Apple App Store

App Store is an online service for owners of Apple products - iPod players, iPhone phones and iPad tablets. Acts as an online store that allows users to purchase various software. It was developed as a specialized department of the iTunes Store.

2024

Removal of 98 VPN applications from the Russian App Store at the request of Roskomnadzor

On September 24, 2024, the GreatFire project, which monitors the state of censored websites, released the results of a study indicating that Apple removed almost 100 VPN applications from the Russian App Store. This is due to the requirements of Roskomnadzor.

The report was prepared using data from the App Store Monitor (ASM) platform on the AppleCensorship website, which monitors the availability of applications in Apple stores. In total, the authors of the study tested more than 360 applications around the world.

At the request of Roskomnadzor, Apple removed 98 VPN applications from the Russian App Store

It was established that as of September 16, 2024, 348 VPN applications were available globally. Of these, 250 are presented in the Russian App Store. Thus, 98 VPN applications from the Russian Apple store were removed. This, according to the authors of the study, contradicts official statements: Roskomnadzor demanded that Apple remove 25 VPN applications from the App Store.

Evidence suggests that Apple continues to remove VPN applications from the Russian App Store without public confirmation. This affects more than 20% of all detected VPN applications, the study says.

The authors of the report also point out that the removal of VPN applications from the Russian App Store occurs in waves on certain dates, which may indicate "coordinated actions, possibly beyond the official requests of Roskomnadzor." It is said that the main VPN suppliers were removed, which seriously limited the capabilities of Russian users. The researchers highlight the urgent need for greater transparency and accountability from both Apple and Roskomnadzor regarding the removal of apps "impacting digital rights."^[1]

Open letter asking you to restore remote VPN applications in the Russian App Store

On September 2, 2024, a number of organizations and individuals sent an open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook asking him to take "transparent and decisive action in response to requests and orders from the Russian authorities to remove VPN applications from the Russian App Store." The authors of the document emphasize that one of the most effective ways for Russian users to gain access to independent information is to use tools based on VPN technology.

It is said that on July 4, 2024, Apple removed such VPN applications as Red Shield VPN, Le VPN, HideMyName, PlanetVPN, AdGuard VPN and many others from the Russian App Store. According to the explanations sent to VPN services, the decision was made in response to the requirement of Roskomnadzor. However, as stated in the open letter, Apple did not explain why in this case it deviates from its own standards and rules, in which it recognizes the "critical importance of an open society where information is distributed freely" and clearly states that "hand in hand with the privacy of our users goes a commitment to freedom of information and freedom of expression."

iPhone

The App Store for many residents of Russia serves not so much as a smartphone app store as almost the only window into the world of free independent information. We, the undersigned representatives of civil society, urge Apple Inc. to immediately return all VPN applications removed at the request of Roskomnadzor from the Russian App Store, the authors of the letter say.

In total, about 50 individuals and organizations put their signatures. They include Access Now, Amnezia VPN, BlancVPN, Committee to Protect Journalists, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), RKS Global, Human Constanta, Human Rights Watch, and bloggers and journalists.^[2]

Fake applications of VTB and Tinkoff Bank appeared in the App Store, which steal user data

Fake apps have appeared in the App Store VTB Tinkoff Bank that steal user data. This was Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ministry of Internal Affairs) of the Russian Federation reported on April 10, 2024.

Both applications have twisted ratings and use branded bank colors. But they have nothing to do with VTB and Tinkoff Bank. There are no applications of these banks in the App Store, the agency said in a statement published on the Telegram channel "Bulletin of the Cyber ​ ​ Police of Russia" (it is led by the department for organizing the fight against the illegal use of information and communication technologies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia).

Fake applications VTB and Tinkoff Bank appeared in the App Store, which steal user data

Phishing applications with the names "VTB - Rentfy" and SysAdministrator use the logos of VTB and Tinkoff Bank, respectively. So, on the icon "VTB - Rentfy" there are three blue stripes from the logo of VTB Bank, and on the icon "SysAdministrator" there is an image of the coat of arms resembling the official logo of the bank.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs warned that these applications steal personal information of users. This is also confirmed by users in the comments under the applications in the App Store. iPhone owners are asked not to download dangerous programs or enter their data.

Applications of large Russian banks disappeared from the App Store even Google Play after sanctions were imposed on them USA. European Union Those programs that were previously installed on users' devices cannot be updated through these sites (Android allows installation and updating from third-party sources). Credit organizations began to place copies of applications in stores. So, in particular, did Tinkoff and VTB. In the case of the latter, it was possible to use the Balance application for a long time, but it was still deleted by the App Store.

By April 10, 2024, a copy of the Tinkoff Bank application called "T-Help" is available in the App Store^[3]

Removal of WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram messengers from the Chinese App Store to the request of the Chinese authorities

In April 2024, Apple removed the WhatsApp messenger and the Threads social network from the Chinese App Store, at the request of the Chinese authorities. Signal, Telegram and Line apps were also removed.

The Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation will oblige Apple to allow the installation of applications from third-party stores

At the end of February 2024, it became known that the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation was preparing a bill that would oblige Apple to allow the installation of applications on its smartphones from third-party stores, and not just from the App Store. We are talking about the adoption of norms similar to those provided for by the European law on digital markets (DMA). Read more here.

2023

Reduction of payments of Russians by 20% to $172 million

The volume of payments of Russians in mobile games through the App Store in 2023 decreased by 20% compared to 2022 and amounted to $172 million. This is evidenced by the data of the analytical company data.ai, published in early March 2024.

