App Store

By MacRumors Staff
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The App Store is Apple's digital software distribution platform for iOS devices. First introduced in 2008, the App Store allows software developers to distribute content that has been created specifically for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. Apps are also available on the Apple Watch through the iOS App Store.

There are well over a million apps in the App Store, and customers have downloaded more than 100 billion apps since the App Store debuted. App Store apps are available with three pricing options: free (and usually supported by ads), free with in-app purchases, or a set cost starting at $0.99 in the US.

In 2010, Apple introduced the Mac App Store for distributing content on Macs, and in 2015, Apple introduced the tvOS App Store, an app store for to the fourth-generation Apple TV.

App Store How Tos

How to Download Large Apps Over Cellular on iPhone and iPad

Monday February 3, 2020 11:56 am PST by
Apple used to limit the size of App Store downloads over cellular to 150MBs to prevent iPhone users from accidentally downloading a large app over 3G or 4G networks and using up all their data allowance or running up data charges. In May 2019, Apple upped the limit of over-the-air downloads to 200MB, but offered no way to opt out of the limit at the time, leaving users with unlimited data...
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How to Add Funds to Your Apple ID on iPhone and iPad

Monday November 11, 2019 9:38 am PST by
It used to be the case that adding funds to your Apple ID required redeeming an iTunes Gift Card bought from a store, but Apple now lets you use a debit or credit card right on your iPhone or iPad to do the same thing. Adding funds to your Apple ID allows you to make purchases from the iTunes Store, iBooks Store, and App Store on any of your Apple devices. It's easy to add funds to your...
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How to Update Apps in iOS 13

Monday September 16, 2019 5:13 pm PDT by
If you recently updated your iPhone to iOS 13 or your iPad to iPadOS 13 and you can't work out how to manually update your installed apps, then you've come to the right place. Apple has changed the way you update apps in iOS. In earlier versions of its mobile operating system, app updates lived in their own tab in the App Store app, but that has since had to make way for a new Apple Arcade...
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How to Cancel App Store Subscriptions

Wednesday April 4, 2018 1:50 am PDT by
Several TV and music services and other apps offer free trials through the App Store that automatically renew to become paid subscriptions after the trial period ends. If you want to prevent an App Store subscription from running beyond the trial period or cancel a subscription you're currently paying for, then read on. This article explains how to cancel any App Store subscription on iOS,...
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App Store Articles

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Apple Announces 2023 App Store Award Winners

Wednesday November 29, 2023 8:00 pm PST by
Apple today chose its 2023 App Store Award winners, highlighting the best apps and games on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and more. Apple is recognizing 14 apps and games in total, with the winners picked by the global App Store Editorial team. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. According to Apple, the 2023 App Store Award Winners provided users "with meaningful experiences" ...
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Apple Announces 2023 App Store Award Finalists

Tuesday November 14, 2023 8:00 am PST by
Apple today shared its 2023 App Store award finalists, highlighting standout apps chosen by the App Store editorial team. Apple has picked almost 40 apps and games to showcase across 10 different categories. "We are excited about the achievements of these App Store Award finalists who are helping users around the world to explore their interests in drawing, design, video editing, education,...
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iPhone App Sideloading Coming to Users in the EU in First Half of 2024

Monday November 13, 2023 2:00 am PST by
iPhone users in the EU next year will be able to download apps hosted outside of Apple's official App Store to comply with European regulations, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Otherwise known as sideloading, the change coming sometime in the first half of 2024 will allow customers to download apps without needing to use the App Store, which will mean developers won't need to pay...
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Several App Store Employees Fired in China for Accepting Free Meals and Nightclub Trips From Developers

Wednesday October 18, 2023 11:59 am PDT by
At least five employees who worked for the App Store in China have been fired for inappropriate conduct with developers and consultants, according to a report from The Information. ‌App Store‌ employees with review and editorial roles are not supposed to meet with developers, but an internal audit raised suspicions about half a dozen workers, leading to an investigation. Apple found that the ...
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Apple 'Concerned' About China's New App Store Rules Banning Unregistered Foreign Apps

Friday September 29, 2023 3:46 am PDT by
Apple staff met with Chinese officials in recent months to discuss concerns over new rules that will restrict Apple from offering many foreign apps currently available in its China App Store, according to a new paywalled Wall Street Journal report. China already blocks the websites of many popular Western social media apps like Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, YouTube, and...
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Apple Invites Developers to Cupertino for Workshop on Optimizing Apps for Performance and Battery Life

Wednesday September 6, 2023 4:42 pm PDT by
Apple today sent out emails inviting developers to visit the Apple Developer Center in Cupertino, California for a workshop on app optimization. Apple says that developers can learn to maximize app performance to "give people a great experience." Attendees will learn how to optimize Apple frameworks and what Apple tools can be used for identifying and resolving performance issues. Apple...
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Apple's App Store, Safari, and iOS Officially Designated 'Gatekeepers' in EU

Wednesday September 6, 2023 6:28 am PDT by
Apple's App Store, Safari browser, and iOS operating system have today formally been designated as "gatekeepers" in the European Union, an official classification that requires adherence to strict new regulations (via Bloomberg). The EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) seeks to curtail the power of major tech companies. Designated "gatekeeper" platforms will now face prohibition against favoring...
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Apple Doesn't Have to Change App Store Rules Yet, Rules Supreme Court in Ongoing Epic Dispute

Wednesday August 9, 2023 10:43 am PDT by
Apple does not need to change its "anti-steering" App Store rules while its legal dispute with Epic Games continues to play out, the U.S. Supreme Court decided today. Apple can maintain the ‌App Store‌ rules as is while the Supreme Court considers its appeal, according to Bloomberg Law. Apple's anti-steering rules prevent developers from directing customers to make purchases for digital...
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Elon Musk Wants Apple to Lower Fees for 'X' Creators

