In-app Events on the App Store begin appearing on iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, starting with TikTok

Staff Writer | Aug 3 2021 - 9:36 am PT

One of the features coming with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 is the possibility to discover in-app events through the App Store. As spotted by graphic designer Brahm Shank, while running iPadOS 15, he found a featured TikTok in-app event. This feature is launching with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 later this fall.

Here’s how Apple describes in-app events:

Discover timely events within apps and games — such as a game competition, a new movie premiere, or a livestreamed experience — right on the App Store. Events are discoverable in editorial curation and personalized recommendations on the Today, Games, and Apps tabs, in search results, and on the app product page.

This feature will be discoverable across the App Store in existing places, including editorially curated spots like the Today tab, on an app’s product page, and in search.

With iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, developers can configure an in-app event through App Store Connect. As it happens with other apps and stories, Apple can highlight them as well as they will still appear on product pages and in search.

Being more technical, on the Developer’s page, Apple explains how in-app events work:

On iOS and iPadOS, in-app events appear across the App Storeas event cards that include images or video, the event name, and a short description. Customers can tap to open an event details page, which provides a more immersive experience with a longer event description and notes if an in-app purchase or subscription is required to participate.

If you’re curious, here’s what’s happening with TikTok Summer Camp:

Tune in to the latest session of TikTok Summer Camp, where creators and artists share their expertise in live 30-minute segments;
Quick take: In today’s Outdoor theme, your counselors riff on topics for nature lovers-everything from whitewater rafting to stargazing;
Don’t miss: Two more sessions of TikTok Summer Camp are scheduled: Comedy Live airs August 10; Watch Party on August 17.
When it starts: Today’s session starts at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT and runs till 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

This feature is also going to be useful for apps such as Pokémon GO and Ingress, which have in-app events all the time.

Alongside that, with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, the App Store is receiving a widget, so users can see the stories, collections, and in-app events from their home screen.