Users in Iran are no longer able to access the App Store
According to Bleeping Computer, the App Store is no longer available in Iran. The ban took place sometime around noon GMT today.
Apple releases updated brand assets for Apple Music and iTunes
Apple has today shared refreshed assets for to help affiliates promote and share music, movies, and TV content that can be found on Apple Music and the iTunes Store.
Golf Plus Apple Watch app aims to replace expensive golf swing analyzer gear
A lot of people argue that apps on the Apple Watch are completely and utterly useless —insisting that complications are the true potential behind Apple Watch. However, the app Golf Plus wants to buck that trend by potentially replacing your high-end golf analyzing gear with Apple Watch.
PSA: Watch out for these convincing App Store subscription phishing emails
Representing such a large and diverse percentage of the market, Apple customers are common targets of phishing attempts. Whether they be innovative methods via iOS applications or traditional email phishing attempts, it’s important for customers to remain skeptical of communication asking for sensitive information.
A new wave of phishing attempts targeted at Apple customers comes in the form of subscription renewal email and has seemingly become so widespread, Apple has shared new tips on protecting yourself…
Apple will require all new apps to natively support iPhone X display from April
Apple has informed developers today that all new apps submitted to the App Store from April 2018 must support the iPhone X’s Super Retina display. This means developers of new apps must ensure they accommodate the notch and go edge-to-edge on the 5.8-inch OLED screen.
Apple has not set a deadline for when updates to existing apps must support iPhone X natively. From April, all new apps must also be built against the iOS 11 SDK.
Apple abruptly pulled Telegram last week when it learned app was serving child pornography
We now have the answer for why the popular messaging app Telegram was pulled from the App Store last week. Telegram for iOS notably disappeared from the App Store for several hours without an explanation before the service’s CEO blamed the problem on Apple pulling the app due to ‘inappropriate content’ appearing in the app.
According to an email shared by 9to5Mac reader Alijah that includes a response from Phil Schiller who manages the App Store, Telegram was abruptly pulled when Apple learned that the app was serving child pornography to users.
App Review rejecting apps that use Apple emoji for user interface icons
App Review appears to be more strictly enforcing rules regarding the use of Apple intellectual property in third party apps, which now includes emoji. Developers are reporting that their apps are now getting rejected for using the Apple emoji icon set in screenshots, other marketing and parts of the user interface (such as using emoji in place of custom iconography).
As described to Sam Eckert, apps cannot use emoji outside of places where a user would have typed it in to comply with the new rules. Apps must replace usage of Apple emoji with custom icons, or nothing at all, if they want their app to be approved.
Apple adjusting App Store pricing & developer payouts in select countries due to tax changes
Apple today has sent an email to App Store developers informing them of upcoming price changes in select countries. The company says that value added tax, or VAT, has changed in some countries and thus it will adjust developer proceeds. Other countries will also see App Store prices updated.
DuckDuckGo launches revamped iOS app to further protect your privacy online
The search engine DuckDuckGo has today revamped its iOS app to further protect your privacy online. The app is a mobile browser but also provides an extension that offers better tracker blocking, smarter encryption, and private search.
Apple overhauls App Store web interface with new iOS-like design
Apple today has rolled out a major redesign for the App Store web interface. The new redesign replaces the dated and clunky interface that previously housed the App Store on the web…
Apple blocks iOS app that claims to detect net neutrality violations through data throttling [Update]
[Update: The developer now says his app has been approved after all.]
Apple has reportedly rejected an app that claims to detect net neutrality violations and study which carriers throttle major video services. Motherboard reports that researcher David Choffnes says his app Wehe was rejected by the App Store for apparently offering no benefit to the user, but the app’s promise sounds rather straightforward…
Google Arts & Culture tops iOS free app charts for all the wrong reasons
If you were to guess which app would top the charts of free iOS apps, you’d probably guess Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, a game or something to do with emoji. But no, right now it’s an app no-one would ever have predicted: Google Arts & Culture.
