Skip to main content

App Store

2,198 'App Store' stories December 2010 - May 2016
See All Stories

Apple TV App Store Top Charts algorithm now hides apps that you already have installed

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo May 31 2016 - 8:38 am PT
0 Comments

Apple has quietly rolled out a change to the Apple TV App Store on tvOS in the last few days, which affects how apps are listed in the Top Charts. For the Top Charts (Top Paid, Top Free, Top Grossing), the Apple TV App Store will now hide listings for apps that the user has already downloaded, so the charts update dynamically per user. This means users can only browse for apps they don’t already own, removing some clutter and allowing less popular apps more opportunity to be seen. This behavior is novel and isn’t currently replicated by the iPhone and iPad App Stores.

To try this out for yourself, open the Apple TV App Store and download the #1 Top Free app. After force-quitting and re-opening the App Store (by swiping it away in the multitasking tray), the app will disappear from the charts. What was previously listed at #2 will now take the top spot (via Equinux).


Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple working ‘rapidly’ to bring Apple Pay to more countries in Europe and Asia

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo May 27 2016 - 3:07 am PT
0 Comments

Following the expanded launch of Apple Pay in Singapore this week, TechCrunch spoke with Apple VP Jennifer Bailey about Apple Pay’s roadmap. The Apple executive said the company wants to bring Apple Pay to every significant market in which it operates with particular focus on rapid expansion in Europe and Asia. Apple Pay is currently available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, China, Singapore and Australia. Apple has already said the mobile payments service will reach Hong Kong soon …


Expand
Expanding
Close

iOS 10: Rumored iPhone & iPad features in the cards for WWDC 2016

Avatar for Jordan Kahn May 26 2016 - 10:48 am PT
0 Comments
Site default logo image

As we approach Apple’s WWDC 2016 developer conference scheduled for June 13-17, there are more than a few reported in-development features and fixes that are likely candidates for stage time. An Apple Music revamp, Apple Pay updates, improvements for the App Store, and new features for HomeKit, Siri, and Apple News are just a few possibilities for Apple’s event next month. Below we roundup those features and much more as we take a look at the most likely new iPhone and iPad features in the works for iOS 10:


Expand
Expanding
Close

Adobe updates Capture CC iOS app w/ new Patterns feature, more

Avatar for Jordan Kahn May 16 2016 - 1:17 pm PT
0 Comments

Adobe today announced an update to Adobe Capture CC—its iOS app that lets users capture and edit images for use in its other editing apps.

The update brings a new Patterns feature that the company says “transforms any image or real-world object into a geometric or organic pattern.”

“Traditionally, the process of creating a pattern required manual tiling and a tedious chore of blending between tiles. The newest capability in Capture CC automatically blends the seams between tiles for a perfect pattern.”

And you can see in the screenshots above how the patterns feature works from with the Capture CC app on iPhone. After taking a photo, the feature allows you to select a portion of the photo to use and then automatically generates a pattern for you to preview.

Adobe offered up some other examples of the new Patterns feature in action. This one is made using a source photo of the Statue of Liberty:

Also included in the update:

IMPROVED SHAPE EDITING

Users asked for more editing controls when creating a new shape. You can now remove unwanted details or break connected paths with the new erase tool. 

OTHER FIXES AND IMPROVEMENTS

This release also includes several bug fixes and improved app stability.

The updated Capture CC app for iOS, version 2.0, is available on the App Store now.

Opinion: Apple badly needs to fix App Store search, but not by paid placements

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy May 13 2016 - 7:27 am PT
0 Comments

We heard last month that Apple has a team of around 100 people working on revamping the search functionality in the iOS App Store. If true, it’s long overdue because App Store search is a truly terrible experience. You know it, I know it, developers know it, everyone in the world knows it – except, it had always appeared, the Apple execs in charge of it.

If Apple is actually going to fix App Store search so that it works, that’s excellent news. But one part of the report sounded distinctly less encouraging.

One of the methods that Apple is considering is paid search. Essentially, developers and companies could pay to have their app shown more prominently in search results.

That gives the impression that Apple is more focused on generating additional revenue than delivering a great user experience …


Expand
Expanding
Close

Developers seeing dramatically faster App Store review times on submissions

Avatar for Zac Hall May 12 2016 - 9:52 am PT
0 Comments

While there hasn’t been an official policy change or new strategy made public, software developers have been noticing dramatically shorter review times when submitting apps through Apple’s approval process on both the iOS and Mac App Stores. Citing data from AppReviewTimes.com, Bloomberg today highlights the positive trend, while noting that iOS App Store review times currently average just two days turnaround time and just one day for the Mac App Store.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Search problems in iOS & Mac App Stores, with major apps failing to show & incorrect results [Updated 2x]

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy May 5 2016 - 5:03 am PT
0 Comments

[UPDATE: Users in comments and elsewhere are reporting similar issues with books and music, and Apple has now updated its status page.

