App Store

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...

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...

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...

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,...

Apple today shared a list of the most downloaded U.S. App Store apps and games in 2025, highlighting the top free and paid iPhone and iPad titles. ChatGPT was the number one free app that iPhone users downloaded in 2025, followed by Threads, Google, TikTok, and WhatsApp. Google Gemini was the only other chatbot app to make the list, coming in at number 10. Top paid iPhone apps included...

Apple CEO Tim Cook was in Washington, D.C. today to meet with the House Energy and Commerce Committee about the upcoming App Store Accountability Act, reports Bloomberg. The App Store Accountability Act would require Apple to verify a person's age when an Apple Account is created using a "commercially available method or process," and get parental consent for each app that a child under 16...

Apple's App Store has been unlawfully hosting dozens of apps tied to U.S.-sanctioned companies, according to a new watchdog report (via The Washington Post). The Tech Transparency Project, a non-profit advocacy group, flagged 52 apps in the App Store that had links to entities found on the Treasury Department's list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs), a designation that prohibits U.S....

Australia's new social media law goes into effect on December 10, 2025, and ahead of that date, Apple is sharing information on developer tools that are designed to help social media apps adhere to the law. Children under the age of 16 will no longer be allowed to use Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, YouTube (except for YouTube Kids), Snapchat, X, Twitch, Threads, and Kick in Australia,...

Apple today unveiled the winners of its 2025 App Store Awards, including task planning app Tiimo, which was named iPhone App of the Year. 17 winning apps and games were selected by Apple's team of App Store editors, for showing exceptional innovation, user experience, and design. The developers of each app and game will receive a physical App Store Award. "Every year, we're inspired by...

Apple is not going to be able to escape a class-action antitrust lawsuit over anticompetitive App Store fees in the Netherlands, the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) said today. The decision could see Apple facing millions of euros in damages, and it sets a precedent for similar lawsuits in other European countries (via Reuters). Apple could ultimately have to pay up to an estimated 637...

Apple today shared its 2025 App Store award finalists, recognizing 45 standout apps and games selected by the App Store editorial team. "We're thrilled to celebrate the App Store Award finalists, a diverse and talented group of developers from around the globe," said Carson Oliver, Apple's head of App Store Worldwide. "Their commitment to excellence is an inspiration, resulting in...

Apple today announced the App Store Mini Apps Partner Program, allowing apps that host mini apps and mini games to support In-App Purchases. The program is designed for developers who host mini apps and games within a larger, native app. Today, we're introducing the Mini Apps Partner Program, which expands on the App Store's ongoing support for apps that offer mini apps. Mini apps are...

Apple today shared a study commissioned from Analysis Group [PDF] that looks at App Store pricing changes before and after reduced fees took effect in the EU in March 2024 under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The report shows that the DMA has not resulted in lower prices for consumers. In a statement to MacRumors, Apple said that the DMA has reduced privacy and security without the outcomes...

Apple recently sent a letter to the European Commission (EC), criticizing recent inquiries into whether the App Store complies with the Digital Services Act (DSA) amid the separate Digital Markets Act requirements that Apple has been required to put in place. The Commission asked Apple for information on how it locates fraudulent content, what it does to reduce the risk of financial scams in ...

Apple on Tuesday released the first beta of iOS 26.2 to developers, and it appears that the software will allow users in Japan to install alternative app marketplaces on their devices when it is released to the public in December. According to a post shared on X by @Tzzlala, iPhones running the beta in Japan are able to install alternative app stores like AltStore PAL and Epic Games, and...

Apple launched a new App Store on the web today, allowing users to browse through and search for apps across all of its platforms. The updated apps.apple.com site provides a drop down for each platform, and it includes the Today section with app and game recommendations, categories, and Apple Arcade titles. There is a search interface for looking up a specific app, and clicking on...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...