps to progressive web apps (PWAs). Now we're seeing some of the fruits of that change—Microsoft has announced that major third-party apps like Zoom, Discord, Adobe Reader, the VLC media player, and even the LibreOffice suite are all now available in the Microsoft Store for people using the Windows 11 Insider Preview builds. Web apps like Wikipedia, Reddit, and Tumblr are also available. These PWAs look and work just like the regular websites but can easily be pinned to Start or the Taskbar and can display notification badges and a few other benefits that make them feel a bit more like desktop apps. Microsoft also says it will allow other app stores into the Microsoft Store, starting with Amazon and the Epic Games Store. These will be available "over the next few months." (When support for Amazon's Android apps are added to Windows 11 sometime after the official launch, those apps will still be searchable from within the Microsoft Store itself.) If you don't want to (or can't) install Windows 11 on your PC, Microsoft says that the new Microsoft Store and the new apps in it will also be coming to Windows 10 "in the coming months." Windows 11's rollout officially begins on October 5. The Windows Store was modeled more closely on Apple's App Stores when it originally launched in the Windows Phone and Windows 8 days, but it has never been a particularly relevant or convenient way to access most workaday Windows apps. If that changes in Windows 11, it will be to Microsoft's benefit, even if the company isn't directly making money from many of the apps. If the Microsoft Store becomes a convenient destination for users, it will be more important for developers to post their apps to it, which will make it more convenient for users, and so on. Microsoft also announced in June that developers who use their own payment platforms (or third-party payment services from companies other than Microsoft) will be able to keep all of the revenue they earn, instead of the typical 85/15 revenue split for apps. This change notably does not apply to games, which have a lower 88/12 revenue split but have to pay Microsoft its cut regardless of how they handle payments. The Apple v. Epic Games case revealed that games account for 70 percent of Apple's App Store revenue, which suggests that Microsoft won't be leaving a ton of money on the table even with these changes. Listing image by Microsoft Epic Games Store, Discord, and Zoom all join Windows 11’s more flexible app store

The pace of change is quickening even as Apple tries to stop it Apple’s app store policies have caused controversy and consternation many times over the years, but few periods have been as active and strange as the last two weeks. For the first time, we are seeing Apple being forced to react directly to lawsuits and regulators with substantial policy changes. The biggest example has of course just happened today: a ruling from judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in the Epic v. Apple case. Apple must now allow apps to link out to other purchasing options in addition to in-app purchases. But that follows two court case settlements and a new law in South Korea that also have implications for how Apple treats developers. The pace of change is increasing and instead of leading, Apple is reacting. Apple will surely appeal the Epic ruling, but even if it ultimately loses, there’s a good chance that it won’t be enough to appease the legislators and lawyers who are circling Apple’s store as the main way to rein in Apple’s power. And there’s an even better chance that the developers who must try to navigate all those rules will also continue to feel like Apple is spending more effort protecting its profits than empowering developers. Here, then, is a very brief history of the major policy changes and statements Apple has made about the App Store over the years. The impetus for these different changes (or, as Apple tends to call them, “clarifications”) has varied, but the trend has remained the same. Apple has worked hard to keep the fundamental, central model of a 30 percent cut intact while softening it around the edges to appease various constituencies. But just take a look at the timing and cadence of these changes. After a development period from 2007 to 2011 when Apple fills out the features, there’s a large gap when Apple made few notable policy changes. Then, a major shift in 2016 to address some growing discontent among developers. And then, starting in the summer of 2019, there is an ever-increasing cadence of controversies and policy tweaks to address them. As time goes on, policy changes are coming faster and the hairs Apple is splitting are getting thinner. My instinct is to say that enough is enough: Apple should just make a couple of sweeping changes and get it all done at once. Clearly, Apple doesn’t agree. Instead, the company is in a defensive crouch, stepping back only when forced and as little as possible. That might be a good strategy to make sure every regulator feels like it got its pound of flesh and thus minimize the change Apple will have to make, as Steven Sinofsky speculated, but it’s a terrible strategy for making developers — and customers — feel good about the App Store. June 11th, 2007 At WWDC, Steve Jobs says that Apple won’t have the ability for developers to install “native” apps, but instead will need to use web apps. It was the infamous “sweet