Image via Olga Osadcha
Update: Apple tells TechCrunch that the feature we saw should roll out to users over the next few weeks.
Apple appears to be testing a new feature for the iOS version of the App Store that presents users with related search terms at the top of the search results page.
The feature isn’t available to everyone yet, but users on iOS 7.1 and 7.0.x are reporting spotting it. 9to5Mac‘s own Zac Hall only had access to the feature temporarily, though his search results have now returned to the previous design.
The feature was first pointed out by Olga Osadcha on Twitter:
[tweet https://twitter.com/oosadcha/status/448264230207094784 align=’center’]
Tapping the suggestions at the top of the page takes users to a new search page for that term, which, as pointed out by Osadcha, results in even more suggestions.
[tweet https://twitter.com/oosadcha/status/448315767100948480 align=’center’]
There’s no word on when (or if) this experimental feature will be rolled out to all users, but it looks like it will be pushed out over-the-air without the need for a full iOS update. Apple has made small changes to the App Store interface without a full update before—a feature that’s possible because the App Store (and iTunes Store) pull a large part of their interfaces from the Internet rather than including them within the apps.
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Locating certain apps in the App Store has been a bit of a challenge due to how many apps are in it. It’s good to know that Apple is continuing to improve and toy with new ways to locate apps in a more efficient way.
Reblogged this on iMacheads and commented:
Finally.
I gave up on App store search a long time ago.
For instance the last time I searched for “Jelly” (which is a hugely popular app), the app itself wasn’t in the first three pages of results, even though I was searching for the word “Jelly” and there is only one app with that name. Same goes for searching for “Apple Store App.” The last time I did it, the app (with that exact name) couldn’t be found at all.
Until they fix stuff like that, is it really worth bothering about the details?
I’m sorry buddy but I go to the the App Store, tap Search, write “Jelly” and boom, 1st app I see is the actual app. Same with “Apple Store”. Maybe you’re just trolling or I don’t know but each way it’s not nice to say this when it actually works tremendously.
What country are you from? Searching for “Apple Store App” doesn’t return anything for me too, but it is because it doesn’t exist in the Portugal store, maybe the same is happening with you?
Of course when certain app doesn’t exist in your country’s App Store it won’t be in your results. Try for example US account and boom, 1st app you see. Searching in App Store works very, very good and it shows you results appropriate to what you’re looking for.
mmm looks familiar…Appsfire before we pulled it :)
https://www.evernote.com/shard/s1/sh/2a58d8fe-0300-4d1c-bfc0-b895b7be17a7/438ed7b600a65b32d95a45bd9d66686b