App Store

By MacRumors Staff
Jump to How Tos Articles

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...
Read Full Article

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...
Read Full Article

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...
Read Full Article

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,...
Read Full Article (8 comments)

App Store Articles

apple developer app feature

Apple Announces Three App Store Updates for Developers

Wednesday October 29, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
Apple today added new features and expanded flexibility to its App Store review process. Developers are now able to submit additional items for review when an existing submission is already under review. Apple has provided several examples of what can be submitted: One or more In-App Events in a separate submission if you have an app version under review. An app version to address a...
Read Full Article 3 comments
app store blue banner uk

Apple Loses UK Antitrust Lawsuit Over App Store Fees, Faces £1.5 Billion in Damages

Thursday October 23, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple engaged in anticompetitive behavior by charging App Store developers "excessive and unfair prices" for app distribution services, the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) ruled today [PDF] (via Reuters). The Tribunal found that Apple abused its market power by overcharging developers from October 2015 through the end of 2020. Developers were forced into using Apple's in-app purchase...
Read Full Article 191 comments

Apple Removes Tea Dating Apps Over Privacy Violations and User Complaints

Wednesday October 22, 2025 3:15 pm PDT by
Apple this week removed dating review apps Tea Dating Advice and TeaOnHer from the App Store for violating its content moderation policies. The apps were pulled in all markets on October 21, and Apple told TechCrunch that the app developers did not meet requirements for moderation and user privacy, violating ‌App Store‌ guidelines 1.2, 5.1.2, and 5.6. Apple also saw an "excessive number of...
Read Full Article 66 comments

Apple Could Be Forced to Open Up App Store in the UK

Wednesday October 22, 2025 7:48 am PDT by
Apple has been designated with strategic market status (SMS) in the United Kingdom for iOS and iPadOS, a move that empowers regulators to impose binding requirements that could compel changes such as permitting rival app stores and direct software downloads. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) confirmed the designation today in a press release, announcing that Apple and Google both...
Read Full Article 116 comments

Apple Details App Store Changes to Comply With Texas Age Verification Law

Wednesday October 8, 2025 9:55 am PDT by
Apple today outlined changes that it is making to the App Store for users and developers located in Texas to comply with the state's ‌App Store‌ Accountability Act (SB2420). Starting on January 1, 2026, Apple users located in Texas will need to confirm whether they are 18 years or older when creating an Apple account. Apple Accounts for users under 18 will be required to join a Family...
Read Full Article 119 comments

Epic: Apple's Updated App Marketplace Install Process Proves 'Scare Screens' Deterred Users

Wednesday October 1, 2025 2:48 am PDT by
Epic Games has claimed that Apple's revised installation process for third-party app marketplaces in the EU demonstrates that the company was deliberately undermining competition through "deceptive design." In a blog post published Wednesday, the Fortnite developer revealed that user drop-offs during Epic Games Store installations plummeted from 65% to 25% after Apple streamlined the process ...
Read Full Article 92 comments

EU Questions Apple on Fraud Prevention After Forcing Support for Riskier App Distribution

Tuesday September 23, 2025 12:04 pm PDT by
The European Union is planning to query major tech companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Booking.com on whether they are doing enough to prevent online financial fraud, reports Financial Times. European Commission tech leader Henna Virkkunen told Financial Times that the EC will ask the three tech companies for information on their efforts to block online scams that aim to steal money ...
Read Full Article 96 comments

Apple Says App Store Changes Go Too Far in New Epic Games Appeal Filing

Friday August 29, 2025 5:00 pm PDT by
The court order that required Apple to collect no fees from developers who link to purchases outside of the App Store is unconstitutional, Apple said today in a reply brief directed at Epic Games and filed with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Apple argues that it has been stripped of its rights to be compensated for its intellectual property in a ruling that sets a dangerous precedent for all ...
Read Full Article 490 comments

Apple's App Store Under Investigation in Colombia

Thursday August 28, 2025 7:33 am PDT by
Colombia's competition authority has opened a formal antitrust investigation into Apple, alleging that the company has abused its dominant position in the distribution of apps and purchases on iOS and iPadOS. The Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC) announced the probe yesterday (via MobileTime), stating that its Delegation for the Protection of Competition had reached a...
Read Full Article 26 comments

Y Combinator Files Brief Supporting Epic Games, Says App Store Fees Stifle Startups

Thursday August 21, 2025 4:28 pm PDT by
Startup accelerator and venture capital firm Y Combinator (YC) today filed an amicus brief supporting Epic Games in Epic's continued legal fight with Apple. Y Combinator says that Apple's "anti-steering restraints" have long inhibited the growth and development of technology companies that monetize goods and services through apps. The company calls on the court to deny Apple's appeal and...
Read Full Article 95 comments