solution.” Oct. 17th, 2007 Apple changes its mind as it becomes clear that the demand is there (and as the home brew app movement gains momentum). It announces it will release an SDK for the iPhone. July 10th, 2008 The Apple App Store for the iPhone launches with 500 apps and a 30 percent cut of all sales going to Apple. August 7th, 2008 In an interview with Nick Wingfield, Steve Jobs says of the App Store that “we don’t expect this to be a big profit generator.” June 8th, 2009 Apple announces that developers will be able to add in-app purchases using Apple’s payment processing (and 30 percent cut). It limits in-app purchases to paid apps, however. Oct. 15th, 2009 Apple changes its mind and allows in-app purchases to be extended to free apps. It drives a huge shift in business models for many games. Feb. 1st, 2011 Apple begins rejecting apps that don’t use its in-app purchasing system. It rejects Sony’s e-reader app. Apps are not allowed to link out to purchase or subscription pages within their apps, even if the user completes the purchase in a separate browser window. Feb. 15th, 2011 In a big new push to bring news and magazines into Apple’s ecosystem, it launches subscriptions on the App Store for publishers. Fees are still 30 percent, and Apple makes it easy to unsubscribe — and hard for publishers to gather data about their readers. July 28th, 2011 As we learned in discovery for the recent Epic v. Apple case, an Apple executive suggests cutting App Store commission in an internal email on this date. As we all know, that didn’t happen. Jan. 15th, 2014 Apple settles a case with the FTC over in-app purchases and offers consumers $32 million in refunds. It’s a response to a raft of apps using tricky tactics to get in-app purchases. Over time, more parental controls, restraints on those purchases, and oversight on apps are added. Nov. 9th, 2014 Apple changes the button naming on the App Store from “free” to “get,” to better reflect that some games have in-app purchases. June 16th, 2016 In a massive and consequential change to the app economy, Apple introduces a much-expanded model for subscriptions for apps. It was big enough that our article on the event dubbed it App Store 2.0. The changes included dropping Apple’s fee to 15 percent after the first year of subscription revenue. This is also when Apple introduced the concept of the “reader app”, a controversial category that allowed users to access subscription content purchased elsewhere (like Netflix or Kindle) but disallowed linking out to those purchase options. Finally, Apple announced it would begin introducing ads in App Store search. The change was so big that at that year’s WWDC, Apple commissioned a graphic novel where the art told one story but all the text was literally the App Store rules. In one section, we see the story of a son getting a haircut for his father’s funeral while the captions list the “acceptable” business models in the App Store. Nov. 1st, 2016 A 2020 House subcommittee investigation revealed that in 2016, Amazon has a secret deal with Apple that grants it lower fees than were available to other developers. Earlier in 2020, Apple had attempted to claim the deal was an “established program for premium subscription video entertainment providers.” Even if it was “established,” it certainly wasn’t widely known. June 5th, 2018 During its Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple quietly updates its guidelines to allow for so-called remote mirroring apps like Steam Link. It didn’t allow for full game services on the App Store, but carved out the ability to mirror a PC on an iPhone or iPad. April 28th, 2019 A controversy grows over Apple’s crackdown on developers who use enterprise tools for managing iPhones to offer parental controls to consumers. Eventually, Apple needed to publicly explain why it was banning those apps. The move was viewed as anti-competitive because Apple had its own parental controls. Apple countered that those enterprise tools could be misused by hackers in a consumer context. May 29th, 2019 Apple publishes a new webpage (since changed) titled App Store Principles and Practices. It was essentially a marketing page designed to explain Apple’s rules for the App Store and why it believed those guidelines protected consumers. June 4th, 2019 In another quiet update during WWDC, Apple updates its guidelines to allow enterprise tools to be used for parental controls, allowing them to use mobile device manager and VPN APIs. July 12th, 2019 Apple begins restoring banned parental control apps to the App Store following the controversy earlier in the year. April 1st, 2020 This is the date we officially learned about the so-called “established” program for video streaming providers to bypass the 30 percent fee for individual video rentals and purchases. June 22nd, 2020 In what turned out to be a big controversy for the App Store, an email app called Hey is banned because it did not offer a way to sign up for the $99 / year service inside the app itself. At issue was that “reader” app category — only those types of apps were allowed to use that business model and Apple said email didn’t count. On this date, Hey made a minor change to its app to skirt Apple’s requirement that apps provide functionality without an outside subscription and so Apple approves the Hey email app. August 6th, 2020 In a new battle, streaming games platforms