App Store

By MacRumors Staff
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The App Store is Apple's digital software distribution platform for iOS devices. First introduced in 2008, the App Store allows software developers to distribute content that has been created specifically for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. Apps are also available on the Apple Watch through the iOS App Store.

There are well over a million apps in the App Store, and customers have downloaded more than 100 billion apps since the App Store debuted. App Store apps are available with three pricing options: free (and usually supported by ads), free with in-app purchases, or a set cost starting at $0.99 in the US.

In 2010, Apple introduced the Mac App Store for distributing content on Macs, and in 2015, Apple introduced the tvOS App Store, an app store for to the fourth-generation Apple TV.

App Store How Tos

How to Download Large Apps Over Cellular on iPhone and iPad

Monday February 3, 2020 11:56 am PST by
Apple used to limit the size of App Store downloads over cellular to 150MBs to prevent iPhone users from accidentally downloading a large app over 3G or 4G networks and using up all their data allowance or running up data charges. In May 2019, Apple upped the limit of over-the-air downloads to 200MB, but offered no way to opt out of the limit at the time, leaving users with unlimited data...
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How to Add Funds to Your Apple ID on iPhone and iPad

Monday November 11, 2019 9:38 am PST by
It used to be the case that adding funds to your Apple ID required redeeming an iTunes Gift Card bought from a store, but Apple now lets you use a debit or credit card right on your iPhone or iPad to do the same thing. Adding funds to your Apple ID allows you to make purchases from the iTunes Store, iBooks Store, and App Store on any of your Apple devices. It's easy to add funds to your...
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How to Update Apps in iOS 13

Monday September 16, 2019 5:13 pm PDT by
If you recently updated your iPhone to iOS 13 or your iPad to iPadOS 13 and you can't work out how to manually update your installed apps, then you've come to the right place. Apple has changed the way you update apps in iOS. In earlier versions of its mobile operating system, app updates lived in their own tab in the App Store app, but that has since had to make way for a new Apple Arcade...
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How to Cancel App Store Subscriptions

Wednesday April 4, 2018 1:50 am PDT by
Several TV and music services and other apps offer free trials through the App Store that automatically renew to become paid subscriptions after the trial period ends. If you want to prevent an App Store subscription from running beyond the trial period or cancel a subscription you're currently paying for, then read on. This article explains how to cancel any App Store subscription on iOS,...
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App Store Articles

Compact App Store Ads Feature

App Store Ads in Today Tab Switching to More Compact Design in July

Tuesday June 20, 2023 12:29 pm PDT by
Starting in July, ads in the App Store's Today tab will have a more compact design and be fully visible without any scrolling. The new ad format will include the app's icon, name, and subtitle, along with an "Ad" label and a "Get" button. The new ad format will be shown on iPhones running iOS 16.4 and later. Today tab ads will not be available on iOS 16.3 and earlier. Existing ads will...
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App Store App Can Now Tell You How Long an App Will Take to Download in iOS 17

Wednesday June 7, 2023 2:25 am PDT by
In iOS 17, Apple has made a small but notable change to the App Store app so that it now tells users how long an app download will take once it's started. When the "Get" app button is tapped in an app listing and the circular download symbol appears, the time remaining for the download to complete is displayed beside it in minutes and seconds. If the installation is likely to take only a...
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Apple-Funded Study Suggests App Store Ecosystem Facilitated $1.1 Trillion in Sales in 2022

Wednesday May 31, 2023 10:00 am PDT by
The App Store was responsible for an estimated $1.1 trillion in developer billings and sales in 2022, according to an Apple-sponsored study conducted by economists from Analysis Group. Apple shared the results of the study today as part of an ongoing effort to highlight the benefits of the ‌App Store‌ and the successes of developers who use the Apple platform. A total of $910 billion of the...
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Apple Claims App Store Security Features Prevented Over $2 Billion in Fraudulent Transactions in 2022

