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

European Commisssion

Apple Under Pressure to Remove Geo-Blocking Restrictions in the EU

Tuesday November 12, 2024 6:44 am PST by
The European Union has notified Apple that it may be violating EU anti-geo-blocking regulations with practices regarding its media services, giving the company one month to respond. The European Commission, in conjunction with the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network, today announced that it has formally notified Apple regarding potential breaches of the EU's anti-geo-blocking...
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App Store vs EU Feature 2

EU Plans to Fine Apple for Anticompetitive App Store Practices

Tuesday November 5, 2024 1:23 pm PST by
The European Commission plans to fine Apple for not adequately complying with Digital Markets Act (DMA) requirements for the App Store, reports Bloomberg. Regulators apparently believe that Apple did not implement changes that allowed developers to steer users to cheaper prices outside of the ‌App Store‌. Back in June, the EU said that Apple was in breach of the DMA due to its anti-steering...
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iOS App Store General Feature JoeBlue

Apple Accidentally Lets Pirated Movies and TV Shows App Into App Store

Monday November 4, 2024 9:11 am PST by
Apple has accidentally allowed an iPhone and iPad app that allows you to stream pirated movies and TV shows for free into the App Store, according to a post from Kevin Aubin on Threads. The post was earlier reported by The Verge. While the so-called "Univer Note" app's description says that it "can easily help you record every day's events and plan your time," it actually lets you stream...
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app store awards 2022

Apple to Start Providing Summaries of User Reviews in App Store

Wednesday October 30, 2024 5:56 am PDT by
Apple has reportedly designed a new AI-based system that will summarize reviews in the App Store to highlight the most common customer feedback for users before they download an app. According an unlisted App Store article seen by 9to5Mac, AI-generated summaries will appear on app product pages alongside existing elements like descriptions and screenshots. The summaries will be dynamically...
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apple arcade orange feature

Apple Said to Be Working on New Gaming App for iOS

Tuesday October 22, 2024 2:17 pm PDT by
Apple is working on an App Store-style app designed for gaming, according to a report from 9to5Mac. It would merge App Store gaming content, Apple Arcade, and Game Center into a central location. The app is said to feature a Play Now tab with gaming content and suggestions, plus a Game Center tab for tracking game progress and games that friends are playing. Game Center features like...
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hulu logo 2019

Hulu and Disney+ No Longer Support Signups and Payment Using App Store

Monday October 21, 2024 2:36 pm PDT by
Disney is no longer allowing its customers to sign up for and purchase subscriptions to Hulu or Disney+ through Apple's App Store, cutting out any subscription fees that Disney would have needed to pay to Apple for using in-app purchase. The change was noted on Reddit over the weekend, and there are details on the Disney+ and Hulu websites. Both the Disney+ and Hulu websites say that new and ...
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app store trader requirement dsa

Developers Now Required to Share Phone Number and Address on EU App Store to Meet 'Trader' Requirement

Thursday October 17, 2024 12:26 pm PDT by
Apple today reminded developers that the EU trader requirement in the European Union is now being enforced. Developers who distribute apps in the EU will now need to share information that includes address, phone number, and email address on the EU App Store. Submitting updates for apps on the ‌App Store‌ in the European Union now requires trader information that's added via ‌App Store‌...
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iOS App Store General Feature JoeBlue

App Store is Down for Many Users [Resolved]

Wednesday October 16, 2024 9:15 am PDT by
If the App Store is currently down for you, you are not alone. Many users have indicated that the App Store is not working for them right now across devices like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, preventing them from downloading apps after tapping the "Get" button. The issues are not yet reflected on Apple's system status page, but thousands of customers have indicated they are affected on the Downd...
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Flappy Bird Reboot

'Flappy Bird' Making Questionable Comeback on iPhone [Updated]

Thursday September 12, 2024 8:11 am PDT by
Update — September 15: We have retracted this article. Read these articles for more details. ...
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App Store and XCloud

Microsoft Says Apple's 30% Fee Makes Xbox Cloud Gaming iOS App 'Impossible'

Tuesday September 3, 2024 2:57 pm PDT by
Apple has allowed cloud gaming apps on the App Store since earlier this year, but cloud gaming services still haven't bothered making iOS apps. Microsoft recently explained why, telling UK regulators that it didn't bring Xbox Cloud Gaming to Apple's ‌App Store‌ because the rules are still too restrictive. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority is investigating mobile browsers and cloud...
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App Store vs EU Feature 2

Apple to Let EU Users Set New Defaults for Multiple Apps, Delete App Store, Photos, Messages and More