like Stadia and Microsoft’s xCloud are officially banned from the App Store. Apple’s ruling requires every game on the services to be submitted individually — a nonstarter for those services. Ultimately both would eventually return as browser-based apps after Apple quietly added the necessary Safari support for them to work. August 13th, 2020 Apple kicks Fortnite off the App Store following Epic’s gambit to add its own in-app purchases to the game. It would kick off a huge battle — both in the court of public opinion and in actual court. The Epic v. Apple case would turn out to be a major event in the App Store saga, revealing all sorts of internal emails and ultimately leading to consequential rulings. Nov. 18th, 2020 In an attempt to hang on to its 30 percent cut but still grant smaller developers some concessions, Apple introduces the “App Store Small Business Program.” Developers who make less than $1 million per year were allowed to apply to join the program and have their cut reduced to 15 percent. Sept. 11th, 2020 Apple makes it official that streaming game services are allowed in the App Store, but only if each game inside the services are submitted individually. It is still not enough for Stadia and xCloud. June 23rd, 2021 In a new 16-page report, Apple lays out its arguments against allowing sideloading iPhone apps in a report titled “Building a Trusted Ecosystem for Millions of Apps,” claiming the practice would make its phones less secure and trustworthy for users. August 26th, 2021 Apple announces another new program offering a lower rate to a subset of developers. Under the new program, news publishers that participated in Apple News to a sufficient degree qualify for a 15 percent cut on their other apps instead of 30. August 26th, 2021 Apple settles a class action lawsuit with developers. In the proposed settlement, the company “clarifies” that developers are allowed to email their users directly with information about how they could subscribe to services outside the App Store. It’s unclear if this is actually a change and even if it is, it’s a tiny one. August 31st, 2021 A new law in South Korea requires both Google and Apple to allow for third-party payment systems on apps in their respective app stores. It’s too soon to see how the companies will react and what the law’s effect both inside and outside South Korea will be. Sept. 1st, 2021 In another lawsuit settlement, Apple concedes to let apps like Netflix, Spotify, and Kindle have a single link out to their payment services inside their apps. It’s a tiny crack in the so-called “anti-steering” rules, but it’s limited to a single link and limited to the so-called “reader apps” category that Apple itself has defined. Sept. 10th, 2021 Apple rules that it won’t allow Fortnite to return to the App Store in South Korea, despite the new law there. Sept. 10th, 2020 In a huge ruling in the Epic v. Apple, the judge says that Apple is “permanently restrained and enjoined from prohibiting developers from including in their apps and their metadata buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms, in addition to In-App Purchasing and communicating with customers through points of contact obtained voluntarily from customers through account registration within the app.” It is also established that Apple does not have an illegal monopoly. Appeals from both Epic and Apple are expected. The Apple App Store: a brief history of major policy changes

Changes may help devs handle inflation, exchange rates, and new content types. The backs of the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max. A new pricing cheat sheet provided by Apple. Apple unveiled the most sweeping change yet to the App Store pricing model it applies to all apps submitted to its app stores on Tuesday. In the new system, app developers will have substantially more control over how they price their apps. Apple's App Store has a history of offering relatively limited price point options to app and game developers. With the new policies, the minimum app price has dropped from $0.99 to $0.29, and the maximum has risen from $1,000 to $10,000. Prices can include $0.10, $0.50, $1, $5, $10, and $100. Supported conventions include X.99, X.00, X.90, and X.95. Here's Apple's specific wording: Under the updated App Store pricing system, all developers will have the ability to select from 900 price points, which is nearly 10 times the number of price points previously available for most apps. This includes 600 new price points to choose from, with an additional 100 higher price points available upon request. To provide developers around the world with even more flexibility, price points—which will start as low as $0.29 and, upon request, go up to $10,000—will offer an enhanced selection of price points, increasing incrementally across price ranges (for example, every $0.10 up to $10; every $0.50 between $10 and $50; etc.). See the table below for details. The prices can be set on a per-country basis. This allows developers to respond to inflation and shifts in exchange rates. Developers can set a base price for a storefront and currency they know well, and they will see autogenerated suggestions for prices for other regions and currencies—which they can either accept or replace with their own chosen prices. Apps that offer auto-renewable subscriptions will be able to leverage these changes starting today. Developers