Users are experiencing a problem with the App Store. We are investigating and will update the status as more information becomes available.]

[UPDATE 2: Apple says the issue is now resolved.]

A number of Reddit and Twitter users are reporting problems searching both iOS and Mac App Stores, with major iOS apps like Star Wars, Spotify and Google Apps failing to show up in search results – and even Apple’s own Xcode failing to show in searches of the Mac App Store. I’m seeing the same issues myself …


Expand
Expanding
Close

Moog brings its $10,000 Model 15 synth to iPad and iPhone w/ new $30 app

Avatar for Jordan Kahn May 4 2016 - 8:17 am PT
0 Comments

Moog Music has been known for producing some of the most popular synthesizers since the 70s— we reviewed a couple of the newer models in our Logic Pros series and noted that iPad/Mac synths still can’t quite capture the experience of even a $1,000 Moog. But today Moog is releasing its own iPad and iPhone version of its popular $10,000 Model 15, aiming to offer a similar experience in a $30 mobile app. 

Moog’s own techs helped program the app at the Moog Factory in Asheville, NC, according to the company, with the app both resembling the look and sound of the original 1970’s Model 15 hardware:


Expand
Expanding
Close

Microsoft releases Word Flow keyboard for iPhone with one-handed mode, custom backgrounds

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Apr 25 2016 - 5:07 am PT
9 Comments

Microsoft is bringing its predictive Windows Phone keyboard, called Word Flow, to the iPhone. The third-party keyboard is now available for free in the US App Store. The keyboard features traditional keycap input as well as the popular swiping-between-letters gesture input method popularized by Swype.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Snapchat update now lets you face swap with photos in your Camera Roll — here’s how

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Apr 22 2016 - 3:58 am PT
1 Comment

An update to the Snapchat app today expands on the popular Face Swap feature in a big way. You can now use the face swap effect with pictures taken or downloaded into your Camera Roll. Until now, two people had to be side-by-side in the same photo to Face Swap.

Now, anyone can face swap with any face detected in their iPhone photo library. This opens up some new ‘creative opportunities’, as pictured above, as the face does not have to be in the real world.

Here’s how to activate the new Snapchat feature …


Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple slowly rolling out ability to preview fourth-gen Apple TV apps from the web

Avatar for Chance Miller Apr 19 2016 - 4:26 pm PT
5 Comments
Site default logo image

At long last, Apple today has started rolling out web links and iTunes web previews for tvOS apps, similar to how links to iOS/Mac apps and iTunes content has worked for years now. As reported by MacStories, users will now be able to easily share links to fourth-gen Apple TV apps on their computer and subsequently be able to view app details, as well.


Expand
Expanding
Close

iOS App Store brings in 2x more revenue than Play Store despite seeing half the downloads

Avatar for Edoardo Maggio Apr 19 2016 - 11:37 am PT
14 Comments

For both Google and Apple, the operations on their virtual stores are hugely important, as they account for millions of dollars. However, there has historically been a disparity between the number of downloaded applications and the actual money generated by them, a trend that seems to have peaked in the first quarter of this year.

According to App Annie‘s Index Market for Q1 of 2016, in fact, Google’s Play Store saw a number of downloads that roughly doubles that of the iOS App Store, which in turns represents the platform with the highest profitability, with over 90% more revenue generated over its counterpart…


Expand
Expanding
Close

‘Ghostbusters: Slime City’ mobile game coming alongside new movie, first screenshots & trailer [Video]

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Apr 15 2016 - 8:30 am PT
0 Comments

The new Ghostbusters movie reboot is set for release in theatres this July, and alongside the film Activision and Sony announced today they will release Ghostbusters: Slime City for mobile devices, including iOS. The companies just sent over a first look at the game including a trailer with brief gameplay shots and some screenshots below.

The storyline in the game will take place after the events that unfold in the new movie, and the characters will not be clones of the film’s cast but rather a new selection of heroes. The new Ghostbusters movie is a reboot of the original film and features an all female cast in the main roles, including: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones.

