Google appeal rejected in Epic Games app store antitrust case
Tuesday, August 19, 2025 by Russ Scritchfield
https://appdevelopermagazine.com/epic-games-sues-google-for-blocking-app-distribution/Alphabet Inc.'s Google was unsuccessful in its attempt to overturn a federal court ruling that ordered the company to reform its Android app store practices. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a unanimous decision rejecting Google’s claims that the trial j...
Apple app store algorithm revealed
Monday, August 18, 2025 by Austin Harris
Under mounting regulatory pressure from the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple Inc. has made a landmark move by publicly disclosing the internal workings of the App Store’s recommendation algorithm for the first time. The release of the new document, titled “Store Services Tiers,” is being hailed by industry observers as a major tu...
State of AI Apps 2025 report
Thursday, August 14, 2025 by Russ Scritchfield
Sensor Tower has recently published its highly anticipated State of AI Apps 2025 report, providing an in-depth look at the mobile AI ecosystem and digital advertising dynamics for the first half of 2025. This extensive report reveals unprecedented growth in generative AI usage, shifting user demographics, app monetization strategies, and the increasing overlap between m...
Apple age rating update
Monday, August 11, 2025 by Richard Harris
Apple recently announced updates to the age rating system for apps and games available on the App Store. Aimed at improving safety and age-appropriate access for users of all ages, including children, the revised system introduces more granular rating categories and new evaluation criteria.
Apple age rating update in App Store Connect: More detailed rating categories...
iOS fitness app Fitify exposes 138K user private photos
Friday, July 25, 2025 by Austin Harris
Fitify’s publicly accessible Google cloud storage bucket has exposed hundreds of thousands of files. Some of the files were user-uploaded progress pictures that individuals upload to track their body changes over time. After Cybernews contacted the company, the unprotected instance was closed.
iOS fitness app Fitify exposes 138K user private photos: Key takeawa...
Apple browser engine ban persists even under DMA
Monday, July 21, 2025 by Austin Harris
Apple’s rules and technical restrictions are blocking other browser vendors from successfully offering their own engines to users in the EU. At the recent Digital Markets Act (DMA) workshop, Apple claimed it didn’t know why no browser vendor has ported their engine to iOS over the past 15 months. But the reality is Apple knows exactly what the barriers are a...
2025 Swift Student Challenge winners
Tuesday, July 15, 2025 by Brittany Hainzinger
Apple recently spotlighted four young developers among the 350 global winners of its 2025 Swift Student Challenge, an initiative that empowers students to explore the power of coding through creative app playgrounds. Representing the next generation of innovation and driven by personal experiences and local challenges, the selected Distinguished Winners - Taiki Hamamoto...
XView AI to revolutionize golf swing analysis
Saturday, July 12, 2025 by Austin Harris
IdeasLab, an innovator in artificial intelligence that builds disruptive applications around sports, fitness, and human motion, today announced that World Long Drive Champion Martin Borgmeier has officially signed on as a brand ambassador. Renowned for pushing the boundaries of athleticism and performance in golf, Borgmeier will represent XView AI as it redefines the st...
Google app fees lawsuit approved by UK court
Friday, June 20, 2025 by Russ Scritchfield
The Competition Appeal Tribunal (‘CAT’) has made an order certifying a £1 billion legal claim against Google on behalf of UK app developers that have allegedly been overcharged by Google for using its Play Store. The case can now proceed to trial, with thousands of businesses poised to receive compensation for the loss in revenue suffered as a result o...
Subscription management arrives with RevenueCat and Paddle
Tuesday, June 17, 2025 by Brittany Hainzinger
RevenueCat and Paddle have launched a new integration to help developers unify subscriptions across web and mobile.
The integration allows users to purchase subscriptions seamlessly across web and mobile. Developers benefit from unified subscription data across platforms, with Paddle managing web-specific payments and the associated tax and compliance comp...
Apple's WWDC 2025: Innovation for everyone except app developers
Wednesday, June 11, 2025 by Richard Harris
Apple’s WWDC 2025 keynote was a spectacle of contrasts. On one hand, it dazzled developers with a Liquid Glass design aesthetic and a boatload of polished features across iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and more. They even threw in some whimsical flair, from cheeky Formula 1 references to a piano man crooning App Store reviews on stage. It felt like Apple was serenad...