of apps that don't have subscriptions will have to wait until an unspecified date in the spring of 2023. Before now, most changes to the App Store's pricing system were additions of new types of charges, whether expanded in-app purchases or subscription models. Beyond those additions, this is the most substantial change to the App Store's pricing model and policies since it launched. Several forces paved the way or contributed to this change. In 2021, Apple agreed to loosen pricing restrictions in the wake of a class-action suit by a coalition of third-party developers. More broadly, the company has faced intense regulatory scrutiny by lawmakers and public criticism by developers. Like many other recent App Store policy changes, this shift may be an attempt to preempt future crackdowns. The changes have also been made to help Apple and the developers in its ecosystem grapple with a recent volatile economic landscape, with higher-than-usual inflation and exchange rate fluctuations. It's also possible that Apple is introducing these new prices to prepare for new types of content, tools, and experiences that may be sold for its upcoming mixed reality headset, which will likely launch in 2023. Listing image by Samuel Axon Apple announces sweeping changes to App Store pricing

In a new press release, Apple has been surprisingly brutal in calling out developers who’re upset by recent changes to the App Store that had some developers being sent “App Store Improvement” notices. In the “App Store Improvement” notices that developers were being sent, it was claimed by Apple that their apps had “not been updated in a significant amount of time,” and subsequently they were at risk of being removed from sale within the App Store, leaving it only accessible to those who’re already purchased or downloaded the app. Unsurprisingly, after being posted to Twitter, these “App Store Improvement” notices caused a fair amount of backlash against Apple as developers claimed that constantly updating their apps was an unfair challenge that not every indie developer or hobbyist had time to do. Many developers also chose to point out that apps such as Pocket God hadn’t been updated in years yet were seemingly unaffected by this new policy. Thanks to a new news post from Apple, we now know why long updated apps such as Pocket God haven’t been cleansed off the App Store, it’s because they’re popular. Throughout the news post, Apple states that their “App Store Improvements process” isn’t just all about making sure apps have been updated sometime in the past three years, as there is also a “minimal download threshold” that apps must exceed as to not be labeled at risk for removal. Sadly for the disgruntled developers who’ve received and complained about the “App Store Improvement” notices, this means that, according to Apple, their “app has not been downloaded at all or extremely few times during a rolling 12 month period.” Thankfully, this smackdown of a news post isn’t all bad news for developers, as in the post Apple notes that developers can appeal app removals if they wish to and, thanks to kicking up a fuss, developers now have up to 90 days to improve their apps, rather than just 30. Apple calls out developers upset by App Store removals

Just like anything that is left unmaintained, some of the apps in Apple’s App Store have begun to decay to the point where they no longer work properly. To address this, Apple said in 2016 that it was removing apps that hadn’t received updates in three years. Now, the company has announced that developers who have received notice about the removal of their app will have 90 days to update their app so they can keep it available for download. Even if a developer considers their app to be feature complete, Apple and Google are continually updating their operating systems which means third-party developers have to then adjust their app, so messing with the code is something that needs to be done at least a few times a year to keep the app current. Under Apple’s rules, if a developer can’t give that much time to a project then they’ll have a three year period where they don’t need to update their app plus the 90 day notice period before the app is removed. Before and after the news of the extension, Apple’s policy on removing apps is that they will only be removed from the App Store. Users who have downloaded apps to their devices will still be able to continue using the app. Apple didn’t say whether those users could re-install the app later, but presumably not. If you create apps for the App Store, you should check the Apple Developer website which contains information about the new change including an FAQ. Apple extends deadline for developers to update their apps before App Store removal

