Apple has an App Store problem

I’m well invested in the Apple ecosystem. I thoroughly enjoy using Apple’s product and how seamless they work with each other. Working across a Mac, iPad, and iPhone couldn’t be more pleasant. The latest versions of macOS, iOS, and iPadOS have also been great for me; I haven’t run into major issues with the latest updates.

As a developer, I’ve had relatively great experiences with Apple, too. The Xcode IDE, along with the Swift language, work really well, and it’s been fun creating apps for the platforms I enjoy using as a consumer. I did hit some snags in the process of the submitting to the App Store, but the experience has generally been pleasant.

Important: I’ve updated my views on sideloading and the Digital Markets Act. I recommend you read my most recent blog post on this topic before continuing.

However, Apple’s latest behaviors in defending one of its strong suits, the App Store, has been leaving a sour taste in my mouth. While I still love the App Store and the tight, closed ecosystem I reside in, these glaring behaviors still deserve the criticism they should get. Their latest actions today pertaining to pulling old titles is no exception; though I do believe there can be a potential problem with iOS abandonware, their current strategy isn’t the way to do it. I already described this in detail with my earlier post, but something needs to be done about it.

While I am personally against the general idea of sideloading on iOS, the App Store still has flaws that need to be addressed. FlickType developer Kosta Eleftheriou has already demonstrated where the curated human process fails (repeatedly), showing scam apps, malware, etc. that exist on the App Store today. While I can be more forgiving of the process, I do agree that the process needs revisions to be more vigilant of these apps.

Furthermore, the App Store Review Guidelines ought to be more explicitly defined. I recently had an experience where the guidelines were unclear, causing the App Store Review team to arbitrarily reject a beta version of one of my apps on TestFlight. They were generous enough to tell me what caused the violation (in my case, signing in via a web browser), but the guideline itself did not explicitly state I needed to implement authentication in-app. I did make the revision, and they accepted it, but the guidelines should be more clear about it from the start to avoid this from happening in the future.

Apple has changed the App Store, such as the Small Business Program and the policy that forbids blocking critical updates. However, they’ll need to do more to ensure a fair experience for both consumers and developers. I don’t fully agree with the Digital Markets act being the solution, but it is addressing the problem.

If I were to control the App Store, I would likely make the following changes:

• First, I would re-architect the App Store to function more like a package manager as seen in various Linux distributions. Apple can have its own “channel” as the primary one, but other providers such as Epic Games can make their own channels that plug into the App Store. Those providers can enforce their own guidelines, and Apple would take a smaller cut from these channels (let’s say 5-10%). This would also allow the provider to have custom revenue splits. The “channels” approach would be beneficial to both the consumer (still only one approved place to get apps) and the developers (allows for greater flexibility). I have realized this first point contradicts my personal feelings regarding the Digital Markets Act and other opinions…
• Second, I would revise the guidelines to be as transparent to the developer as possible. Clear communication and transparency are key to ensuring that there are fewer mishaps in entry.
• Finally, I propose changes to the review process that account for scam apps and malware. For example, if an app has been approved and users are reporting that the app is a scam, a post-submission review should take place. These changes should be made hand-in-hand with developers, so that less false positives occur.

I doubt that Apple would implement these changes and instead keep their current stance. Although I don’t entirely agree with the Digital Markets Act, if that’s what it takes to make the App Store a better place, then so be it.