App Store
By MacRumors Staff on May 16, 2023
Jump to How Tos ArticlesThe 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.
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...
How to Add Funds to Your Apple ID on iPhone and iPadIt 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...
How to Update Apps in iOS 13If 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...
How to Cancel App Store SubscriptionsSeveral 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,...
Apple Claims App Store Security Features Prevented Over $2 Billion in Fraudulent Transactions in 2022The 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...
PSA: Watch Out for Fake ChatGPT Apps and Other Scams in the Mac App StoreThere 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...
Apple, Google Could Face Large Fines Under New UK Digital Consumer BillThe 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...
iOS 17 to Support App Sideloading to Comply With European RegulationsApple 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...
Expanded App Store Price Points Now Available for All App PurchasesApple 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...
Apple Seemingly Restricting Generative AI Apps to 17+ or Older App Store RatingApple 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.,...
App Store May Violate Japanese Antitrust LawApple's App Store policies may be violating Japanese antitrust law, according to a new report from the Japan Fair Trade Commission (FTC) that was shared by Nikkei. Japanese regulators do not believe there is enough "competitive pressure" on Apple and Google as the two companies have a duopoly in mobile operating systems and dominate the app market. Japanese regulators want Apple and Google...
App Store Prices Increasing in the UK and Other Countries on February 13App Store prices are going up in the United Kingdom and several other countries starting on February 13, Apple announced today. The changes are being implemented due to shifts in taxes and foreign exchange rates. App and in-app purchase prices in Colombia, Egypt, Hungary, Nigeria, Norway, South Africa, and the United Kingdom will go up, and prices in Uzbekistan will drop because of a three...
Spotify Pens Joint Letter Calling Apple 'Harmful' and 'Anti-Competitive,' Claims App Store Ruins BusinessSpotify and eight companies and associations have written a letter to the EU Commission's executive vice president calling Apple a harmful, anti-competitive, and monopolistic company that must be regulated through "urgent action." The letter, signed by the CEOs and heads of Basecamp, Deezer, Proton, Schibsted, Spotify, European Publishers Council (EPC), France Digitale, and News Media...
Sketchy ChatGPT App Soars Up App Store Charts, Charges $7.99 Weekly Subscription [Update: Removed]A sketchy app claiming to be the bot ChatGPT has soared up App Store charts, charging users a $7.99 weekly subscription to use a service that is entirely free to use on the web and seemingly has no affiliation to the actual bot. ChatGPT has soared in popularity recently, with some calling it the "iPhone moment" for AI, given its mainstream appeal. ChatGPT can articulate short and long-form...
France Fines Apple €8 Million for Targeted App Store AdsFrench regulators today fined Apple €8 million for breaching France's data protection rules with targeted App Store ads. France's National Commission for Informatics and Liberty (CNIL) says that Apple did not get the consent of French iPhone users before using identifiers to present targeted ads in the iOS 14.6 update. Apple was collecting information and using that data for ads by default,...
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney Teases Fortnite Returning to iOS in 2023 as Legal Battle ContinuesEpic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has teased a return of Fortnite to iOS in 2023, nearly three years after the best-selling game was removed from the App Store for violating platform rules, marking the start of a contentious and high-profile legal battle. In a tweet to celebrate the new year, Sweeney said, "Next year on iOS!" followed by an image of a Fortnite character looking up at fireworks that ...
French Court Levies Fine Against Apple for Abusive App Store PracticesThe French Commercial Court in Paris today fined Apple $1 million for abusive App Store practices, reports Reuters. Apple imposed unfair commercial clauses on French app developers for access to the App Store, according to the ruling. The decision is the result of a multi-year investigation by France's consumer affairs and fraud watchdog (DGCCRF), overseen by the French ministry of...
Rival App Stores on iPhone Estimated to Have Limited Impact on Apple's RevenueBloomberg's Mark Gurman this week reported that Apple is preparing to allow alternative app stores on the iPhone and iPad in the European Union, as part of an effort to comply with the Digital Markets Act, which goes into full effect in 2024. The report said Apple is aiming for the changes to be introduced as part of iOS 17. In a research note this week, a trio of analysts at investment bank ...
Apple Working to Add Support for Sideloading and Alternate App Stores in EuropeApple is planning to allow for alternate app stores on iPhones and iPads ahead of European legislation that will require the company to support sideloading, reports Bloomberg. The change would allow customers to download apps without needing to use the App Store, which would mean developers would not need to pay Apple's 15 to 30 percent fees, but to start with, Apple is only planning to...