Wiping apps that haven’t been updated in a ‘significant amount of time’ Apple may be cracking down on apps that no longer receive updates. In a screenshotted email sent to affected developers, titled “App Improvement Notice,” Apple warns it will remove apps from the App Store that haven’t been “updated in a significant amount of time” and gives developers just 30 days to update them. “You can keep this app available for new users to discover and download from the App Store by submitting an update for review in 30 days,” Apple writes in the email. “If no update is submitted in 30 days, the app will be removed from sale.” While Apple will remove the outdated apps from the App Store, any previously downloaded apps will remain on users’ devices. A number of app makers, like Protopop Games developer Robert Kabwe, have expressed their concerns about the change. Kabwe says on Twitter that Apple is threatening to remove his fully-functional game, Motivoto, because it hasn’t been updated since March 2019. Meanwhile, Kosta Eleftheriou, the developer of the FlickType Apple Watch keyboard, says Apple took down a version of his app made specifically for the visually impaired because it hasn't been updated in two years. As Eleftheriou points out in his tweet, the once-super-popular Pocket God app still remains on the App Store even though it received its last update in 2015. Developer Emilia Lazer-Walker also reported that Apple is removing “a few” of her older games from the App Store. Several other developers share the same experience, noting that they just haven’t had the time to update their apps. On Apple’s App Store Improvements page, the company says: “We are implementing an ongoing process of evaluating apps, removing apps that no longer function as intended, don’t follow current review guidelines, or are outdated.” There isn’t a time stamp on the page, so it’s not immediately clear when Apple published or last updated the post. Apple didn't immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment. In 2016, Apple said it would start removing abandoned apps from the App Store. At the time, it also warned developers that they would have 30 days to update their app before it got taken down. That said, it’s unclear whether Apple has continuously been enforcing this rule over the years, or if it recently started conducting a wider sweep. Apple also doesn’t clearly outline what it considers to be “outdated” — whether it's based on the time that has elapsed since an app was last updated, or if it concerns compatibility with the most recent version of iOS. Critics of this policy argue that mobile apps should remain available no matter their age, much like old video games remain playable on consoles. Others say the policy is unnecessarily tough on developers, and claim Apple doesn’t fully respect the work that goes into indie games. Earlier this month, the Google Play Store similarly announced it would begin limiting the visibility of apps that “don’t target an API level within two years of the latest major Android release version.” Android developers have until November 1st, 2022 to update their apps, but also have the option of applying for a six-month extension if they can’t make the deadline. With both major app stores cracking down on older apps, this could leave some developers, especially indie studios, struggling to keep up. Apple App Store appears to be widely removing outdated apps

The finding exposes the difference between the privacy policy you may think you’re covered under and the privacy policy that’s actually being applied. The detailed analytics data Apple records about what you do in the App Store can be tied directly to your Apple account, according to app development and research team Mysk. In a Twitter thread, Mysk shows that Apple sends what’s known as a “Directory Services Identifier” along with its App Store analytics info and argues that the identifier is also tied to your iCloud account, linking your name, email address, and more. The thread also notes that the data is still sent even if you turn off device analytics in settings, and that Apple sends your DSID in other apps as well. In the last tweet in the thread, Mysk says: “You just need to know three things: 1- The App Store sends detailed analytics about you to Apple. 2- There’s no way to stop it. 3- Analytics data are directly linked to you.” Apple didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment on whether it’s actually linking personal info to this sort of analytics data, but let’s take a look at what its own privacy policies have to say about the matter. Spoiler alert: it may be surprising but not necessarily damning (at least in terms of Apple breaking its own rules). In its thread, Mysk points to a line in Apple’s device analytics and privacy document, which reads: “None of the collected information identifies you personally. Personal data is either not logged at all, is subject to privacy preserving techniques such as differential privacy, or is removed from any reports before they’re sent to Apple.” There are a couple of things worth noting about this; one is that later on in the document, Apple does say that it “may correlate some usage data about Apple apps” across devices that are signed into the same iCloud account but that it does so in a way that won’t let the company identify you. More importantly, though, is that Apple has a separate set of rules about how it tracks you in the App Store (and in Apple News and Stocks, where it also shows ads). And in that document, Apple fully admits that it’s tracking you, personally. I recommend checking out the whole thing, but the first section is enough to show that this is a very different policy than the device analytics one. Perhaps the most relevant line reads (emphasis mine): “To find ways to improve the stores, we use information about your browsing, purchases, searches, and downloads. These records are stored with IP address, a random unique identifier (where that arises), and Apple ID when you are signed in to the