App Store

By MacRumors Staff
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The App Store is Apple's digital software distribution platform for iOS devices. First introduced in 2008, the App Store allows software developers to distribute content that has been created specifically for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. Apps are also available on the Apple Watch through the iOS App Store.

There are well over a million apps in the App Store, and customers have downloaded more than 100 billion apps since the App Store debuted. App Store apps are available with three pricing options: free (and usually supported by ads), free with in-app purchases, or a set cost starting at $0.99 in the US.

In 2010, Apple introduced the Mac App Store for distributing content on Macs, and in 2015, Apple introduced the tvOS App Store, an app store for to the fourth-generation Apple TV.

App Store How Tos

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How to Download Large Apps Over Cellular on iPhone and iPad

Monday February 3, 2020 11:56 am PST by
Apple used to limit the size of App Store downloads over cellular to 150MBs to prevent iPhone users from accidentally downloading a large app over 3G or 4G networks and using up all their data allowance or running up data charges. In May 2019, Apple upped the limit of over-the-air downloads to 200MB, but offered no way to opt out of the limit at the time, leaving users with unlimited data...
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How to Add Funds to Your Apple ID on iPhone and iPad

Monday November 11, 2019 9:38 am PST by
It used to be the case that adding funds to your Apple ID required redeeming an iTunes Gift Card bought from a store, but Apple now lets you use a debit or credit card right on your iPhone or iPad to do the same thing. Adding funds to your Apple ID allows you to make purchases from the iTunes Store, iBooks Store, and App Store on any of your Apple devices. It's easy to add funds to your...
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How to Update Apps in iOS 13

Monday September 16, 2019 5:13 pm PDT by
If you recently updated your iPhone to iOS 13 or your iPad to iPadOS 13 and you can't work out how to manually update your installed apps, then you've come to the right place. Apple has changed the way you update apps in iOS. In earlier versions of its mobile operating system, app updates lived in their own tab in the App Store app, but that has since had to make way for a new Apple Arcade...
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How to Cancel App Store Subscriptions

Wednesday April 4, 2018 1:50 am PDT by
Several TV and music services and other apps offer free trials through the App Store that automatically renew to become paid subscriptions after the trial period ends. If you want to prevent an App Store subscription from running beyond the trial period or cancel a subscription you're currently paying for, then read on. This article explains how to cancel any App Store subscription on iOS,...
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App Store Articles

Tim Cooking

Apple to Soon Take Up to 30% Cut From All Patreon Creators in iOS App

Wednesday January 28, 2026 11:15 am PST by
Apple has set a new deadline of November 1, 2026 for all Patreon creators to switch from Patreon's legacy billing system to the App Store's in-app purchase system in the Patreon app on the iPhone and iPad, as reported by TechCrunch. Note: This image has been edited to include a pile of cash. Patreon is a platform where creators such as YouTubers can receive payments from fans, which can be a...
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App Store Ad Slot

Apple to Show More Ads in App Store Starting in March

Friday January 23, 2026 9:29 am PST by
In an email to developers this week, Apple indicated that it will begin showing additional ads in App Store search results starting Tuesday, March 3. The extra ads will first appear in the App Store in the U.K. and Japan, followed by other markets like the U.S. by the end of March, according to Apple. Apple first announced that it would be expanding the number of ad slots in the App Store ...
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Apple Services 2025

Here's How 2025 Was a 'Record-Breaking Year' Across Apple's Services

Monday January 12, 2026 10:27 am PST by
Apple today announced that 2025 was a "record-breaking year" for many of its services, including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Podcasts. "Apple services had a banner year, rolling out game-changing features for customers while shattering records," said Apple's services chief Eddy Cue, in a press release. "The numbers reflect the incredible enthusiasm of our customers,...
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Apple App Store Awards 2025

Apple to Allow Alternative App Stores and More on iOS in Brazil by April

Tuesday December 23, 2025 7:35 am PST by
Due to regulatory action, Apple has agreed to allow alternative app stores, third-party payment systems for in-app purchases, and in-app links to external offers on iOS in Brazil, according to legal news website MLex and Brazilian blog Tecnoblog. This means that iPhone users in Brazil would gain access to options beyond Apple's App Store, such as the AltStore from Riley Testut and Shane...
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Liquid Glass App Store Feature

App Store Search Results to Show More Ads Next Year, Says Apple

Thursday December 18, 2025 2:49 am PST by
Apple will next year introduce more ads in the App Store "to increase opportunity" in search results, the company has announced. According to an update to Apple's Ads website, additional ads will appear across search queries, appearing at the top as well as further down in App Store results, and existing campaigns won't need to do anything to be eligible. Search is the way most people find...
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'Bluey's Quest for the Gold Pen' Now Available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Friday December 12, 2025 9:36 am PST by
Well-known game developer Halfbrick this week launched Bluey's Quest for the Gold Pen, an iPhone, iPad, and Mac adventure game that's currently exclusive to Apple's platforms. The game was made for children and adults who are fans of the wildly popular Bluey animated series. Like the show, the game features Bluey, an anthropomorphized six-year-old blue heeler puppy, along with her sister...
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Apple Wins Ability to Charge Fees on External Payment Links as Appeals Court Modifies Epic Injunction

Thursday December 11, 2025 12:47 pm PST by
Apple should be able to collect a reasonable commission on purchases made using external links included in iOS apps, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled today (via Reuters). The U.S. Court of Appeals partially reversed sanctions imposed on Apple after Apple was found to have willfully violated an injunction in the ongoing Epic Games vs. Apple legal battle. Since April, Apple has been forced to...
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Apple App Store Awards 2025

Most Downloaded iPhone Apps of 2025: ChatGPT, Threads, and Google

Wednesday December 10, 2025 11:37 am PST by
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...
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iOS App Store General Feature Desaturated

Tim Cook Goes to Washington to Fight App Store Age Verification Legislation

Wednesday December 10, 2025 11:26 am PST by
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...
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iOS App Store General Feature JoeBlue

How Apple is Helping Apps Comply With Australia's Social Media Ban for Kids

Monday December 8, 2025 10:29 am PST by
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,...
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Apple App Store Awards 2025

Apple Announces 2025 App Store Award Winners, Including iPhone App of the Year

Thursday December 4, 2025 6:51 am PST by
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...
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Apple Names 2025 App Store Awards Finalists Across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and More

Wednesday November 19, 2025 6:00 am PST by
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...
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iOS App Store General Feature JoeBlue

Apple Announces App Store Mini Apps Partner Program

Thursday November 13, 2025 8:22 am PST by
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...
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App Store vs EU Feature 2

EU's Digital Markets Act Failed to Lower App Store Prices, Apple-Commissioned Study Says

Wednesday November 12, 2025 8:00 am PST by
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...
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Apple Calls Out EU for Contradictory App Store Rules Under DSA and DMA

Thursday November 6, 2025 3:42 pm PST by
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 ...
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iOS 26

iOS 26.2 to Allow Third-Party App Stores in Japan Ahead of Regulatory Deadline

Wednesday November 5, 2025 4:23 am PST by
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...
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Apple Launches App Store for the Web

Monday November 3, 2025 10:29 am PST by
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...
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Apple Announces Three App Store Updates for Developers

Wednesday October 29, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
Apple today added new features and expanded flexibility to its App Store review process. Developers are now able to submit additional items for review when an existing submission is already under review. Apple has provided several examples of what can be submitted: One or more In-App Events in a separate submission if you have an app version under review. An app version to address a...
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Apple Loses UK Antitrust Lawsuit Over App Store Fees, Faces £1.5 Billion in Damages

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

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