App Store to Add Support for Douyin Pay in China

Wednesday August 13, 2025 7:27 am PDT by
Apple is testing Douyin Pay support for the App Store in China, according to the South China Morning Post. Douyin Pay launched in January 2021 as a payment feature within Douyin, ByteDance's Chinese short video platform that serves as the domestic counterpart to TikTok. Douyin has approximately 766.5 million monthly active users in China, making it one of the country's most heavily used...
Read Full Article 15 comments

Apple Denies Musk's ChatGPT Favoritism Claims, Says App Store Has No Bias

Tuesday August 12, 2025 3:08 pm PDT by
Apple today responded to Elon Musk's claims that the App Store favors OpenAI's ChatGPT app, telling Bloomberg's Mark Gurman that the ‌App Store‌ is "fair and free of bias." The App Store is designed to be fair and free of bias. We feature thousands of apps through charts, algorithmic recommendations, and curated lists selected by experts using objective criteria. Our goal is to offer safe...
Read Full Article 141 comments

Japan Law Will Require Apple to Allow Non-WebKit Browsers on iPhone

Thursday August 7, 2025 8:33 am PDT by
Japan's Mobile Software Competition Act will require Apple to allow non-WebKit web browsers in the App Store on the iPhone later this year. Specifically, the law "forbids designated providers from preventing individual app providers from using alternative browser engines." In most countries, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and other popular web browsers on iOS are all currently forced to use...
Read Full Article 216 comments

Apple Overhauls App Store Age Ratings

Friday July 25, 2025 8:16 am PDT by
Apple has announced an overhaul of the App Store's age rating system across all of its platforms. The company has added three new age rating tiers — 13+, 16+, and 18+ — to the existing 4+ and 9+ classifications. At the same time, the 12+ and 17+ categories are being removed. The new framework is designed to give parents more control and clarity over which apps are appropriate for...
Read Full Article 29 comments

Apple's Latest App Store Changes Satisfy EU, No More Fines Coming

Tuesday July 22, 2025 9:47 am PDT by
The European Union is set to accept the June updates that Apple made to its App Store to comply with the Digital Markets Act, reports Reuters. As a result, Apple will not face daily fines for non-compliance. Apple changed its ‌App Store‌ fee setup and removed its anti-steering rules to meet the demands of the European Commission. Developers can now direct customers to purchase options...
Read Full Article 92 comments

Apple Challenges 'Unprecedented' €500M EU Fine Over App Store Steering Rules

Monday July 7, 2025 2:00 am PDT by
Apple is appealing the 500 million euro ($570 million) fine that it is facing in the European Union for allegedly violating the Digital Markets Act. In a statement to MacRumors, Apple said that the fine is unprecedented, and goes beyond what the law requires. Today we filed our appeal because we believe the European Commission's decision--and their unprecedented fine--go far beyond what the ...
Read Full Article 609 comments

Apple Again Changes EU App Store Rules and Fees to Comply With DMA

Thursday June 26, 2025 12:22 pm PDT by
Apple is updating its App Store linking rules and fees in the European Union to comply with the requirements of the Digital Markets Act, Apple said today. Apps distributed through EU storefronts can now communicate information about non-App Store purchase options and deals for digital goods available through websites, alternative app marketplaces, or other apps. Developers can let customers...
Read Full Article 480 comments

Court Upholds Regulator's Case Against Apple Over App Store

Monday June 16, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
Apple has lost a legal challenge in the Netherlands after a Dutch court ruled that the company abused its dominant market position by imposing restrictive payment terms on dating app developers (via Reuters). The ruling was issued earlier today by the Rotterdam District Court, confirming a 2021 decision by the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), which found that Apple violated ...
Read Full Article 125 comments

Apple Says iPhone Games Can Offer Redemption Codes Later This Year

Friday June 13, 2025 12:23 pm PDT by
Apple this week announced that App Store app developers will be able to offer redemption codes for all types of in-app purchases starting later this year. In 2020, Apple introduced the ability for developers to offer customers unique, alphanumeric codes that they can redeem in the App Store for free or discounted auto-renewable subscriptions. Later this year, Apple will be allowing...
Read Full Article 12 comments

Apple Study: App Store Ecosystem Generated $1.3 Trillion Globally in 2024

Thursday June 5, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Following a study looking into the success of the App Store ecosystem in the United States, Apple has sponsored a second study that covers the global App Store in 2024. Apple's global ‌App Store‌ ecosystem supported an estimated $1.3 trillion in billings and sales across 2024, and for 90 percent of those sales, developers did not pay a commission to Apple. "It's incredible to see so many...
Read Full Article 167 comments
Next Page Newer Posts
Archives