Apple is making a big shift in App Store fees, Duolingo raises more funding and Pfizer releases updated vaccine results. This is your Daily Crunch for November 18, 2020. The big story: Apple cuts App Store fees Apple is cutting the 30% fee it normally charges for App Store transactions to 15% for some developers […]
Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney likens fight against Apple to fight for civil rights
Earlier today, Apple announced it will reduce the App Store commissions for smaller businesses so that developers earning less than $1 million per year pay a 15% commission on in-app purchases, rather than the standard 30% commission. Tim Sweeney, founder of Epic Games, says the move — an apparent reaction to current investigations into Apple […]
This Week in Apps: Antitrust investigation dubs App Store a monopoly, Microsoft adopts ‘app fairness’ rules, pandemic boosts Q3 app revenues
Welcome back to This Week in Apps, the TechCrunch series that recaps the latest OS news, the applications they support and the money that flows through it all. The app industry is as hot as ever, with a record 204 billion downloads and $120 billion in consumer spending in 2019. People are now spending three hours and 40 minutes per day […]
Judge denies Epic’s request to force Apple to bring Fortnite back to App Store
The California judge in the legal skirmish between Epic Games and Apple has denied Epic’s request that Apple be forced to reinstate Fortnite in the App Store, but did affirm that Apple cannot take action against the Epic Games developer accounts used to bring Unreal Engine developers access to Apple devices. The court’s decision re-affirmed […]
Daily Crunch: Reviewing the new Apple Watch
We’ve got an in-depth review of the Apple Watch Series 6, Apple gives Facebook a temporary break on App Store fees and Alexis Ohanian is raising a new fund. This is your Daily Crunch for September 25, 2020. The big story: Reviewing the new Apple Watch Brian Heater has already been writing about the Apple […]
Apple is (temporarily) waiving its App Store fee for Facebook’s online events
Last month, Facebook introduced support for paid online events — and because many of the businesses offering those events have struggled during the coronavirus pandemic, the company also said it would not collect fees for the next year. At the same time, it complained that Apple had “dismissed” its requests to waive the App Store’s […]
App makers band together to fight for App Store changes with new ‘Coalition for App Fairness’
A number of top app makers have banded together to fight against Apple’s control of its App Store and, to a lesser extent, Google’s control of the Play Store — a topic of increased regulatory scrutiny in recent months. Today, 13 app publishers, including Epic Games, Deezer, Basecamp, Tile, Spotify and others, have launched the […]
Top 20 iOS homescreen customization apps reach 5.7M installs after iOS 14 release
The iOS 14 home screen customization trend is driving a new set of apps to the top of the App Store charts, and delivering record downloads for sources of inspiration, like Pinterest. According to new data from app store market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, installs of the top 20 home screen customization apps reached 5.7 […]
Pinterest breaks daily download record due to user interest in iOS 14 design ideas
The excitement around the ability to customize your iPhone home screen following the release of iOS 14 has been paying off for Pinterest. According to new third-party estimates, Pinterest’s app has seen record global daily downloads and a swift climb up the App Store’s Top Charts as users sought out iPhone design inspiration — like […]
Daily Crunch: Apple revises App Store rules
Apple’s making App Store changes, China might stop TikTok’s acquisition and we talk to Polish venture capitalists about the startup scene. This is your Daily Crunch for September 11, 2020. The big story: Apple revises App Store rules Apple announced a bunch of changes to its App Store guidelines today, with details about how it […]
Apple lays out its messy vision for how xCloud and Stadia will work with its App Store rules
Apple laid out some interesting updates to its App Store rules this morning, the most headline-grabbing of which was a section dedicated to cloud gaming platforms like Microsoft’s xCloud and Google’s Stadia. This comes after very public complaints from Microsoft regarding xCloud’s rejection from the App Store, which Apple denied because its App Store rules […]
‘Willful, brazen, and unlawful’: Apple files breach-of-contract countersuit against Epic
Apple has filed a countersuit against Epic over the latter’s attempt to circumvent App Store rules and avoid paying millions in fees. The lawsuit alleges that Epic is deliberately in breach of contract and asks the court to award damages and prohibit Epic from attempting anything like this again. A brief refresher: Epic in mid […]
Apple will now allow developers stuck in App Store jail to push bug fixes to their apps
Apple’s App Store policies have gotten quite a bit more attention in the past few months, and while it seems likely that Apple’s team will fight tooth and nail to avoid dismantling any of the core pillars of their Store economy, the company did announce a small policy change today that will hopefully keep users […]
Apple terminates Epic Games’ App Store account
Epic Games has been removed from Apple’s App Store. If you’ve already downloaded Fortnite to your Mac or iOS device, it should still work, but Epic’s termination means the Fortnite developer will no longer be able to submit new apps or updates. MacStories Managing Editor John Voorhees noted the termination on Twitter, as well as […]
Apple ordered to not block Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, but Fortnite to stay off App Store
A district court denied Epic Games’ motion to temporarily restore the Fortnite game to the iOS App Store, but also ordered Apple to not block the gaming giant’s ability to provide and distribute Unreal Engine on the iPhone-maker’s ecosystem in a mixed-ruling delivered Monday evening. U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said Apple can’t […]
This Week in Apps: Apple’s antitrust war, TikTok ban, alt app ecosystems
We missed some Epic news while This Week in Apps was on vacation, but this week the backlash against the App Store continues.