Apple Announces App Store Changes, Including Expanded Pricing Up to $10,000Apple today announced it is providing developers with an additional 700 price points for App Store apps, allowing apps to be priced as low as 29 cents, or as high as $10,000. Developers who want to price their app above $1,000 must submit a request to Apple to help prevent meaninglessly expensive apps from being released on the App Store. In total, developers will have the ability to select...
Facebook and Spotify CEOs Slam Apple's App Store Wednesday November 30, 2022 11:20 am PST by Juli CloverFacebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek today spoke out against Apple's App Store policies, joining Twitter CEO Elon Musk, who earlier this week said that Apple was making moderation demands and had threatened to withhold Twitter from the App Store. At The New York Times DealBook Summit, Zuckerberg said that only Apple attempts to limit the apps that are in the App Store,...
Apple Announces 2022 App Store Award Winners, Highlighting Best Apps of the YearApple today announced its 2022 App Store Award winners, highlighting the 16 best apps and games selected by Apple's global App Store editorial team. The top apps were chosen by Apple for their quality, innovative technology, creative design, positive cultural impact, and ability to deliver "exceptional experiences." Apple CEO Tim Cook said: This year's App Store Award winners reimagined ...
UK Begins Market Investigation into Apple and Google's Mobile DominanceThe UK's competition watchdog has begun its investigation into the market dominance of Apple and Google's mobile browsers, months after it said it was considering a high-level probe. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced Tuesday that responses to its June consultation had revealed "substantial support" for a full investigation into how Apple and Google dominate the market and ...
Apple Pauses Gambling Ads in App Store Pages After Developers Complain [Updated]Update October 26 3:31 p.M.: In a statement shared with MacRumors today, Apple said it has paused gambling ads in App Store app pages, with no further details provided:We have paused ads related to gambling and a few other categories on App Store product pages.Original story from October 25 follows. Apple today rolled out new ad placements in the App Store on the iPhone, allowing developers to ...
Scam ChatGPT Apps Are Flooding The Mac App Store
Scam apps using OpenAI and ChatGPT style branding are slipping into the Mac App Store
Scammers are abusing Apple's App Store, with some flooding the digital marketspace with bogus and buggy ChatGPT apps.
Apple's App Store is intended as a digital storefront that vets apps before they are provided to Mac users as a download. While Apple's policies and checks do catch most bad actors, it seems that the influx of AI chat apps has surfaced some who are abusing the system.
A weekend report by Alex Kleber on the "Dark Side of the Mac App Store" reveals the results of a month-long investigation into a group of apps claiming to provide ChatGPT-style services.
The apps, searchable using keywords such as "OpenAI" and "ChatGPT" brings up many apps that use identical or very similar titles and logos to OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Reusing similar colors, icons, and OpenAI logos, they give the appearance of being legit, yet are not officially linked to OpenAI at all.
"Most of these apps are nothing but cheap imitations or outright scams that fail to deliver on their promises," writes Kleber. "These scams not only deceive users but also tarnish the reputation of legitimate developers and hinder the growth of the app ecosystem on the macOS platform."
With the use of misleading marketing tricks, as well as deftly used keywords, such apps have become some of the most-downloaded apps in the Mac App Store overall.
Kleber insists Apple should take a "stricter stance" against the apps, which are seemingly passing through the App Review process without issue. In some cases, Kleber spotted approvals by the App Review team as recently as Friday, while still using the OpenAI icon and colors.
Many apps, same creator
In some cases, the apps are extremely similar, with only minor changes to be different enough so it's not a direct clone.
Apps by Pixelsbay and ParallelWorld developer accounts were both found to be running from the same registered address in Pakistan, with the apps sharing 99% of the same code with "slight modifications." Furthermore, the developers even used the same paywall style for both apps, and without a close button in sight.
"This behavior of not providing a close button to the paywalls is highly unethical and can be considered a scam," Kleber asserts. "It puts the users in a frustrating situation where they are forced to either subscribe or forcibly quit the application to regain control of their device."
Digging deeper, it is believed the two apps are linked to another company called Katco, again based in Pakistan and at the same address. References to an email address also indicate the two apps are connected to Katco.
It is reckoned by Kleber that the apps are part of a "larger operation aimed at exploiting the popularity" of AI chatbot apps. "It's alarming to think that such sophisticated and well-coordinated scams can be perpetuated on the MacOS App Store with little to no oversight," they added.
In another discovery, Kleber found one individual who was using eight different developer accounts on the Mac App Store, again for the purposes of spamming the storefront with extremely similar apps.
Scam review tactics
It is also believed that the apps are using abusive tactics to garner positive reviews, which helps push the app in the App Store. In the ParallelWorld app's case, it received more than 175 reviews in a 24-hour period, with 63 from the US Mac App Store.