Google Arts & Culture has collaborated with over 1,200 international museums, galleries and institutions from 70 countries to make their exhibits available for everyone online.
Sadly, this unexpected popularity doesn’t reflect a sudden popular interest in either cultural artifacts or art …
Apple offers ways to ‘Serve Your Community’ along with other MLK focused content
In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Apple has shared a few editorials on the iOS App Store in addition to featuring a homepage photo and quote on its website. The top billed story is Serve Your Community, which looks to help users give back by highlighting several apps and services.
Tencent restoring WeChat tipping to creators after Apple blocked feature last year
Apple and Tencent have reportedly reached an agreement that will allow customers in China to once again “tip” content creators using WeChat, according to The Wall Street Journal. Apple effectively blocked the feature last year when it demanded 30% of the revenue from donations.
iOS App Store will be bigger than entire worldwide movie industry sometime this year
Following Apple’s announcement of record-breaking app sales in the holiday shopping season, Asymco’s Horace Dediu did some number-crunching, and came up with some surprising facts.
Not least among them is the clear pointer that iOS app sales will be worth more than the entire worldwide movie industry at some point this year …
Apple highlighting subscription apps w/ free trials in new App Store section
As it continues to showcase new types of content in the App Store, Apple has recently started highlighting popular subscription applications with free trials. The new section is located under the “Apps” section in the App Store and aptly titled “Try It For Free.”
Apple: App Store customers spent record $300M on New Year’s Day, over $890M Christmas week
Apple today announced a record-breaking holiday shopping season for the App Store. In a press release, the company said that customers spent over $890 million during the seven-day period beginning on Christmas Eve…
PSA: Nonprofits can now apply to Apple for App Store developer fee waiver
Apple announced last month that it would be waiving the $99/year App Store developer fee for governments and nonprofits, and eligible organizations can now apply. However, there are a number of conditions …
Apple will waive $99/year App Store developer fee for governments and nonprofits in 2018
[Update: Apple has officially announced it is making developer memberships free for qualifying groups, institutions, and government entities.]
Apple dropped some new App Store review guidelines yesterday that detailed the latest policies and rules developers must abide by to see their apps approved. For template-generated apps, Apple will require that all apps published to the store must be submitted by the true owner of the app, with their own developer account. This adds some financial burden to charities and nonprofits that didn’t exist before, but Apple has announced a solution …
App Store guidelines updated w/ new info on template apps, VPNs, cryptocurrencies & more
Apple has announced today that it is revising its App Store guidelines with a handful of notable changes. The latest version of the guidelines offers new details for template applications, cryptocurrency trading clients, VPNs, and more…
Review: Bridge Constructor Portal brings the fun of Valve’s hit game to iOS in a clever way
In most circumstances, I’d be repelled by a chilling, robotic voice mocking me from inside of my phone. The one exception is if that voice belongs to GLaDOS, the sharp-witted, snide, and devilishly funny computer that provides background commentary for Portal and Portal 2, the hit puzzle games that became instant favorites of mine from the minute I picked them up.
Now, GLaDOS is back – and on the iPhone, in a new title that combines the story and visuals of the Portal franchise with the physics and gameplay of the popular line of Bridge Constructor games. Bridge Constructor Portal launches tomorrow on iOS, and we’ve been testing it out to see if it can live up to its name.
Apple hit with lawsuit from Chinese clothing brand over ‘stolen’ App Store logo
A report today from The Verge details that the latest lawsuit against Apple stems from a Chinese clothing brand, Kon, that claims that the Cupertino company stole its logo.
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp updated w/ new content & social features
Nintendo has released a notable update for Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp on iOS. The update brings the app to version 1.1 and includes new content and social features, as well as performance improvements and bug fixes…
App Store now lets any developer make apps available for pre-order
Apple has announced today that all developers can now offer their applications for pre-order via the App Store. Apple made the announcement on its iTunes Connect blog, alongside a few other tidbits of news…