As Kommersant writes with reference to this study, at the end of 2023, Russia ranked 20th in terms of expenses in mobile games in their App Store in the world. The top three included the United States ($14.8 billion), China ($11.2 billion) and Japan ($8.4 billion).

The volume of payments of Russians in mobile games through the App Store in 2023 decreased by 20%

Vasily Ovchinnikov, head of the Video Game Industry Development Organization, believes that the volume of payments in the App Store has decreased due to third-party systems, but we are talking about systems that connect without knowledge. Apple

Small developers who do not fall under Apple's close checks in mass could always use this in practice, "Ovchinnikov said.

He also admitted that, taking into account the white and gray parts of the market, the volume of payments in the App Store in Russia could remain at the level of 2022.

If in other countries payments in the App Store can be made using bank cards, from a mobile phone account PayPal , and local payment systems, then in the Russian Federation only purchases are available through telecom operators MTS and "." Beeline This restriction of payment options can affect the total amount of spending of Russian users on games in the App Store, according to the publication of the publication.

One of the companies helping mobile game developers organize payments from Russia is Xsolla. In January 2024, she introduced the payment option through the Fast Payment System (FPS). However, according to a gaming source in the newspaper, Xsolla did not enter into an additional agreement with Apple, since "there is no understanding of how to send money to Apple." Players can purchase in-game items through a web store, but the company does not place it in the application, adds the source of Kommersant^[4]

Apple was pushed through. The company allowed purchases in Russia bypassing the App Store

In mid-October 2023, it became known that Apple allowed purchases in Russia bypassing the App Store. The company took this step under pressure from the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of the Russian Federation.

Russian developers can now add links to external resources to applications to pay for services. Such links can only be displayed for users from Russia. To configure this function, developers must use the StoreKit External Purchase Link Entry (RU) API tool in iOS and iPadOS.

Also, developers will have to take into account the format of external references and post them in accordance with the requirements of the company. App creators can familiarize themselves with them in the guide.

The fee for this payment method will be 27% instead of the standard 30%. The developer will need to submit a monthly sales report on his own - based on it, Apple will issue an invoice that will need to be paid. The company can also conduct an audit to check the accuracy of the submitted data.

Earlier, the FAS obliged Apple to allow developers from the Russian Federation to place links inside iOS applications to pay for purchases outside the App Store. But the company did not respond, and then in January 2023 the company was fined 1.17 billion rubles by the Russian antimonopoly regulator. In May 2023, the legality of the fine was first confirmed by the Moscow Arbitration Court. In the summer, Apple tried to challenge the decision and appealed to the Ninth Arbitration Court of Appeal, but it rejected it. On October 3, 2023, the fine was recognized as legal.

In the iOS 17 operating system, released in the fall of 2023, Apple allowed applications from third-party sources to be installed on the iPhone. For many years, users and other companies have sought permission from Apple to download applications not only from the App Store.^[5]

Crypto-ransomware apps infiltrate official Google and Apple stores

On February 2, 2023, it became known that cyberbundites from Tinder lure gullible men into a cruel financial trap. The creators of high-yield investment scams called "The Pig-Butchering Scum" have found a way to bypass store protection applications Google Play and the App Apple Store. More. here

2022

Turnover $1.12 trillion. Sales Structure by Category

In 2022, 1.123 trillion dollars of payments passed through the Apple app store and more than half of it were purchases in stores.

In second place is advertising in applications: it accounted for 109 billion dollars in payments. For the sale of digital goods and services - 104 billion, for travel - 102 billion.

Commitment to allow the installation of apps from alternative app stores

On December 16, 2022, the Ministry of Digital Development announced that the EU had adopted the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a law that regulates the digital services and services market. Under this law, Apple will be required to allow the installation of applications from third-party sources or marketplaces and open access to some system functions. The Ministry of Digital Development is preparing a similar bill that will oblige Apple to allow such alternative installations in Russia.

If the law is passed, iOS it will be possible to install applications on devices under control that are not in the AppStore and pay for purchases, bypassing payment through the official app store. Also, Marketplaces developers will have access to internal system options along with proprietary applications. We are talking, among other things, about changing the default settings, collecting statistics and application permissions.

In Europe, the DMA will begin to operate from May 2023, but some of the provisions will be optional until 2024.

The Ministry of Digital Industry plans to introduce its Ministry of Digital Development in the first quarter of 2023.

Blocking Coinbase crypto wallet update due to refusal to pay 30% fee on NFT sending fees

At the beginning of December 2022, Apple requires that payment of fees for sending NFTs in the Coinbase crypto wallet go through the App Store payment system and be subject to a 30% fee.

Removing VK Applications

On September 27, 2022, it became known that application the Russian social network VKontakte had disappeared from the App Store. When you go to the appropriate page, the shopping section displays a notification that the connection to the App Store has failed.

Also, the applications "VK Music," "VK Play," "VK Admin," "VK Clips" and "VK Messenger" disappeared from the store. In addition, Apple has removed Mail and Mail.ru Cloud. The Odnoklassniki application is still available for download. Read more here.

Apple began to fine millions for lack of alternative payment methods in the App Store

On January 24, 2022, the Dutch Consumer and Markets Authority fined Apple €5 million. The department believes that Apple's plan to allow alternative payment methods on dating apps does not meet the original requirements. Read more here.