Tuesday May 16, 2023 12:41 pm PDT by
The App Store prevented an estimated $2 billion in "potentially fraudulent transactions" in 2022, Apple said today in a Newsroom article that highlights the security benefits of the ‌App Store‌ and Apple Pay. Close to 3.9 million stolen credit cards were prevented from being used to make fraudulent purchases within apps, and 714,000 accounts were banned from transacting again, which is how...
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Mac App Store General Feature

PSA: Watch Out for Fake ChatGPT Apps and Other Scams in the Mac App Store

Tuesday April 25, 2023 3:04 pm PDT by
There have long been complaints from developers and App Store users about apps that offer limited functionality and charge high prices in an effort to scam people out of their money, and the latest trend is a glut of ChatGPT apps that have invaded the ‌App Store‌. Privacy 1st researcher Alex Kleber over the weekend did a deep dive into the Mac App Store after noticing an alarming number of...
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app store blue banner uk fixed

Apple, Google Could Face Large Fines Under New UK Digital Consumer Bill

Tuesday April 25, 2023 4:49 am PDT by
The U.K. government has introduced a new bill that would allow the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to impose multibillion-pound fines on major tech companies like Apple for breaching its rules. The multifaceted bill is designed to promote competition and protect consumers by giving the CMA the authority to tackle the "excessive dominance" of tech firms, according to a government...
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iOS 17 to Support App Sideloading to Comply With European Regulations

Monday April 17, 2023 4:54 am PDT by
Apple in iOS 17 will for the first time allow iPhone users to download apps hosted outside of its official App Store, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Otherwise known as sideloading, the change would allow customers to download apps without needing to use the App Store, which would mean developers wouldn't need to pay Apple's 15 to 30 percent fees. The European Union's Digital...
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iOS App Store General Feature JoeBlue

Expanded App Store Price Points Now Available for All App Purchases

Thursday March 9, 2023 12:39 pm PST by
Apple today announced that its expanded range of App Store price points is now available to developers for use with all ‌App Store‌ purchase options, including paid apps and one-time in-app purchases. When the updated pricing options were first introduced in December, they were limited to auto-renewable subscriptions. Apple at the time said the pricing changes would also expand to other app...
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ChatGPT on App Store Feature

Apple Seemingly Restricting Generative AI Apps to 17+ or Older App Store Rating

Thursday March 2, 2023 5:05 am PST by
Apple has refused to accept an update to email app BlueMail that adds generative AI features based on ChatGPT unless the developer gives it a 17+ age restriction, the Wall Street Journal reports. The update to BlueMail uses OpenAI's latest ChatGPT chatbot API to help write emails using content from previous emails and calendar events. In communications sent to BlueMail developer Blix Inc.,...
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App Store May Violate Japanese Antitrust Law

Thursday February 9, 2023 9:36 am PST by
Apple's App Store policies may be violating Japanese antitrust law, according to a new report from the Japan Fair Trade Commission (FTC) that was shared by Nikkei. Japanese regulators do not believe there is enough "competitive pressure" on Apple and Google as the two companies have a duopoly in mobile operating systems and dominate the app market. Japanese regulators want Apple and Google...
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iOS App Store General Feature Clorange

App Store Prices Increasing in the UK and Other Countries on February 13

Friday January 27, 2023 1:16 pm PST by
App Store prices are going up in the United Kingdom and several other countries starting on February 13, Apple announced today. The changes are being implemented due to shifts in taxes and foreign exchange rates. App and in-app purchase prices in Colombia, Egypt, Hungary, Nigeria, Norway, South Africa, and the United Kingdom will go up, and prices in Uzbekistan will drop because of a three...
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Spotify Pens Joint Letter Calling Apple 'Harmful' and 'Anti-Competitive,' Claims App Store Ruins Business

Friday January 20, 2023 3:24 am PST by
Spotify and eight companies and associations have written a letter to the EU Commission's executive vice president calling Apple a harmful, anti-competitive, and monopolistic company that must be regulated through "urgent action." The letter, signed by the CEOs and heads of Basecamp, Deezer, Proton, Schibsted, Spotify, European Publishers Council (EPC), France Digitale, and News Media...
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ChatGPT on App Store Feature