The Great App Purge Googles Quality Overhaul
Wednesday, June 4, 2025 by Richard Harris
In early 2025, the tech world was rocked by a revelation that caught even seasoned app developers off guard: Google’s Play Store had lost nearly half of its apps in the span of just over a year. What seemed at first to be a quiet pruning of low-value software turned out to be a full-blown purge, 47% of apps had vanished. A platform that once boasted the largest ca...
iOS app pre-ordering process guide
Monday, June 2, 2025 by Richard Harris
Pre-ordering apps on the iOS App Store is a powerful tool for developers looking to build excitement and gauge interest before a product's official release. Apple provides a robust system that enables developers to make their apps available for pre-order, allowing users to view the product page, learn about the features, and place a pre-order that automatically down...
2025 Mobile Gaming Report
Friday, May 30, 2025 by Austin Harris
The mobile gaming industry in 2025 is characterized by dynamic growth, evolving monetization models, shifting market geographies, and increasingly sophisticated player engagement strategies. According to Appfigures’ comprehensive analysis of the top 1,000 revenue-generating mobile games across both the App Store and Google Play, the global mobile games market reac...
Apple Ads Search Results Benchmarks Report 2025
Friday, May 30, 2025 by Richard Harris
SplitMetrics’ 2025 Apple Ads Search Results Benchmarks Report, covering performance data from January to December 2024, offers a deep analytical dive into how search results campaigns fared across categories, regions, and timeframes. SplitMetrics, a global software company and certified Apple Ads Partner, used data from its Acquire platform to compile this extensi...
Fortnite returns to iOS
Wednesday, May 28, 2025 by Richard Harris
Fortnite has returned to the iOS App Store in the United States after nearly five years of absence, marking a turning point in the strained relationship between Epic Games and Apple. This reappearance is not just a routine relisting of a popular mobile game, it signifies a dramatic shift in the power struggle between large tech platforms and the developers who rely on t...
iOS sleep app leaked sensitive user information
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 by Austin Harris
An iPhone app designed to combat insomnia, Sleep Journey: Insomnia Helper, exposed tens of thousands of users, revealing their names, alcohol habits, and other private data.
Stress is hardly a cure for insomnia. Meanwhile, an iOS app meant to help users fall asleep could become a headache instead. The Cybernews research team discovered that Sleep Journey: Insomnia He...
Apple charged for illegal app store fees
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 by Austin Harris
The European Commission has recently found that Apple is violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The DMA requires Apple to allow developers to direct customers outside of apps to make purchases and find other app distribution channels without incurring any charges. Apple has been breaking the law by imposing illegal fees, displaying scare screens, and placing restricti...
App marketing for Indie Developers 101
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 by Richard Harris
As an indie app developer, standing out in a crowded digital marketplace can feel akin to navigating a vast, uncharted ocean. We often find ourselves grappling with the dual challenges of creating innovative apps while simultaneously trying to master the art of marketing them. Yet, despite the odds, there are strategies and tools that can help us carve out a niche and t...
Speech pathology app to help with 4 year wait in Australia
Wednesday, January 29, 2025 by Richard Harris
A first-of-its-kind digital solution is transforming how Australian families access critical speech pathology services. Yarn Speech, founded by Oxford-educated speech pathologist Rebecca Keeley, launches at a crucial time when families face wait times of up to four years for essential speech therapy (Speech Pathology Australia, 2023).
"Speech pathology should be...
App marketing for older apps
Wednesday, January 8, 2025 by Richard Harris
App Store Optimization (ASO) is a critical component of app marketing, particularly for older apps that need to regain or maintain market visibility. ASO is more than just keyword optimization; its a holistic approach. It involves multiple levers, including keyword, creative, and engagement optimizations. A comprehensive ASO strategy can significantly enhance an app'...
UK app developers file class action lawsuit against Apple
Thursday, December 19, 2024 by Richard Harris
A class action lawsuit has been launched in the UK against Apple, alleging that the tech giant has abused its dominant position in iOS app distribution to charge excessive commission fees. The case, Ennis v Apple, is being brought to the UK Competition Appeals Tribunal and seeks up to $970 million USD in damages on behalf of UK-based app developers. What you need to kn...