2021

Developers earned $60 billion from apps in the App Store

In 2021, app developers earned a total of more than $60 billion through the App Store. This became known from the statistics that Apple cited on January 10, 2022.

By this day, the total revenue of developers from the sale of mobile applications and content in them, as well as various services in the App Store, exceeded $260 billion for the entire duration of the store since 2008. At the end of December 2020, Apple announced developers' income of $200 billion.

Commenting on the published figures, Apple Senior Vice President of Services Eddie Cue noted the following:

With more than 745 million paid subscriptions, Apple continues to connect global developers, artists and other content creators with users on more than a billion devices, providing powerful tools, content and experiences that greatly enrich their lives every day.

Apple added that during the past year, App Store customers "spent more than ever before between Christmas Eve and the New Year, which led to double-digit growth compared to last year."

Apple charges a 30% commission on purchases in the App Store, this applies to both the apps themselves and downloading content inside them. In early 2021, the company reduced the commission for most developers to 15% by launching the "Small Business Program in the App Store." This initiative gives all software developers with annual net sales of less than $1 million the right to lower deductions.

As noted by SiliconANGLE Media, the App Store is a key component of Apple's service business, which, in turn, plays a crucial role in the company's revenue growth strategy. Apple's services division in July-September 2021 registered revenue of $18.28 billion, which is 27% more than a year ago. ^[6]

Regulator in the Netherlands ordered Apple to allow alternative payment methods in the App Store

The main market regulator of the Netherlands said that Apple violates the country's competition laws and demanded changes to the payment policy of the App Store. This became known on December 28, 2021. Read more here.

FAS opened a case against Apple because of the sales model outside the App Store

On October 27, 2021, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of Russia announced the initiation of a case against Apple due to anti-competitive practices related to sales outside the App Store. Read more here.

Epic Games victory in court over App Store payments threatens to reduce service profitability

On September 10, 2021, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled on an important lawsuit between Apple and Epic Games.

The court ordered Apple Inc. to allow developers to direct consumers to other ways to pay for mobile apps, a major blow to the iPhone maker.

Apple will be forced to change its App Store policy and ease control over app purchases.

The decision could hit App Store profitability hard, with the App Store generating more than $20 billion a year with a profit margin of more than 75%, according to analysts.

Avast finds fraudulent apps in Apple App Store

On March 25, 2021, Avast, a representative in the field of digital security and protection solutions, announced the discovery of more than 200 fleeceware applications in the App Store and Google Play. Read more here.

2020

Ministry of Digital Development asked not to reduce the commission for software developers for Android and iOS

In early November 2020, it became known that, and Association of Computer and Information Technology Enterprises Association of Developers "Domestic Software" "" and Russoft the Association of Trading Companies and Producers of Household and Computer Equipment (; RATEK unites manufacturers and, including) retailerselectronic engineers Apple asked Ministry of Digital Development not to support a bill obliging Apple to allow Google the commission for developers to be reduced from 30% to 20%. More. here

Removal of VGTRK applications from the App Store in Ukraine at the request of the SBU

On September 11, 2020, VGTRK announced that it had received a notification from Apple that their applications Russia 1, Russia Television and Radio, Vesti FM, and Вести.ру would be removed from the App Store catalog in Ukraine. The television and radio company clarified that the programs will disappear from the Apple store due to the requirement of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). In the Russian State Duma, what is happening was called an act of censorship. Read more here.

Russian developers of software for iPhone and iPad pretend to be Chinese and Americans to get into the App Store

Apple sets strict restrictions for Russian developers and even forces them to purchase accounts registered in the United States and China on the black market at a price of $300-500 and more. So believes Anton Gorelkin, a member of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, after, according to him, he received a lot of complaints from the developers. The official sent a request to the Federal Antimonopoly Service with a request to check^[7].

The problem, as Kommersant writes in September, is that to confirm the identity, Apple asks the bank for the payment address needed to pay for the account. The developer cannot connect to the system, since the format of the data provided by Russian banks does not meet the requirements of the corporation. Apple requires payment for an account only by card, and only by individual.

The developers of the United States and China use a different algorithm - they undergo an identity identification procedure through payment systems, but such a scheme is not available for Russian companies. "Apple is pursuing a discriminatory policy based on developer citizenship for a number of countries, including Russia," Gorelkin said.

FAS RF confirmed that it received a request and will carry out work.

The court allowed Apple not to return Fortnite to the App Store, but banned the deletion of the account of the Epic Games developer

A court in the United States has allowed Apple Inc. not to return Epic Games Inc. 'popular Fortnite to its App Store.

Meanwhile, District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers granted Epic's request, issuing Apple a temporary ban on disabling the company's accounts and restricting use of the Epic-developed Unreal Engine game engine.

Rogers warned that a temporary ban would not determine the outcome of the proceedings.

"Epic Games and Apple have the right to sue each other, but their conflict should not wreak havoc around others," she wrote. Her words are quoted by Interfax.

Epic violated agreements with Apple by trying to make money from Fortnite purchases while gaining free access to the technology company's platform, but did not violate agreements regarding Unreal Engine and development tools, Rogers ruled.

The largest publishers demanded that Apple change the commissions in the App Store

Leading news publishers have turned to Apple to change the terms of use of the App Store for them, Kommersant reported in August.

The Digital Content Next Association (DCN), which represents publishers such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, as well as many magazines, information sites and broadcasters, has published an appeal to Apple on its website.