Sketchy ChatGPT App Soars Up App Store Charts, Charges $7.99 Weekly Subscription [Update: Removed]

Monday January 9, 2023 7:29 am PST by
A sketchy app claiming to be the bot ChatGPT has soared up App Store charts, charging users a $7.99 weekly subscription to use a service that is entirely free to use on the web and seemingly has no affiliation to the actual bot. ChatGPT has soared in popularity recently, with some calling it the "iPhone moment" for AI, given its mainstream appeal. ChatGPT can articulate short and long-form...
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iOS App Store General Feature Desaturated

France Fines Apple €8 Million for Targeted App Store Ads

Wednesday January 4, 2023 12:52 pm PST by
French regulators today fined Apple €8 million for breaching France's data protection rules with targeted App Store ads. France's National Commission for Informatics and Liberty (CNIL) says that Apple did not get the consent of French iPhone users before using identifiers to present targeted ads in the iOS 14.6 update. Apple was collecting information and using that data for ads by default,...
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Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney Teases Fortnite Returning to iOS in 2023 as Legal Battle Continues

Monday January 2, 2023 4:09 am PST by
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has teased a return of Fortnite to iOS in 2023, nearly three years after the best-selling game was removed from the App Store for violating platform rules, marking the start of a contentious and high-profile legal battle. In a tweet to celebrate the new year, Sweeney said, "Next year on iOS!" followed by an image of a Fortnite character looking up at fireworks that ...
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iOS App Store General Feature Desaturated

French Court Levies Fine Against Apple for Abusive App Store Practices

Monday December 19, 2022 8:44 am PST by
The French Commercial Court in Paris today fined Apple $1 million for abusive App Store practices, reports Reuters. Apple imposed unfair commercial clauses on French app developers for access to the ‌App Store‌, according to the ruling. The decision is the result of a multi-year investigation by France's consumer affairs and fraud watchdog (DGCCRF), overseen by the French ministry of...
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Rival App Stores on iPhone Estimated to Have Limited Impact on Apple's Revenue

Thursday December 15, 2022 8:34 am PST by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman this week reported that Apple is preparing to allow alternative app stores on the iPhone and iPad in the European Union, as part of an effort to comply with the Digital Markets Act, which goes into full effect in 2024. The report said Apple is aiming for the changes to be introduced as part of iOS 17. In a research note this week, a trio of analysts at investment bank ...
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iOS App Store General Feature JoeBlue

Apple Working to Add Support for Sideloading and Alternate App Stores in Europe

Tuesday December 13, 2022 10:24 am PST by
Apple is planning to allow for alternate app stores on iPhones and iPads ahead of European legislation that will require the company to support sideloading, reports Bloomberg. The change would allow customers to download apps without needing to use the App Store, which would mean developers would not need to pay Apple's 15 to 30 percent fees, but to start with, Apple is only planning to...
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iOS App Store General Feature JoeBlue

Apple Announces App Store Changes, Including Expanded Pricing Up to $10,000

Tuesday December 6, 2022 9:00 am PST by
Apple today announced it is providing developers with an additional 700 price points for App Store apps, allowing apps to be priced as low as 29 cents, or as high as $10,000. Developers who want to price their app above $1,000 must submit a request to Apple to help prevent meaninglessly expensive apps from being released on the App Store. In total, developers will have the ability to select...
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iOS App Store General Feature Desaturated

Facebook and Spotify CEOs Slam Apple's App Store

Wednesday November 30, 2022 11:20 am PST by
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek today spoke out against Apple's App Store policies, joining Twitter CEO Elon Musk, who earlier this week said that Apple was making moderation demands and had threatened to withhold Twitter from the ‌App Store‌. At The New York Times DealBook Summit, Zuckerberg said that only Apple attempts to limit the apps that are in the ‌App Store‌,...
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