App Store or other Apple online stores.” Apple also lays out some examples of exactly what information it’s collecting: “when you open or close the App Store, what content you search for, the content you view and download, and your interactions with App Store push notifications as well as messages from the App Store within apps.” In other words: the eye of Apple is monitoring pretty much everything you do in the App Store. The policy also reveals the slightly worrying amount of personal info and data that Apple collects for its app recommendations and advertisements, though it is worth noting that there are controls for those that let you turn off or limit data collection. But that’s doesn’t seem to be the case for the App Store improvement analytics; the full “Improving the Stores” section makes no mention of any settings that would let you keep Apple from seeing that info. Of course, users might assume that turning off device analytics while they’re setting up their phone would stop this sort of data collection. And who can blame them; Apple touts its privacy chops all the time, and turning that option off is supposed to deprive Apple of “data about how you use your devices and applications.” But what it doesn’t say is that applications themselves can do all sorts of tracking outside that system; hence almost all of Apple’s apps having their own privacy agreements (which you implicitly agree to by using them). Apple gets a lot of scrutiny around its privacy policies, as it should — you don’t get to make a billboard that says “what happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone” and constantly bray about how much you care about privacy without inviting some skepticism. But that scrutiny has increased as Apple has very publicly turned the screws on how other powerful advertising companies can collect user data on its platforms and as it seems set to make ads a bigger part of its business. And while it doesn’t seem like what Mysk turned up doesn’t necessarily seem to break Apple’s rules (though disclaimer: I am neither a lawyer nor do I have access to the full set of data Mysk captured), I do think a lot of its users would be surprised at how much tracking it’s doing, given how much energy the company spends on touting itself as a company that’s all about privacy. iOS developers say Apple’s App Store analytics aren’t anonymous

We've seen ads ruin the user experience of nearly every product under the sun. Apple released iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16.1 to the public last week, with a long list of new features, fixes, and high-priority zero-day security updates. The updates also included the latest version of SKAdNetwork, Apple's ad services framework for the App Store, and putting advertisements outside of the "Search" tab, where they had been relegated previously. Other changes included new App Store rules that give Apple a cut of NFT sales and of purchases made to boost posts within social media apps. Whatever the intended effects of these new ad-related updates were supposed to be, indications from Apple's third-party app developers, bloggers, and users indicated the end result was a flood of irrelevant and obnoxious ads, quite often for crypto-related scams and gambling. This included quite a few instances where those ads were not just annoying but inappropriate—next to apps for kids' games or apps for gambling addiction recovery. We contacted Apple to see whether it has anything to share about its ad rollout, and the company told us (and other outlets) that it had "paused ads related to gambling and a few other categories on App Store product pages." In the short term, the most egregious problem has been addressed, and in any case, "gambling apps advertised next to gambling addiction recovery apps" seemed like a result of unforeseen circumstances rather than something that Apple intended to happen. But whatever the intended effect, the outcry brought to mind something I've been worried about for a while now: the rise of Apple's Services division, and why it makes me worry about where the company is headed. Where Apple makes its money Apple still makes the vast majority of its money from the same thing it always has: the sale of hardware. Apple has always had lesser money-making enterprises bubbling along next to its hardware business—the iTunes stores for music and video, sales for Mac OS X and pro apps like Final Cut or Logic Pro, and .Mac/MobileMe/iCloud subscriptions all brought in some money. But these were mostly side hustles or services made to create a halo effect for Apple hardware. This is one reason why I've been a bit more comfortable inviting Apple's products into my home, compared to Google's, or Amazon's, or Facebook's Meta's, or (to a lesser extent) Microsoft's. It's about where each of those companies makes its money. If the products have no up-front cost, and most of the company's revenue is coming from ads or other kinds of targeting-derived, tracking-derived products, as the saying goes, "you are the product." It might be pollyanna-ish of me to base purchasing decisions on this gut feeling, but as long as Apple was making most of its money from hardware sales, I could at least tell myself that the internal and external pressures on the company would incentivize a continued focus on good hardware running good software, rather than chasing click-through rates and user