Wednesday August 2, 2023 3:08 pm PDT by
Twitter or "X" CEO Elon Musk today said that he plans to speak with Apple CEO Tim Cook about lower App Store fees for creators who earn money through subscriptions on the Twitter/X social network. In a post on creator support, Musk said that he plans to ask Apple to collect 30 percent of the creator fee that Twitter keeps rather than 30 percent of the total fee that a creator on Twitter...
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Apple Facing $1 Billion UK Antitrust Lawsuit Over App Store Fees

Tuesday July 25, 2023 2:52 am PDT by
Apple has become the target of a £785 million ($1 billion) class action lawsuit on behalf of over 1,500 developers in the UK over its App Store fees, reports TechCrunch. The suit accuses Apple of abusing a dominant position by charging a 15% to 30% fee on in-app sales in the ‌App Store‌, a policy that has been criticized by antitrust regulators in other countries. It also argues UK...
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Judge Lets Apple Further Delay Implementing App Store Rule Changes From Ongoing Epic Dispute

Monday July 17, 2023 3:09 pm PDT by
Apple does not yet have to implement changes to its "anti-steering" App Store rules that would allow developers to direct customers to purchase options outside the ‌App Store‌. As noted by The Verge, Apple was today granted a motion that prevents it from having to make ‌App Store‌ changes for 90 days, giving the company time to ask the Supreme Court to hear the case. Apple and Epic Games...
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App Store Ads in Today Tab Switching to More Compact Design in July

Tuesday June 20, 2023 1:29 pm PDT by
Starting in July, ads in the App Store's Today tab will have a more compact design and be fully visible without any scrolling. The new ad format will include the app's icon, name, and subtitle, along with an "Ad" label and a "Get" button. The new ad format will be shown on iPhones running iOS 16.4 and later. Today tab ads will not be available on iOS 16.3 and earlier. Existing ads will...
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App Store App Can Now Tell You How Long an App Will Take to Download in iOS 17

Wednesday June 7, 2023 3:25 am PDT by
In iOS 17, Apple has made a small but notable change to the App Store app so that it now tells users how long an app download will take once it's started. When the "Get" app button is tapped in an app listing and the circular download symbol appears, the time remaining for the download to complete is displayed beside it in minutes and seconds. If the installation is likely to take only a...
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Apple-Funded Study Suggests App Store Ecosystem Facilitated $1.1 Trillion in Sales in 2022

Wednesday May 31, 2023 11:00 am PDT by
The App Store was responsible for an estimated $1.1 trillion in developer billings and sales in 2022, according to an Apple-sponsored study conducted by economists from Analysis Group. Apple shared the results of the study today as part of an ongoing effort to highlight the benefits of the ‌App Store‌ and the successes of developers who use the Apple platform. A total of $910 billion of the...
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Apple Claims App Store Security Features Prevented Over $2 Billion in Fraudulent Transactions in 2022

Tuesday May 16, 2023 1:41 pm PDT by
The App Store prevented an estimated $2 billion in "potentially fraudulent transactions" in 2022, Apple said today in a Newsroom article that highlights the security benefits of the ‌App Store‌ and Apple Pay. Close to 3.9 million stolen credit cards were prevented from being used to make fraudulent purchases within apps, and 714,000 accounts were banned from transacting again, which is how...
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PSA: Watch Out for Fake ChatGPT Apps and Other Scams in the Mac App Store

Tuesday April 25, 2023 4:04 pm PDT by
There have long been complaints from developers and App Store users about apps that offer limited functionality and charge high prices in an effort to scam people out of their money, and the latest trend is a glut of ChatGPT apps that have invaded the ‌App Store‌. Privacy 1st researcher Alex Kleber over the weekend did a deep dive into the Mac App Store after noticing an alarming number of...
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Apple, Google Could Face Large Fines Under New UK Digital Consumer Bill

Tuesday April 25, 2023 5:49 am PDT by
The U.K. government has introduced a new bill that would allow the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to impose multibillion-pound fines on major tech companies like Apple for breaching its rules. The multifaceted bill is designed to promote competition and protect consumers by giving the CMA the authority to tackle the "excessive dominance" of tech firms, according to a government...
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iOS 17 to Support App Sideloading to Comply With European Regulations

Monday April 17, 2023 5:54 am PDT by
Apple in iOS 17 will for the first time allow iPhone users to download apps hosted outside of its official App Store, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Otherwise known as sideloading, the change would allow customers to download apps without needing to use the App Store, which would mean developers wouldn't need to pay Apple's 15 to 30 percent fees. The European Union's Digital...
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iOS App Store General Feature JoeBlue

Expanded App Store Price Points Now Available for All App Purchases

Thursday March 9, 2023 1:39 pm PST by
Apple today announced that its expanded range of App Store price points is now available to developers for use with all ‌App Store‌ purchase options, including paid apps and one-time in-app purchases. When the updated pricing options were first introduced in December, they were limited to auto-renewable subscriptions. Apple at the time said the pricing changes would also expand to other app...
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Apple Seemingly Restricting Generative AI Apps to 17+ or Older App Store Rating

Thursday March 2, 2023 6:05 am PST by
Apple has refused to accept an update to email app BlueMail that adds generative AI features based on ChatGPT unless the developer gives it a 17+ age restriction, the Wall Street Journal reports. The update to BlueMail uses OpenAI's latest ChatGPT chatbot API to help write emails using content from previous emails and calendar events. In communications sent to BlueMail developer Blix Inc.,...
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