In this instance, the app requested users to review the app immediately after subscribing to the application, and doing so every time the user makes an OpenAI request, without providing time for the user to actually use the app.
This technique is one that is actually prohibited in the App Review Guidelines and SKStoreReview documentation.
Kleber insists that the activity of scamming developers "creates an unfair and competitive environment for legitimate developers who follow the App Store guidelines, and it goes against the principles of fair competition that Apple strives to uphold."
"By abusing the system, the individuals were creating confusion and clutter on the App Store, making it difficult for users to identify legitimate apps and eroding the trust that users have in the platform."
Apple has a "responsibility" to maintain standards for apps, and to keep a level playing field for all developers, Kleber concludes.
A continuing problem
Scam apps continue to be an ongoing issue for Apple, with unsavory apps managing to slip through the company's checks as their developers come up with new strategies to thwart the system.
In February, con artists were using a so-called "pig butchering" scam to sneak apps into the App Store. First, the app poses as legitimate to reviewers, but after approval and appearing in the App Store, a domain change delivers a fake interface, as part of a sophisticated long-con fraud.
On Apple's side, it is working to stop fraud apps from slipping through. In 2022, it said safety mechanisms stopped nearly $1.5 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions and kept 1.6 million "problematic apps" away from users.
Microsoft Store Quick Start Guide For Managing Windows 10 Apps And Games
Microsoft Store, earlier known as the Windows Store, is a centralized place from where consumers can download Apps and Games. While you can always download software outside Microsoft's digital Store, there are a lot of them available in the Store. In this post, we have written our Quick Start Guide for Windows 10 Store to help you get started.
The primary reason why Windows Store was renamed to Microsoft Store because it's just about software any more. Microsoft also lists Hardware and Accessories, but it could be limited based on the country. Here is the list of topics we will cover in this post:
When you launch the Store, the top menu displays popular categories such as Gaming, Entertainment, Productivity, and Deals. Under Home, you have a carousel displaying popular apps and games. Followed by it, you have Top Apps, Featured, Top Games, and Collections. As you keep using the Store, you will also receive personalized suggestions under the "Picks for you" section, top free apps, and so on.
1] Add/Remove Microsoft Account to Microsoft StoreThe first thing you should know is that to use the Store, you need to use a Microsoft account. If you have created a Windows account that is linked with a Microsoft account, then you will be signed in using that account. If you want to use another account, you can always sign out and add a different Microsoft account.
That said, Microsoft store allows you to add multiple accounts as well. It can be your work or school account. If there is an app available on the Store which only works with your corporate or school account, then you can add them here, and then install the app.
2] How to install an application or game from the Microsoft StoreOnce installed, all the applications will be available in the Start Menu.
3] Payment, Store Settings and My Library, and more.Like every other application, Microsoft Store has its settings. I recommend you should take a look at them and configure them according to your choice. Click on the three dots menu next to your profile and click on My Library. It will reveal all the apps you have ever owned with an option to sort by most recent, or sort by name. The menu on the left is what is incredibly useful. You have access to All Owned, Installed, Ready to Install, Downloads, Xbox Game Pass, and Xbox Live Gold.
Since the Store is linked to a Microsoft Account, when you click on Payment options, it will take you to the online Microsoft Account page. Whatever payment method is included, there will appear here when you make payment.
Read: Troubleshoot Microsoft Store payment failed errors.
The settings menu gives you access to some of the essential features such as the option to disable automatic updates, live tile settings, video autoplay, offline permissions, and the most important is to ask for the password for every purchase. Microsoft often shows suggestions and installs some apps as part of their default installation; we suggest you turn it off to stop installing unwanted apps.
4] Finding installed Apps and Managing themWhen you install an application, it will appear under recently installed apps in the Start menu. You can also find them by clicking on the alphabetically sorted list. If you use an application often, I would recommend you to pin it to Start Menu or Taskbar or both.
When you right-click on any of the apps, you also get access to quick actions related to the app. So when I made a right-click on the Xbox Console companion app, I get immediate access to My games, messages, achievements, capture, Microsoft Store, trending, connect to console, and so on. Microsoft also offers a context menu that you can use to rate, review, and share the app with others.
To uninstall an application, you have a direct uninstall option. You can also install apps by going to Settings > Apps > Apps and Feature. Select any application you wish to remove, and then click on the uninstall button.
Microsoft keeps evolving Microsoft Store with every update. It is possible that the options might change a bit with time. While we plan to keep it updated if you see anything which is worth a change, let us know.
I hope the Quick Start Guide for Windows 10 Microsoft Store is helpful to you.
Read next: How to use Windows 10 – Beginners Guide.