In it, the association notes that its members - companies that produce high-quality digital content - pay Apple a commission of 30% of a user's first subscription revenue through iOS apps and 15% from their second year of subscription.

However, as publishers learned from a recent hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, the USA company has enjoyed Amazon preferential terms for its Prime Video app on the App Store since 2017.

For this company, Apple reduced the commission for those users who first subscribed to Prime Video from 30% to 15%, and for existing subscribers, Prime Video canceled the subscription altogether. At the same time, as Apple CEO Tim Cook said during a hearing in Congress, such a preferential rate is allegedly available to any developer who has fulfilled certain conditions.

In this regard, DCN demanded that Apple clarify exactly what conditions Amazon fulfilled to receive such benefits, "so that companies belonging to DCN and complying with these conditions can take advantage of the same offer." A copy of the appeal was sent to the legal committee of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress.

Epic Games sues Apple, Google for removing Fortnite from app stores

On August 14, 2020, it became known that the developer of computer games Epic Games filed lawsuits against Apple Inc. and Google (part of Alphabet Inc.), accusing the company of violating antitrust laws.

The company filed lawsuits after Apple and Google removed Fortnite, a game developed by Epic, from their app stores. This is due to the fact that the company invited users to make purchases inside the game directly in order to reduce their cost. Read more here.

Microsoft President Expresses Concern About Apple's App Store Policy

Microsoft Corporation President Brad Smith spoke to the US Congress Antitrust Committee in July and urged regulators to take a closer look at Apple's app approval policy in the App Store^[8].

On July 27, the House Antitrust Subcommittee will hold a hearing with executives from Apple, Amazon.com Inc., Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Inc., a source told Bloomberg. The meeting will consider issues related to the competitive policy of the mentioned companies. Presumably, the president of Microsoft intends to draw the attention of regulatory authorities to the established practice of providing developers with access to the app store for Apple devices.

According to Smith, Apple's policy towards its app store represents a much more serious obstacle to free competition than Microsoft's policy towards software. operating system Windows The commission should be alerted by high commissions and selective approval of applications.

Durov accused Apple of destroying startups around the world

• in 2016, Apple banned Telegram from launching an alternative gaming platform, citing its own rules and threatening to remove the messenger from the App Store;
• Apple, taking advantage of its monopoly position, requires app developers in the AppStore to list 30% of turnover. In exchange, the company only gives permission to their applications to be available to iPhone users;
• Apple does not invest in creating applications, but is guaranteed to receive 30%. The situation is almost as sad for developers on Android smartphones from Google;
• Apple does not allow users to go beyond their AppStore, created for one purpose - collecting 30%, which is ultimately paid by either users or developers;
• it is necessary to oblige Apple to pre-install its own alternative app stores, which would allow local developers not to send 30% of turnover to California;
• It is necessary to legally oblige Apple to enable users to install applications not only through the AppStore. Users should have the right to freely run applications on their smartphones;
• if this is not done, developers from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and other countries will continue to sell their startups for small amounts for Silicon Valley giants

Telegram Vice President Perekopsky Ilya compared Apple and Google to the Golden Horde

"Such is the analogy: it turns out that there used to be a bet of the Golden Horde and everyone brought tribute to Tatarstan. And now there is such a bet somewhere in San Francisco near the Golden Bridge (Golden Gate Bridge), and everyone brings tribute there. And it seems to us that this is such a fundamental thing that strongly restrains the development of the IT industry as a whole in the world, and especially in our country, because this whole army of talented youth is concentrated somewhere in this region, "he said at a meeting of Mikhail Mishustin with representatives of the IT industry in Kazan.

Detect fraudulent VPN applications

On June 4, 2020, Avast announced that it had discovered three apps in the clearly overpriced Apple App Store that do not provide the promised services. Similar applications are called Fleeceware.

According to the company, Fleeceware is an application with a short free trial period and a further paid subscription. At the same time, if after the end of the free period, the user simply removes this application without canceling the subscription, the money for its use will continue to be debited. These apps - Beetle VPN, Buckler VPN and Hat VPN Pro - are available on the Apple App Store. The apps were downloaded more than 420K, 271K and 96K times respectively between April 2019 and May 2020, according to data from Sensor Tower, a mobile app market research and analytics company.

As described, these apps provide a VPN for $9.99 (USD) a week after their free three-day trial period expires. All apps for June 2020 have scores ranging from 4.6 to 4.8 and include positive reviews. Nevertheless, all reviews are written in the same way, which, according to Avast experts, can be a fake: between positive reviews, there are several negative reviews warning of fraud. App privacy policies also have a very similar language and structure.

Avast researchers installed three apps and purchased subscriptions to each app; however, when they tried to use VPNs, the applications again provided only subscription options. After trying to purchase subscriptions one more time, Avast researchers were notified that they already had a subscription. They could not establish a VPN connection using any application.

Fleeceware apps fall into a "grey area": They're not harmful on their own, they just charge users absurd amounts of money for weekly, monthly or annual subscriptions to features that should cost much less. For example, in this case, VPNs are sold for 9.99 $ USA per week, while other VPNs for June 2020 are sold for $3.99 USA per month. These apps do not behave maliciously, so they bypass the verification processes that exist in official app stores that users trust. Many people turn to VPN applications for protection their own when data working remotely. This shows how important it is for users to explore VPN apps before installing them, including information about developers, their reputations in other products, user feedback and whether there are other apps for safety and privacy. narrated by Nikolaos Chrysaidos, Head of Threat and Protection Research for Avast Mobile

Fleeceware applications can be in any category. Reviews for such applications tend to look fake, as some users leave reviews with the words "Exciting" or "My Love," and real reviews show that the application does not actually work or charges users unreasonably large amounts of money. Fleeceware apps typically offer a free trial for three to seven days, but may require users to enter their payment details before the trial period begins, in order to automatically charge victims further with unreasonable amounts after the trial period ends.

