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Phil Schiller responds to developer complaints about App Store algorithms broken since at least 2013

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Complaints that Apple’s App Store algorithms are broken, often returning nonsensical results for highlighted categories like ‘New’ and ‘Hot,’ have finally caught the company’s attention. Phil Schiller yesterday responded to tweeted complaints by Mozilla’s Lisa Brewster and Screenshot++ developer Wesley Dyson.

Both drew attention to the fact that highlighted app categories in Canada and other countries (though seemingly not the U.S.) were filled with a whole range of similarly-named apps, and that apps whose names put them at the top of alphanumeric sorting remain in the ‘New’ category forever …

The issue isn’t new, being the subject of a Radar bug report dating back almost three years. That report was listed as ‘closed/behaves correctly’ by Apple. However, Twitter users posting screenshots to illustrate the extent of the problem appear to have succeeded where the bug report failed.

Phil Schiller, who took on responsibility for App Stores in December from Eddy Cue, tweeted that the issue shouldn’t be happening, and promised to investigate.

Schiller took action recently to ensure that the Best New Apps section was refreshed more regularly, and said that further changes were on the way.

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Comments

  1. pecospeet - 8 years ago

    It will be nice to get that fixed. I had not realised that the US App Store behaved well – I assumed that all the APP Stores gave lots of junk apps in search results and the new and hot apps sections, just like I experience in Canada. I long ago gave up using the App Store to find anything unless I knew explicitly what I wanted from some third party. Even if I know the app’s name and the developer, the search often delivered junk at the top of the list. At least in my experience, the App Store is a mess with too few categories (ever hear of a tree Apple?) and way too much junk to sift through. Legitimate developers should be mad.

    • Ben Lovejoy - 8 years ago

      Yeah, UK is the same – even a search for the exact name of the app produces lots of junk ahead of it.

  2. Yet many customers, like myself, simply mumbled to ourselves “why does this search given me all this sheet”

  3. Mark Granger - 8 years ago

    Phil Shiller should also look at why Apple removes all reviews every time there is even a minor update. This goes back to the beginning of the App store and now developers are discouraged from updating their apps and users see no point in leaving reviews that will immediately be hidden. Most of the reviews on the app store are now fake, posted by employees of the company that made the app or paid reviewers. There are review exchange services which are tit for tat reviews by other app developers. Users ignore reviews and for good reason. This is all entirely Apple’s fault. It has been reported for many years and ignored by the app store developers. The first question Phil should ask them is: Why are you ignoring your bug reports?

    • crichton007 - 8 years ago

      I guess it depends on how these things are tracked. Where I work I “follow” all of the bug reports I start or impact a client I work with. From time to time the developers will close legitimate ones and I will track them down and help them understand the issue and show them that it really is happening. With any piece of software there are going to be a lot of reported issues and developers will try to get through as many as they possibly can and sometimes the issue is more subtle than it seems initially.

    • eswinson - 8 years ago

      On the other hand a 1 star rating and review of “It blows up my phone and erases amy my files” should only be relevant to the build that actually causes that problem. I do periodically update my reviews if problems are resolved or not resolved in new builds to reflect the current situation.

    • HiroiSekai - 8 years ago

      I personally find this system way more efficient towards app purchase decisions. By keeping only the most recent app version reviews available, it keeps negative reviews of previous versions to a minimum while developers can continue to take feedback from their last release.

      This also benefits buyers as they can see what the current app version has fixed and how that is being received. It also grants me solace in knowing the developers are continuing to support their app.

  4. crichton007 - 8 years ago

    Although (shockingly) I don’t know Eddie Cue or Phil Schiller personally my impression of the two is that Phil will get stuff done but Eddie is not as detail oriented. That being said I would love to see Phil be in charge of Siri as well because the last I heard Eddie was in charge of that project too.

  5. flars - 8 years ago

    It’s baffling that Apple doesn’t pay more attention to App Stores outside US. If you for instance go to Categories on the Featured tab, on App Stores outside US, and choose something country specific as an educational app for kids, you will find apps for learning the US states or the English alphabet.

Author

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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