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Apple announces App Store changes in the EU

(9to5mac.com)
76 points saubeidl | 9 comments | 26 Jun 25 19:54 UTC | HN request time: 0.52s | source | bottom
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rekoil ◴[26 Jun 25 20:11 UTC] No.44390818[source]▶

    Developers who opt for tier one will get access to a limited set of mandatory App Store services, including:
    * App distribution and delivery
    * Trust and safety features
    * App management
    [...]
    Developers who opt for tier two will get access to all services provided by the App Store today.
Am I wrong or does it seem like apps in "tier 1" won't even have access to app notification delivery? That's wild...
replies(4): >>44390912 #>>44390943 #>>44391068 #>>44392466 #
lapcat ◴[26 Jun 25 20:25 UTC] No.44390943[source]▶
Here are the new tiers: https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference...

The document says manual updates are included but not automatic updates (which is just a setting in the App Store that I personally disable).

Whether there will be update notifications is unclear. Is that what you meant by "app notification delivery", or something else?

As an App Store developer myself, I would love to have Tier 1 in the United States, mainly due to no user ratings and reviews. I hate them, and I hate trying to solicit them. As far as I'm concerned, ditching ratings & reviews would be a bonus!

replies(2): >>44391005 #>>44394679 #
1. jmole ◴[26 Jun 25 20:30 UTC] No.44391005[source]▶
"No user ratings and reviews" - that just means you rank last in app store search, right?

Apple will do whatever they can to ensure that developers that don't pay will suffer the costs.

replies(4): >>44391049 #>>44391053 #>>44391218 #>>44391532 #
2. jajko ◴[26 Jun 25 20:35 UTC] No.44391049[source]▶
I swear there must be somebody properly petty in higher management of apple to keep coming with these childish moves that harm image of the company as some sort of serious reliable manufacturer.

I guess to each their own

replies(1): >>44391217 #
3. lapcat ◴[26 Jun 25 20:35 UTC] No.44391053[source]▶
Tier 1 has only exact match search.

That's fine with me. All of my empirical evidence over the years suggests that my customers are coming mostly from the outside, and Apple is not bringing me many customers from inside the App Store.

replies(1): >>44391848 #
4. danieldk ◴[26 Jun 25 20:50 UTC] No.44391217[source]▶
Yep, I have been a Mac user since 2007 and iPhone user since 2009. But all the malicious compliance and pettiness has me looking at alternatives (at least for iPhone, since it has good alternatives).

I don't recognize the fun, playful Apple of the 00s and early 10s anymore. Its soul has been replaced.

replies(1): >>44391470 #
5. cyral ◴[26 Jun 25 20:50 UTC] No.44391218[source]▶
This sounds kinda like what they did when they were forced to allow outside payments in the US. It could only be one link, with a big scary warning, and a 27% cut. They "comply" with the ruling by making another alternative deal that nobody would ever take. Fortunately this backfired in the US and they were actually forced to get rid of all the restrictions in May.
6. montagg ◴[26 Jun 25 21:15 UTC] No.44391470{3}[source]▶
“Cook chose poorly.” https://www.theverge.com/apple/659296/apple-failed-complianc...

I think Cook’s time as CEO will be remembered both by enabling massive scale for the most successful consumer product in history—the iPhone—while sacrificing the company’s soul on the alter of efficiency.

7. scottyah ◴[26 Jun 25 21:20 UTC] No.44391532[source]▶
Ratings and reviews cost money to maintain. Anti-spam, compute, distribution, security concerns, etc. Apple should do whatever they can to ensure that developers who aren't paying don't degrade the service for everyone else.
replies(1): >>44393979 #
8. OptionOfT ◴[26 Jun 25 21:51 UTC] No.44391848[source]▶
With the web becoming more fuzzy it has become acceptable to other products when you're searching for a specific brand.

But when I want to buy Grey Poupon Mustard, I don't want to see Heinz etc. If you don't have Grey Poupon, I don't want to see anything.

9. bigyabai ◴[27 Jun 25 05:44 UTC] No.44393979[source]▶
The App Store is already replete with terrible promoted software. Apple made an entire business around degrading the top search results so competitors can bid on less relevant suggestions: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/apple_search_ads