Users should be careful about what will happen after the end of the trial period and how much the application will charge after. It is important to check if the board will be automatically debited from their card if they do not cancel their subscription.

2019

Sales in the App Store exceeded $0.5 trillion

The volume of payments and purchases through the App Store ecosystem at the end of 2019 exceeded $519 billion. Such data are provided by Apple with reference to a study by  the analytical company Analysis Group.

Approximately 85% of this amount fell on the income of developers and companies. Apple itself receives a commission from the sale of digital goods and services in the app store.

The revenue of applications for buying clothes, food, sharing transport and travel in 2019 amounted to $413 billion. Another $45 billion came from advertising in applications, and $61 billion was received from the sale of content in applications.

Travel applications (such as Expedia and United) accounted for $57 billion. The turnover in travel applications (like Uber and Lyft) amounted to $40 billion, food delivery services accounted for $31 billion.

The turnover in the digital goods and services sector turned out to be $61 billion - this category includes streaming applications, software for fitness, education, e-books  and audiobooks, subscriptions to news and magazines, as well as dating services, etc.

Advertising in applications brought their owners $45 billion, 44% of the revenue was brought by games. Non-gaming apps that have brought substantial sales of embedded ads are usually free - for example, Twitter and Pinterest, the company points out.

The total number of App Store visitors in 2019 amounted to about half a billion people, and the total amount of payments to developers exceeded $155 billion for the entire existence of this application catalog.

In a challenging and volatile time, the App Store offers great opportunities for entrepreneurship, health and wellness, education and job creation, helping people quickly adapt to the changing world, said Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Full App Store Ecosystem Report 2019

Developers in the App Store earn 64% more than on Google Play

In mid-June 2019, Sensor Tower, which offers a platform for analyzing the effectiveness of mobile app sales, presented expense statistics in the Apple App Store and Google Play catalogs. 

According to experts, in the first quarter of 2019, the developers of the 100 most popular applications for Android and iOS earned a total of $130.4 million. In the case of the App Store, revenues amounted to $83.4 million, which is 64% more than on Google Play ($51 million). In the games segment, publishers' revenue in January-March 2019 amounted to $70 million and $48 million, respectively, against $64 million and $42 million three months earlier.

iOS game developers earn 48% of their colleagues creating Android projects. If we talk about non-gaming products, then here the difference reaches 232% in favor of the App Store - $23 million against $7 million. 

Experts note that the published statistics are quite expected. The fact is that Google Play offers more free apps than the App Store, and Android users are less likely to buy apps and make in-game purchases. True, in their study, Sensor Tower analysts do not take into account sales in the Chinese segment of Google Play, so the real numbers may be different.

Over a 5-year period, by the first quarter of 2019, Google Play game developers' revenues grew by about 30.2% annually, while the App Store was 27.9%.

At the same time, Apple's policy towards developers causes a negative reaction from the latter. Pure Sweat Basketball, which creates mobile software, sued Apple, accusing the corporation of anti-competitive actions. The developers are unhappy that Apple charges a 30 percent commission on them and requires an annual fee of $99 per year.^[9]

The court recognized the App Store as a monopoly and allowed Apple to throw claims

In May 2019, the US Supreme Court recognized the App Store as a monopoly and allowed users to file antitrust lawsuits against Apple. All owners of iOS devices can go to court, since they are direct customers of the company.

The Supreme Court issued this verdict after considering a class action lawsuit, the authors of which complained that Apple sells applications only through the App Store. According to the plaintiffs, the American corporation illegally created a monopoly that allowed it to set inflated prices.

Apple itself said that users cannot sue the company, since it is not it that sets prices for applications, but developers. At the same time, the court does not accuse Apple of violations of antitrust laws.

As part of the App Store, Apple takes part of the revenue from the sale of applications and content in them, without offering users or software developers an alternative platform. This model has become a serious problem for both developers and consumers, Fortune notes.

The social network Blind, whose members can anonymously discuss their employers, asked users to answer the question "Do you consider the App Store a monopoly." More than 10 thousand people took part in the survey, including hundreds of Apple employees and others.

44.1% of respondents called the App Store a monopoly. 40.7% have a diametrically opposite opinion, and 15.2% of respondents found it difficult to answer. The survey showed a fairly wide dissatisfaction with users of Apple products, who, after a decision of the Supreme Court, could throw lawsuits at the company.

74.9% of respondents who identified themselves as Apple employees reported that they did not consider the App Store a monopoly. But many companies with which Apple has sued or is suing say otherwise. For example, 85% of the staff Qualcomm in the survey voted that the App Store is a monopoly.^[10]

Apple named the reason for the removal of applications with parental control

On April 29, 2019, it became known that the Russian office of Apple made a statement about the recent removal of a number of applications with parental control from the App Store. According to the company, this was done for the reason that these applications compromised the privacy and security of users.

