App Store

Yet another app clampdown in China looks set to cause problems for developers both inside and outside the country, but with small developers from the US and other foreign countries hit hardest.

A new law will require all developers to “file business details” with the Chinese government, in what some are saying amounts to requesting permission to make an app available through the App Store …

Elon Musk hopes to do what no one before him has done: convince Apple CEO Tim Cook to change the cut it takes of in-app transactions via the App Store.

In a post on Twitter today touting the benefits of supporting creators, Musk said that he is going to “speak with Tim Cook” about making changes to this policy.

Apple is reportedly cracking down on the availability of ChatGPT-style apps in China amid regulatory scrutiny. A new report today says that Apple has removed “over a hundred” apps that “provide ChatGPT-style services” in China “ahead of forthcoming changes to regulations in the country.”

A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the United States has reached out to Apple CEO Tim Cook seeking details on how App Store guidelines impact “Apple’s iOS App Store and how these policies are impacting American leadership in emerging technologies including blockchains, nonfungible tokens (NFTs), and other distributed ledger technologies.”

The letter comes as Apple has faced criticism from the likes of Jack Dorsey, Coinbase, and others over its App Store rules.

The App Store review process is very strict to ensure that apps comply with Apple’s guidelines. And soon, this whole process will get even more strict. That’s because Apple recently announced that developers would be required to detail why their apps use certain APIs before submitting them to the App Store.

A bi-partisan proposal by two US senators has argued for the creation of a federal Big Tech regulator, with wide-ranging enforcement powers. It would issue operating licenses to tech giants, which ultimately could be revoked in the event that a company repeatedly ignored its rulings.

Apple is directly referenced in a piece co-written by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) …

We yesterday learned of a billion-dollar Apple developer lawsuit, in which the iPhone maker was accused of “abusive” commissions on app sales. Apple has now responded to the antitrust claim, emphasizing that the judge in the Epic Games case rejected the argument that it has monopolistic powers.

The US ruling of course sets no precedent in the UK – where the latest case has been filed – but Apple also told us that, far from taking advantage of its position, it has instead only ever lowered commissions or created new exemptions …

Apple this week announced a new series of events called “Meet with App Store experts.” Throughout the month of August, the company will hold online and in-person sessions where developers working with Apple platforms can come together to learn more about App Store features. In addition, there will also be special sessions focused on Apple Vision Pro.

A billion-dollar Apple lawsuit has been filed on behalf of more than 1,500 app developers, accusing the company of “abusive” commission levels on app sales and subscriptions.

The antitrust lawsuit says that Apple’s monopoly on the sale and distribution of iOS apps means that it is able to set its own commission levels, and that developers have no choice but to accept it …

Apple recently appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers’ ruling in the case against Epic Games. As determined by the judge, the company would be forced to make some changes to the App Store rules. However, a district court allowed Apple to delay the changes until the appeal is heard by the Supreme Court.

Using the Telsa app on iPhone, Tesla owners are able to subscribe to the automaker’s Premium Connectivity package that unlocks a handful of features for $9.99 per month. A new report from Gizmodo, however, points out that Tesla isn’t using Apple’s In-App Purchase system for this subscription… and it probably should be.

Apple last month announced a new advertising format for the App Store, so that developers have even more options to promote their apps to iPhone and iPad users. The company said the new ads in the Today tab of the iOS App Store would become visible to users in July, and as of today, users are now seeing these new ads on the iPhone.

At least six scam loan apps have been removed from Apple’s official App Store in India after it was revealed that they engaged in a range of outrageous tactics, from fees of up to half the loan value, to threatening to send fake nudes to the contact lists of borrowers.

Four of the apps made it into the top 20 financial apps in India before Apple removed them …

The latest story in today’s “Oops… all Threads” edition of the news takes us to China where Meta’s Twitter replacement is topping the App Store. That’s notable for a few reasons.

Apple will have until March 5 next year to comply with Europe’s Digital Markets Act, which in theory means that it will have to permit either third-party app stores, or sideloading of apps, by that date.

The deadline has been revealed after Apple confirmed that it qualified as having “gatekeeper” status, meaning that it is one of the companies that will be subject to the upcoming law. However, don’t expect much to change on this date …

Despite site-stopping protests by mods and users, Reddit leadership chose to brute force its way through any reasonable way of continuing third-party app support. Instead, the company hopes its luxury-priced API will be its secret shortcut to an overvalued IPO. As a result, Reddit’s official iOS app is being torpedo’d in the App Store.

Although Apple has always tried to sell the idea that its devices are great for gaming, the company’s platforms lack many popular console-level titles – partly because Apple has super-restrictive App Store guidelines. In recent years, however, Apple has been trying to change this – and the latest effort to bring games to macOS is a big deal.

Phillip Shoemaker is a former App Store director who was responsible for leading app approvals until he left the company in 2016. Since then, Shoemaker has publicly criticized Apple for its strict App Store rules. In a new interview with MobileGamer.biz, the executive – now the CEO of Identity.com – said that the App Store guidelines are tricky and blamed Phil Schiller for rejecting many apps.

Apple unveiled its mixed reality headset called Vision Pro earlier this month. As of this week, developers have been able to access the necessary tools to create apps for visionOS. Now the latest version of App Store Connect is out with support for visionOS apps.

One of Apple’s key arguments in favor of making the App Store the only way to download apps on iOS is the app review process, which ensures that users are not exposed to scams. Even so, some of these apps bypass the App Store guidelines without being noticed. That’s the case with a fake Trezor Wallet app, which leads users to believe that it’s an official app for managing Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.