The rundown on gameplay in Ghostbusters: Slime City from the press release:


Expand
Expanding
Close

Report: Apple to revamp App Store browsing, perhaps with paid search results

Avatar for Chance Miller Apr 14 2016 - 3:48 pm PT
14 Comments
Site default logo image

One qualm many have had about the iOS App Store is that the search functionality is currently a less-than-stellar way to peruse through the millions of apps available for users. According to a new report from Bloomberg, however, Apple is working behind-the-scenes to explore a handful of changes for App Store search.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple launches iOS app campaign to raise funds for WWF, partners with E.O. Wilson to create Earth Day lessons on iPad

Avatar for Zac Hall Apr 14 2016 - 7:49 am PT
9 Comments
Site default logo image

[UPDATE: Full collection of all 27 ‘Apps for Earth’ here.]

Earth Day is just over a week away and it appears Apple plans to highlight it this year with a campaign to raise money for the World Wide Fund for Nature. WWF and Apple teamed up this time last year on an environmental initiative in China, and this year it’s an App Store campaign that brings to two groups and developers together. Several iOS apps have updated today to highlight money from app sales and in-app purchases going toward WWF through April 24th. The App Store will likely update later today to feature these apps, but we’ve collected apps we’ve found so far below:


Expand
Expanding
Close

Disqus releases first iPhone app w/ support for tracking comments & discussions, more

Avatar for Chance Miller Apr 4 2016 - 11:58 am PT
15 Comments
Site default logo image

Popular commenting service Disqus today has announced its first ever iOS app. The app is available now in the App Store for free and allows users to track notifications relating to their comments as well as discussions from channels and websites they follow. The app’s interface is pretty standard, with home, channel, notification, and profile tabs along the bottom.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Waze app will now alert you when driving over the speed limit

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 29 2016 - 3:38 pm PT
11 Comments

The Waze maps app— the one Google acquired a few years back to improve its own mapping services—today announced a new features that will warn drivers when they are driving over the speed limit. 

Now when you’re using the Waze app to navigate, you’ll automatically see a visual warning (pictured above) if you go over the speed limit, and you can also manually set audio warnings for reaching the limit or hitting 5, 10 or 15% over.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Sony forms ForwardWorks corporation to bring its PlayStation games to iPhone

Avatar for Cam Bunton Mar 24 2016 - 5:34 am PT
4 Comments

It’s 2016, billions of smartphones are in use across the globe, and traditional video game companies are only just coming around to the idea that there’s some money to be made from smartphone gaming. Nintendo only recently launched its first mobile app, and plans to release a more familiar character-based game soon. Sony, likewise is about to make another foray in to the world of smartphone-based gaming with its newly-formed corporation, ForwardWorks.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Notability gets improved Apple Pencil support, new themes, copy & paste for pages, more

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 17 2016 - 10:36 am PT
0 Comments

Popular note taking and annotation app Notability is getting an update today for both iPad and Mac that includes improved Apple Pencil support, new themes, copy & paste for pages, and more.

For the iOS app, version 6.2.0 brings enhanced Apple Pencil integration that adds supports for improved palm rejection and one finger scrolling. “With these improvements, Notability offers the most fluid writing experience on iPad Pro, so customers can focus more easily on their ideas and notes. In addition, the update supports copy and pasting pages between notes, saving time.”

In addition, the updated iOS app is receiving some refreshed themes today for the spring season that users can find tucked under settings, and a new “define” button for non-English languages.

And Mac users are also getting the ability to copy and paste pages between notes with today’s update to version 2.2.0 of the Mac app. Other new features in the update include an “improved text box insertion on PDFs” and the same Define button for non-English languages that the updated iOS app received. 

The updated Notability apps for iPad and for Mac are available on the App Store now.

What’s New in Version 6.2.0

– Copy and paste individual pages into another note.
– One finger scrolling when using Apple Pencil.
– New Spring theme in settings.
– Define button for non-English languages.
– Bug fixes.

What’s New in Version 2.2.0

– Copy and paste pages into another note.
– Define button for non-English languages.
– Improved Text Box insertion on PDFs.
– Bug fixes.

Security firm discovers first iOS malware that can infect non-jailbroken iPhones w/o enterprise certificate

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Mar 17 2016 - 4:09 am PT
5 Comments

Non-jailbroken iPhones are usually close to immune from malware thanks to Apple vetting every app before it’s made available in the App Store. So far, malware has relied on abusing enterprise certificates designed to allow companies to distribute apps to their own phones. But security company Palo Alto Networks has discovered a new piece of malware that can infect iPhones by exploiting a vulnerability in Apple’s DRM mechanism.

AceDeceiver is the first iOS malware we’ve seen that abuses certain design flaws in Apple’s DRM protection mechanism — namely FairPlay — to install malicious apps on iOS devices regardless of whether they are jailbroken.

AceDeceiver currently uses a geotag so that it is only activated when a user is located in China, but a simple switch could allow it to infect iPhones elsewhere …


Expand
Expanding
Close