Apple emphasizes that parents should have tools to control the use of their children's devices. That is why the company has created and is developing Screen Time. Other apps in the App Store, including Moment Health's Balance Screen Time and Verizon Smart Family, are empowering parents to strike a balance between technology and other activities that help young talent grow and evolve.

Over the past year, Apple has learned that some of these parental control apps use a deeply penetrating technology called Mobile Device Management, or MDM.

MDM provides third-party control and access to the device, as well as critical information that includes user location, application use cases, access to email, camera, and Internet browsing history. Apple began providing the ability to use MDM to third-party developers in early 2017 and updated recommendations based on this work in the middle of that year.

MDM has the right to exist, the company notes. Enterprise business sometimes installs MDMs on devices to better control corporate data and hardware usage. But if we are talking about a private consumer, installing MDM control on the client's device is risky and is a clear violation of App Store policies. In addition to the control that the application receives over the user's device, studies have shown that MDM profiles can be used by hackers to gain access for malicious purposes.

The App Store should not be a platform to compromise on privacy and security issues. Upon learning of violations of the main principles, Apple reported them to app developers, giving them 30 days to post the update so as not to interrupt their availability in the App Store. Several developers have released updates to align their apps with company policies. Those who disagreed with this position were removed from the App Store.

The App Store is designed to provide a safe, dynamic space where developers and entrepreneurs can convey their ideas to users around the world, and users can be sure that all applications meet the company's security and responsibility standards^[11] in Apple^[12].

2018

Apple bans individuals from writing VPN apps for iPhone and iPad

The company Apple notified all app developers by email in June 2018 of a major change in the rules for publishing to its app store. App Store First of all, the letter emphasizes the ban on the use of software interfaces () API for virtual private networks () VPN in applications published by individuals. From now on, according to paragraph 5.4 of the updated rules, the use of this option is available exclusively to legal entities. Apple^[13]

The global rules for publishing applications have also undergone a major update, tightening and describing in more detail the provisions related to protecting user privacy. In particular, paragraph 5.1.1 of the publication rules on the collection and storage of user data (5.1.1 Data Collection and Storage) increased from four to seven sub-items.

Innovations in the App Store Review Guidelines have been introduced following the work of App Store censors over the past few months, during which applications have been most thoroughly tested with anonymous access to Internet resources for users.

Main article: VPN and privacy (anonymity, anonymizers)

App Store is visited by 500 million people a week, developers earned more than $100 billion

At the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2018 in early June, Apple shared some statistics on the operation of its App Store.

Over 10 years of this portal, developers who place their programs and games there have earned more than $100 billion from them. For comparison, App Annie analysts  counted the total costs of users in the App Store in the amount of $130 billion by the end of 2017.

More than 500 million active users around the world visit the App Store every week, Apple said.

The company also noted that more than 350 thousand applications that are presented in the App Store are written using Swift, Apple's own programming language.

According to Apple, by the beginning of June 2018, about 20 million developers are engaged in the creation of software for devices. Some of them came to WWDC 2018, the geography of those present at the event covers 77 countries, which has never happened.

At the conference, Apple also listed the most popular apps targeted at iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple TV. The list of winners turned out to be as follows:

• Agenda - application for creating notes;
• Bandimal is a music-writing app aimed at children;
• Calzy - calculator;
• iTranslate Converse - a translator that works in real time;
• Triton Sponge is an unusual application for assessing blood loss in surgery;
• Florence is a narrative game;
• Insadie - puzzle/platformer from the creators of Limbo;
• Alto's Odyssey is an endless runner;
• Frost is a puzzle game;
• Oddmar is an adventure platformer;

The development of these applications and games will receive laptops, smartphones and other Apple devices, as well as a cube-shaped award with the company's luminous logo.^[14]

The first ever decrease in the number of applications - up to 2.1 million

In 2017, the number of apps in the App Store fell for the first time in history. This is evidenced by the data of the AppFigures service, which offers trend analysis services in app stores.

According to experts, in 2017 the number of programs and games in the App Store decreased by 5% and amounted to 2.1 million titles. At the same time, the volume of the Google Play catalog, on the contrary, increased - immediately by 30% to 3.6 million applications.

Analysts explain the decrease in the range of software in the App Store by tightening Apple's requirements for products that claim to be published in the catalog, as well as the transition to 64-bit software.

In addition, Apple is removing outdated content from the App Store that is not updated according to new versions of iOS and does not function properly. 

Appfigures cites another reason for the reduction in the number of applications in the App Store. Developers of iOS applications simply began to create fewer products. In 2017, they released 755 thousand new applications, which is 29% less than in 2016. This is the most serious decline in developer activity since 2008. What is the reason for this is not specified.

Over the past few years, Apple has been actively increasing the number of titles in the App Store, but at some point there were too many, which made it difficult to navigate the store and even led to its complete redesign. However, analysts believe that the App Store database will eventually increase and reach 5 million applications by the end of 2020.

According to Appfigures data for 2017, the largest number of applications in the App Store were posted by American developers - 33.5% of the total. In second place is China (15.9%), in third - India (5.1%). Russian developers accounted for 2.1% of new software publications in the App Store.^[15]

The emergence of malicious cryptocurrency applications

In the Apple App Store, Google Play and other online stores, you can easily find malicious cryptocurrency applications with which hackers steal money and personal data of people. This is evidenced by the data of the information security company RiskIQ, published on January 24, 2018.

