Apple plans to upgrade search capabilities with ‘Pegasus’

Apple is reportedly looking to integrate its "Pegasus" internal search engine into the App Store and other applications.

The report comes via Apple insider Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter for Bloomberg.

Apple's venture into advanced search technology began with the introduction of upgrades to its Spotlight search feature in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14. This enhanced feature enabled users to search for web results, documents, and surface details from...

2 October 2023 | App Stores

US Supreme Court upholds ‘anti-steering’ App Store rules

In a pivotal decision, the US Supreme Court has ruled that Apple can maintain its current "anti-steering" rules within the App Store while its legal feud with Epic Games continues.

The decision, reported by Bloomberg Law, marks a significant development in the ongoing clash between the two industry giants.

At the heart of the matter are Apple's anti-steering rules, which prohibit app developers from redirecting users to external purchasing platforms for digital goods,...

10 August 2023 | App Stores

Apple will require developers to explain their API use

In an effort to bolster user privacy and crack down on fingerprinting, Apple has announced that developers will soon be required to provide detailed explanations for their app's use of certain APIs before submitting them to the App Store.

The APIs in question are now classified as "required reason APIs," meaning developers must articulate the purpose of these APIs in their apps when submitting them for review. Currently, there are around 30 APIs to which the new rule...

28 July 2023 | App Stores

Developers sue Apple over ‘excessive’ App Store fees

More than 1,500 developers in the UK have banded together to sue Apple, alleging that the tech giant's App Store fees are "excessive" and harmful to both developers and consumers. 

The class-action lawsuit, led by Sean Ennis, a professor at the University of East Anglia Centre for Competition Policy and a former OECD economist, is seeking £785 million (€912 million) in compensation for the affected app creators.

At the core of the legal challenge is Apple's policy of...

25 July 2023 | App Stores

Japan sets its sights on mobile app store monopolies

Japan has joined the growing list of nations pushing for reforms in the mobile ecosystem.

The Japanese government recently held its seventh Digital Market Competition Conference, during which a ‘Competitive Evaluation of Mobile Ecosystems’ report was presented. This report highlighted the critical role mobile ecosystems play in today's digital landscape and emphasised the need for more options and fair competition.

One of the key recommendations of the report is to...

19 June 2023 | Android

Apple and Epic Games ask appeals court to reconsider antitrust case ruling

Apple and Epic Games have requested that an appeals court reconsiders its ruling in the pair’s spat over App Store practices.

The ruling, which upheld a previous order from a California federal court, was the result of a lawsuit Epic Games filed against Apple.

Epic Games accused Apple of imposing unfair requirements on software developers, including high commissions on in-app purchases. 

While the trial judge determined that Apple did not violate US...

9 June 2023 | App Stores

Apple blocked over $2B of fraudulent App Store transactions in 2022

Apple continues to prioritise user safety and security within its App Store ecosystem, reporting that it successfully prevented over $2 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions in 2022.

The company says that it has been intensifying its efforts to reject suspicious apps and ensure that only reliable and trustworthy apps are available to users.

With millions of weekly visitors and over 36 million registered developers, the App Store has become a thriving platform....

17 May 2023 | App Stores

Apple releases Xcode 14.3 with all the latest SDKs

Apple has released Xcode 14.3 to developers, which includes the latest SDKs for iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, tvOS 16.4, watchOS 9.4, and macOS Ventura 13.3.

Xcode enables developers to create apps for Apple platforms such as iOS, macOS, and watchOS. This update allows developers to create apps that are fully compatible with the latest operating systems from Apple.

Apple recently warned that developers will be required to use Xcode 14.1 or later to build and submit their apps...

31 March 2023 | App Stores

Microsoft intends to launch a mobile app store

Microsoft is planning to launch a mobile app store that will compete against the App Store and Play Store.

According to Microsoft’s Xbox head Phil Spencer, Microsoft will take advantage of an upcoming EU law that will break up the monopoly held by the two major smartphone platform holders.

"We want to be in a position to offer Xbox and content from both us and our third-party partners across any screen where somebody would want to play," Spencer told the...

21 March 2023 | Android

iOS 16.4 supports web app notifications

Users will be able to receive push notifications from web apps they’ve added to their homescreens starting with iOS 16.4.

iOS users have been able to add shortcuts for their favourite web apps to their homescreens since 2008. Over the years, Apple has unlocked further capabilities for web apps on iOS—but push notification support has remained a major omission.

As of iOS 16.4, Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) take a big step closer to being able to offer a native app...

17 February 2023 | API