Apple contends Epic’s ban was a ‘self-inflicted’ prelude to gaming the App Store
Apple has filed legal documents opposing Epic’s attempt to have itself reinstated in the iOS App Store, after having been kicked out last week for flouting its rules. Apple characterizes the entire thing as a “carefully orchestrated, multi-faceted campaign” aimed at circumventing — perhaps permanently — the 30 percent cut it demands for the privilege […]
Daily Crunch: Epic Games escalates legal battle with Apple
The battle between Epic Games and Apple continues, Facebook faces criticism in India and Pinterest appoints its first Black board member. This is your Daily Crunch for August 17, 2020. The big story: Epic Games files injunction against Apple Epic’s legal and PR fight with Apple and its App Store policies seems to be escalating. […]
Epic files an injunction against Apple over threat to revoke all developer access
After taking a stand against Apple’s hefty cut of the money developers make through the App Store, Fortnite maker Epic Games shows no signs of backing down. The company filed an injunction against Apple in the U.S. District Court for California’s Northern District on Monday after it received a letter notifying Epic that its developer […]
Facebook pushes back against Apple’s App Store fees
Facebook joined the growing ranks of companies publicly complaining about the 30% fee that Apple collects on payments made through its App Store. Those complaints came midway through a blog post about the social network’s new feature supporting paid online events. Facebook said that to support struggling businesses, it won’t be collecting any fees on those […]
Daily Crunch: Apple removes Fortnite from the App Store
Epic Games takes on Apple, Instagram fixes a security issue and Impossible Foods raises $200 million. This is your Daily Crunch for August 13, 2020. The big story: Apple removes Fortnite from the App Store The controversy over Apple’s App Store policies has expanded to include Epic Games and its hit title Fortnite. The company […]
Epic Games launches a campaign (and lawsuit) against Apple
Epic Games is launching an all-out campaign against Apple and its App Store rules. Thursday morning, Epic Games introduced a new payment mechanism through a server-side update that allowed gamers to purchase Fortnite’s in-game currency directly, allowing the app to bypass Apple’s in-app purchase framework and the substantial cut that Apple takes. Apple quickly acted […]
Apple boots Fortnite from the App Store after Epic adds direct payments
After its creator Epic Games implemented a workaround to duck Apple’s hefty developer fees, Fortnite has vanished from the App Store. The popular game’s disappearing act came the same day that Epic added a new direct payment option for in-game currency on mobile, offering an enticing 20% discount for players who pay the company for […]
Parental control app Boomerang repeatedly blocked from Play Store, losing business
Apple isn’t the only one accused of kicking out competitive solutions from its App Store. Google did the same — for over a month at least — or so alleges parental control app maker Boomerang. The company’s product competes with Google’s own Family Link solution for controlling screen time and children’s use of mobile devices. […]
Apple’s veteran marketing chief Phil Schiller moves to smaller role inside company
After more than three decades climbing Apple’s ranks, marketing chief Phil Schiller is taking a step back at the company, being replaced by a long-time product marketing leader inside Apple. Schiller is taking on a new role as an Apple Fellow, where he will continue to lead the App Store and the company’s events, a […]
This Week in Apps: A guide to the US antitrust case against Apple, Microsoft in talks to buy TikTok
This week, we’re focused on rounding up the news from the U.S. antitrust investigation into Apple, as it pertains to apps, the App Store and developers.
Apple’s App Store commission structure called into question in antitrust hearing
Apple CEO Tim Cook defended the company’s App Store commission structure in his sworn testimony before the House Antitrust Subcommittee on Wednesday. He claimed the majority of the apps pay no commission at all, with others paying either 15 or 30%, based on the specifics of their particular situation. He said developers were all treated […]
Apple CEO Tim Cook questioned over App Store’s removal of rival screen time apps in antitrust hearing
Last year, Apple removed a number of screen time and parental control apps from its App Store, shortly after the company had released its own first-party screen time solution with the launch of iOS 12. At today’s antitrust hearing, Apple CEO Tim Cook was questioned about the move, given the anti-competitive implications. Shortly after Apple […]
Apple digs in heels over its App Store commission structure with release of new study
Apple today is again taking to the press to fight back against claims of anti-competitive practices on its App Store. Last month, the company detailed the results of a commissioned study that showed how Apple wasn’t receiving a cut of revenue on the majority of App Store transactions — $519 billion in commerce. This time, […]
After numerous rejections, Struck’s dating app for the Co-Star crowd hits the App Store
Founded by former Apple engineers, a new app called Struck wants to be the Tinder for the Co-Star crowd. In other words, it’s an astrology-based matchmaker. But it took close to 10 attempts over several months for the startup to get its app approved by Apple for inclusion in the App Store. In nearly every […]