Experts analyzed more than 18 thousand applications in order to find among them potentially dangerous and blacklisted information security specialists. A study on the pages of 20 online stores, including popular ones such as the App Store and Google Play, found 661 cryptocurrency applications that pose a threat. Most of all - 272 - met on Google Play. Another 54 were available for download on the ApkFiles site, and 52 on the 9Apps app store.

To attract the attention of potential victims, hackers used phrases such as "bitcoin wallet,"cryptocurrency "" and "exchange" in the name of applications, bitcoins RiskIQ notes.

Fabian Libeau, RiskIQ Vice President for EMEA, urged anyone who is going to download cryptocurrency applications to be extremely careful and check programs before downloading.

Before allowing an app to dispose of their personal data or money, investors should scrutinize information about the cryptocurrency transaction programs they intend to use. Information such as the developer's name, user reviews and the number of downloads makes it possible to understand how safe the application is, the specialist said.[16]

In the context of high interest in bitcoins and other digital currencies, the issue of cybersecurity is becoming more and more relevant for the cryptocurrency industry, because the excitement in this market attracts criminals. So, in December 2017, as a result of hacking from the accounts of the popular Nice Hash Miner service, all user funds were stolen. In addition, in the same month, the South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Youbit announced its closure and bankruptcy after hacker attacks, CNBC reports.^[17]

Apple accused of illegally wiretapping App Store users

Apple is accused of illegally wiretapping users through special applications that are distributed in the App Store. This follows from an investigation by The New York Times^[18].

The authors note that some apps from the Apple store contain code that allows you to monitor users in real time. Allegedly, only in the interests of advertisers. The code is actually legal and includes surveillance and listening at the time of activation of any Apple device - a smartphone or set-top box. The software algorithm analyzes oral requests and statistics for viewing content. Based on this analysis, users are offered correct advertisements. Participants in the investigation note that the code is built into more than 100 applications and games and works very quickly.

By the way, a code called Alphonso also listens to music that sounds next to the device. This helps to recognize the music and point to the desired tracks in the store.

Despite the perceived harmlessness of the program code, the authors of The New York Times insist that Apple has actually legalized wiretapping and provides access to the microphone of its devices to developers. At the same time, some users do not even know that they have the ability to disable Alphonso.

2017

170 billion downloads and costs of $130 billion

In May 2018, the analytical company App Annie published statistics on app sales in the App Store and Google Play.

According to researchers, in 2017, 2,857 iOS applications generated more than $1 million in revenue for their developers. Their 564 programs and games recorded revenues exceeding $10 million.

The number of millionaire applications has reached a record high and has grown by about 30% every year since 2012, when only 770 projects for iPhone and iPad could boast of earnings of more than $1 million.

The number of downloads from the App Store in 2017 amounted to 30.5 billion, and the amount of money spent by users of such applications - $42.5 billion. Most of the money for mobile software and games is spared by consumers from the countries of the Asia-Pacific region ($25.2 billion in 2017). Residents of South and North America spent $11.3 billion, in the EMEA region - $6 billion.

If we take into account individual countries, then the United States is in the lead in terms of spending on mobile applications ($36 billion in 2017), and the top three include China ($27.7 billion) and Japan ($25.2 billion). In terms of the number of downloads, the first place is also occupied by the United States.

The most profitable category in the App Store remains games, sales of which (taking into account purchases within applications) amounted to $19.3 billion.

The App Store loses to Google Play in app downloads (30% versus 70% in 2017), but is noticeably ahead in the amount of money that gadget owners spend downloading and using such programs. In 2017, 66% of all user spending on the mobile application was on the iOS platform. In 2012, this share was measured at 86%.

App Annie also calculated that from 2008, when the App Store was launched, until the end of 2017, the volume of app downloads reached 170 billion, and the total costs exceeded $130 billion.^[19]

Zero fee for developers from governments and non-profit organizations

In December 2017 ,  Apple published several new rules for the App Store, which detailed the policy and new requirements that developers must comply with in order for their applications to be approved for placement in Apple's official online catalog. One of the innovations concerns the zeroing of the annual collection for developers from governments and non-profit organizations.

For "template" apps , Apple requires them to be hosted in the App Store by real app owners through its own developer account.    That adds some new financial strain for customers and software developers, but Apple will make the Apple Developer Program free for governments and nonprofits starting in 2018. This means that charities will be able to upload applications without paying an annual fee of $99, which will still remain mandatory for commercial enterprises and individual entrepreneurs.

This change is closely related to the new rules for mass template application generators. Previously, one company could publish 50 apps for 50 different nonprofits through its developer account. Such services can massively create applications very cheaply, since they largely repeat the appearance and functionality, with minor changes in settings (for example, only the client logo can change).

According to the new rules, app owners will no longer be able to upload all created apps under their own name. They will have to be published through unique developer accounts owned by client companies and charities, for which Apple will make it free to use the developer account from the beginning of 2018.^[20]

2014: 1.43 million apps

According to appFigures, the number of applications Google Play last year reached 1.43 million, while in the App Store - 1.21 million App Store is an analogue of Google Play. It contains applications for Apple iPhone and iPads, that is, mobile devices running on a competing platform. iOS

The third place was taken by the Appstore catalog of Amazon (293 thousand applications). Amazon devices are mostly popular in the US.

In addition, analysts noted that in 2014 Google Play showed a higher rate of influx of new developers for the third year in a row. Moreover, every year the gap increased.

Now about 388 thousand developers are engaged in the release of applications for Android posted on Google Play - against 282 thousand from Apple.