Thursday August 22, 2024 10:00 am PDT by
Apple is making additional changes to its app ecosystem in the European Union to comply with the terms of the Digital Markets Act. The default browser selection experience that's already in place will be updated, Apple will allow EU users to set defaults for more types of apps, and core iOS apps like Messages and the App Store will also be deletable. iPhone owners in the EU can already set...
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iOS App Store General Feature JoeBlue

App Store VP Departs as Apple Prepares for Organizational Changes

Wednesday August 21, 2024 2:11 pm PDT by
App Store vice president Matt Fischer is set to leave the company as Apple prepares for an ‌App Store‌ reorganization to deal with regulatory changes, reports Bloomberg. Apple plans to split its ‌App Store‌ group into two teams, one that handles the ‌App Store‌ and a second team that oversees alternative app distribution. As of earlier this year, Apple has supported iOS app downloads from...
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app store blue banner uk fixed

UK Antitrust Watchdog Closes Apple App Store Investigation, Case to Be Reconsidered Under New Digital Rules Regime

Wednesday August 21, 2024 5:37 am PDT by
The UK's Competition and Market Authority (CMA) today announced it had closed an investigation into Apple's App Store policies, as it expects to consider the concerns under a new digital markets competition regime which is expected to come into force later this year. Originally initiated in March 2021, the CMA's investigation set out to determine whether or not Apple has a dominant position...
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app store trader requirement dsa

Developers Must Share Phone Number and Address on EU App Store to Meet 'Trader' Requirement Starting in October

Thursday August 15, 2024 10:54 am PDT by
Apple today reminded developers who plan to distribute apps in the European Union to submit their trader status, a requirement that will see the App Store sharing the address, phone number, and email address of each developer. The information will be displayed on a developer's ‌App Store‌ page. The Digital Services Act (DSA) in the European Union requires Apple to verify and display trader...
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patreon app store fees

Apple Requiring Patreon to Use In-App Purchase and Pay 30% Fee for Memberships

Monday August 12, 2024 10:36 am PDT by
Patreon today confirmed upcoming changes to its iOS app, which will see fees for new subscriptions go up because Apple is enforcing its App Store rules on digital purchases. Apple is requiring Patreon to adopt the in-app purchase system, a process that Patreon started at the beginning of the year. In January 2024, Patreon started using in-app purchases and paying Apple a 30 percent fee on...
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App Store vs EU Feature 2

Apple Loosens App Store External Linking Rules and Changes Fee Structure in European Union

Thursday August 8, 2024 10:00 am PDT by
Apple is today announcing some updates to its Digital Markets Act compliance plan in the European Union, with changes to external linking that give developers more freedom to direct customers to non-App Store purchase options and sales. EU developers that are operating under the new App Store business terms or the prior ‌App Store‌ purchase terms can update their apps to communicate and...
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iOS App Store General Feature JoeBlue

Apple Updates App Store Guidelines for PC Emulator Apps

Thursday August 1, 2024 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple today refreshed its App Store Guidelines created for developers, modifying the emulator rules to include express permission for PC emulators to download games. Guideline 4.7 has been updated to state that PC emulator apps can offer to download games. The guideline previously said that console emulator apps could include the option to download games, but it did not explicitly cover PC...
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Apple EU iOS Changes

iPadOS 18 Beta 2 Includes Alternative App Stores and Other EU Changes

Monday June 24, 2024 11:52 am PDT by
Apple today announced that the second beta of iPadOS 18 extends alternative app marketplaces and other app-related changes to the iPad in the EU. Apple first introduced these changes on the iPhone in the EU with iOS 17.4 earlier this year, to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act. The expansion of the changes to the iPad in the EU comes nearly two months after the European Commission said ...
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Antstream Arcade iPhone and Controller Feature

'Antstream Arcade' App With Over 1,300 Retro Games Launching on iPhone and iPad Next Week

Friday June 21, 2024 9:50 am PDT by
Antstream Arcade has announced that its cloud-based game streaming service will be available on the iPhone and iPad starting Thursday, June 27. The app will provide subscribers with access to over 1,300 licensed games from a variety of retro consoles, including the Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, SEGA Genesis, and more. Earlier this year, Apple updated its guidelines to permit...
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App Store vs EU Feature 2

EU Reportedly Planning to Charge Apple for Violating Digital Markets Act

Friday June 14, 2024 10:06 am PDT by
The European Commission plans to charge Apple for violating the Digital Markets Act after determining that the iPhone maker is not complying with obligations to allow app developers to "steer" users to offers outside of the App Store without fees, according to the Financial Times, which cites three people familiar with the matter. It appears that the EU is taking issue with Apple's Core...
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