engagement. As Apple began to play up its focus on privacy to draw a stronger contrast between itself and Google, it seemed even more likely that Apple would resist the urge to tuck ads and pushy notifications into all of its apps. But things have shifted, and continue to shift, on Apple's financial reports. Compare Apple's non-hardware revenue a decade ago to what it is now: in 2012, software, services, and sales of music and other media amounted to about $12 billion of the $156.5 billion Apple earned that year, or 7.7 percent. In 2022, that has climbed to $78.1 billion out of $394.3 billion, or nearly 20 percent. This increase has been steady, and services growth has consistently outpaced the growth of Apple's hardware business for the last few years; even in 2022, a relatively slow year for Services growth, its revenue increased nearly $10 billion (14.2 percent) year over year, while all of Apple's products combined grew by $18.8 billion (6.3 percent). Services aren't exactly eating the company's hardware business alive, but at this point it's bigger, by revenue, than the Mac and the iPad put together. And although growth has slowed somewhat through 2022, there's still likely more growth potential there than there is in hardware, since your pool of possible subscribers includes people who aren't Apple hardware owners. It’s still just little things, but there’s more coming Since Apple suspended the ads for gambling apps, most of what I see next to App Store listings are relatively inoffensive ads for hotel booking apps, coloring book apps, and no-name free-to-play games—they're not remotely relevant to me, which is its own problem, but they're not hurting anyone. And ads, auto-generated lists of suggested or sponsored content, and messages about e-commerce features and browser switching are nowhere near as omnipresent in iOS or macOS as they are in (say) Windows or Microsoft Edge. The kind of behavior I'm complaining about, at least for now, is happening around the outer edges of the Apple experience. But I'm still worried about the overall trend here. When I see these ads, when Apple TV+ notifies me about new shows that I haven't watched and have shown no interest in, when Apple News pops up a notification in my feed even though I never open or use it, these represent small incursions by the Services division into the iOS experience. I can ignore the ads, I can disable the notifications, but the default settings are to nudge me in the direction of things I don't want using methods I don't care for. The icky gambling ads are just one data point, but reports suggest that Apple’s ad business is only beginning to kick into gear. Reports from Digiday earlier this month allege that Apple is building out a larger ad operation for the Apple TV+ service, powered by a "demand-side platform" (DSP) to allow advertisers to more efficiently target their desired audiences. More ads coming to Apple's services and devices aren't necessarily the end of the world in and of themselves, and ads airing during Apple TV+ streams won't suddenly begin showing up unbidden on your iPad home screen. But my experience in 25 years on the Internet has been that ads don't usually get less intrusive or pervasive as time goes on—the Chromium-based version of Edge is a great case in point, since it started as a mostly inoffensive Chrome clone and has steadily over time become a nightmare of e-commerce pop-ups and nag messages. I don't think I'm going out on a limb when I say these ads generally don't improve the experience of using a product or service. On the subject of Apple TV+ ads, consider: seeing the same four or five ads six times apiece in the span of a one-hour show on Hulu is tolerable, but do they make you feel warmly about being a Hulu subscriber, or do they make you think about either upgrading to the ad-free tier or canceling your service entirely just to escape them? Do you look at a Google or Amazon search with nothing other than sponsored results above the fold and get excited to continue using those products, or do you use them because they are usually still just barely less bad than all the alternatives that exist? Will Apple's ads be as obnoxious as those? Probably not. An ad agency exec speaking to Digiday said that "[Apple TV] is going to be a very good ad experience with probably a low ad load. [Apple is] already actually very diversified in terms of revenue streams so there’s less pressure to fit lots of ads." But ad experiences almost never start out as annoying as they eventually become. That's why Apple's excursions into the ad business and the increased importance of the Services division to Apple's continued growth worry me. Not because I think Apple's products will become unusable or because I think the iPhone or Apple TV home screen is going to become dominated overnight by Roku-style half-page ads, but because I think that the pressure for Apple to degrade the experience for users and developers in the name of expanding its ad business will gradually increase as Apple tries to satisfy shareholders looking for perpetual growth. That's the same slope that got us from app ads in search results to "gambling apps being advertised next to literally everything," and we've seen many, many products and services slip down it already. Maybe Apple will be different. But maybe not. Why the App Store’s tone-deaf gambling ads make me worry about Apple