In 2014, the number of apps on Google Play doubled. The highest growth rate was shown by the Games category, in second place - Photography, in third - Music, in fourth - Business, in fifth - Entertainment.

In turn, in the App Store, the highest growth rate in the number of new applications in 2014 was demonstrated by the Business category. In second place is Food & Drink. Analysts were surprised that Food & Drink was in second place. They recalled that we are talking about the growth rate, and not the total number of programs. What is the reason for the popularity of this category is not explained.

2013

Data for 2013

2012

Sales volume - $3.45 billion

In the segment of "direct income" (which includes income from paid applications, sales within applications and income from subscription services), according to Berg Insight, the volume of the mobile application market amounted to 5.1 billion euros in 2012.

The leader in the segment of "direct income" from the monetization of mobile applications in 2012 is the Apple App Store. In 2012, according to the study, the revenue from the Apple App Store in the segment under consideration amounted to 3.45 billion euros.

25 billion app downloads

The number of downloads of mobile applications posted in the official App Store directory has exceeded 25 billion. The App Store began operating in July 2008, when the store had only a few hundred applications. In January 2012, Apple announced that the App Store range exceeded 550 thousand positions. The number of app downloads posted in the App Store is approximately 2.5 times the number of program downloads from the Android Market. According to Pocket-lint estimates, the App Store reached 10 billion downloads in 2.5 years, after another six months there were already 15 billion downloads, after 8 months the number of downloads reached 25 billion. This means that over the past 8 months, users have downloaded about 40 million applications per day. Apple promised to download a $10,000 certificate to a user who downloads a $25 billion app from the App Store. To track the number of downloads, a special counter was posted on the corporation's website.

In the spring of 2012, the number of applications in the official App Store catalog exceeded 600 thousand positions. Of the 600 thousand applications available, a third of the programs (200 thousand) were developed specifically for the iPad tablet computer.

2011

350,000 applications

As of January 2011, the App Store has over 350 thousand applications for users from 90 countries, including more than 60 thousand applications developed specifically for the iPad. App Store content is divided into 20 categories, including games, business, news, health, reference materials and travel. The possibility of purchasing applications exists in Russia.

Previously Apple published lists of the most downloaded paid and free applications. Among paid applications in Russia, Angry Birds, Doodle Jump, Rat On The Run, Sea Battle Classic and others were in the top ten, among the free ones -, ICQ Skype iRusRadio, Yandex.Maps, Google Mobile App, IM +, Stanza, iBooks and SPB TV Free. The cost of most Top 10 applications iPhone for is $0.99. The cost of the most expensive application in the top ten is $4.99. The most expensive iPad app costs $14.99 (1Password Pro).

160 million users

In January 2011, Apple announced that more than 160 million iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users worldwide downloaded more than 10 billion apps from the App Store. Ten billion was the Paper Glider app, purchased by a user named Gail Davis from Orpington in Kent, UK.

As the winner of the historical countdown, Davis will receive a $10,000 iTunes store gift card that she can spend on new apps, music and movies. In an interview with the Gulf of Mac, she admitted that she regarded the call of an Apple employee with a message about the win as a joke and immediately hung up. She also revealed that one of her daughters uploaded the winning app to her phone.

"With 10 billion apps downloaded in just two and a half years, with 7 million downloaded in the last year alone, the App Store has exceeded our wildest expectations," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of global marketing. - The App Store has completely changed how software products are created, distributed, searched for by users and sold. As others try to copy the App Store, it continues to offer developers and customers the most innovative experiences on the planet. "

Amid the success of the App Store, in the fall of 2010, Apple announced the launch of a similar store for Mac users. He earned in early January 2011.

2010: $1.7 billion in app sales

According to a report by the British IHS, Apple's App Store (February 2011) is the most popular mobile app store. Its market share was 83% of total revenues (in 2010 - $1.7 billion; in 2009 - $769 million).

In second place is BlackBerry App World, whose share was 7.7%, and annual revenues - $165 million, which is 360% more than in 2009.

After that comes Nokia Ovi Store with an indicator of $105 million. The largest growth for the year was achieved by Google's Android Market - 861%. Its revenues amounted to $102 million, and its share in the general market was only 1.3%.

Android Market also became the second in the number of applications, the assortment in December 2010 exceeded 200 thousand positions. According to AndroLib, by December 2010, Android Market users had completed 2.5 billion downloads.

The third largest store is the Ovi Store - in November 2010, Nokia reported that 3 million applications are downloaded from the store per day, the total number of downloads in the company was not disclosed.

2009:1 billion app downloads

In April 2009, the number of downloads from the App Store reached 1 billion.^[21]

The total cost of all applications in the Apple AppStore is only 144,326 USD.^[22]

2008: Service Launch

The App Store was launched in July 2008 along with the release of the second model smartphone Apple - iPhone 3G and a new firmware version.

See also

• Mobile apps
• Mobile Applications (Russian Market)
• Mobile Applications (Global Market)
• Apple App Store
• Google Play Store Google Play Music Google Chrome Web Store
• Windows Store Microsoft Store Windows Azure Store Microsoft Office Store
• Huawei AppGallery
• Global Developer Service Alliance (GDSA)
• Yandex.Store
• Opera Mobile Store
• Android app stores
• SAP Mobile Applications
• Real estate mobile apps
• Mobile applications for personal finance accounting
• Mobile alcohol selection apps

Notes