Apple lawsuit filed by UK developers
Tuesday, December 10, 2024 by Austin Harris
A leading competition law expert pursuing a class action lawsuit against Apple on behalf of UK app developers has been told his case can go ahead, with the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) certifying his claim for £785m (just over one billion US dollars) on behalf of UK app developers. Today, the CAT made the collective proceedings order, confirming it...
Emerging features to consider for mobile app development
Wednesday, November 13, 2024 by Richard Harris
In an era where mobile applications are ubiquitous, with a staggering 8.93 million apps vying for attention across various app stores, distinguishing your app from the competition is paramount. While aesthetics undoubtedly play a role in user attraction, it is the functionality and features of an app that truly captivate and retain users. Whether you are embarking on yo...
Epic Games sues Google for blocking app distribution
Tuesday, October 29, 2024 by Russ Scritchfield
Epic Games has filed a court case against Google and Samsung, accusing them of colluding to block competition in app distribution on Samsung devices through the implementation of Samsung’s Auto Blocker feature. According to Epic, Auto Blocker is part of a series of agreements between Google and Samsung that prevents competition and strengthens Google’s monop...
Google appeals Epic Games verdict
Wednesday, October 23, 2024 by Richard Harris
Google has announced its intention to appeal the recent court decision related to its ongoing legal proceedings with Epic Games. The ruling, which mandates changes to Android and Google Play at Epic’s request, raises significant concerns regarding consumer privacy, security, and competition in the mobile ecosystem. As part of the appeal, Google plans to ask the co...
Truth Social TV streaming app now available for iPhones and Apple TV
Tuesday, October 22, 2024 by Austin Harris
Trump Media & Technology Group (Nasdaq: DJT) ("TMTG" or the "Company"), operator of the social media platform Truth Social, recently announced that it has successfully launched an app for iOS mobile devices and for Apple TVs to access the Truth+ streaming platform.
Now available in the Apple App Store for iOS and the App Store on Apple TV...
Mobile App Development Market report findings
Friday, September 20, 2024 by Russ Scritchfield
Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Mobile App Development Market by Platform (IOS, Android and Windows), by Store Type (Google Store, Apple Store and Others), and Application (BFSI, Gaming, Retail, Airline, Media & Entertainment, Education, Transport, Hotels & Restaurants and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Foreca...
iOS Market Insights for EU
Wednesday, September 18, 2024 by Richard Harris
MacPaw released its new report, "iOS Market Insights for EU." The study, conducted by MacPaw’s alternative app marketplace Setapp Mobile, surveyed over 1,200 iOS users across various European Union countries, including France, Germany, and Spain.
iOS Market Insights report by MacPaw, reveals 80% of EU iOS users are open to third-party app stores
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Mobile games are main income for developers
Monday, September 16, 2024 by Richard Harris
Mobile games continue to be the primary source of income for mobile app developers. According to the numbers presented by NoKyc.com, mobile games are expected to account for 52.2% of all downloads in both major app stores in 2024.
Mobile users are expected to download 150.4 billion games in 2024
Mobile phone users are more likely to download games than a...
iOS 18 developers need to know this
Friday, September 13, 2024 by Richard Harris
First things first, let's talk about what's new in iOS 18. Apple has packed this release with a plethora of features that will make your apps more powerful, efficient, and user-friendly. Here are some of the highlights:
iOS 18 developers need to know: The essentials
1. Enhanced Privacy Features: Apple continues its crusade for user privacy with new to...
Apps that use icons gain users
Wednesday, September 11, 2024 by Austin Harris
New research from SplitMetrics has found that apps that optimize icons can land up to 25% more users. The findings are part of a new report, ASO Benchmarks & Mobile Trends Report 2024, which analysed close to 200 apps and over 3500 A/B tests across Google Play and the Apple App Store.
Apps that use icons gain users
The study found that the average mobile ...
Epic Games Store launched on mobile
Friday, September 6, 2024 by Richard Harris
The Epic Games Store is now available for download on iPhones in the European Union and on Android devices worldwide. The store is launching with Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe and the all-new Fall Guys for mobile, and we are working to enable all developers to launch their games and apps through the Epic Games Store in the future. We are also bringing our games to i...
Paris 2024 Olympic apps ask for dangerous permissions
Monday, August 12, 2024 by Austin Harris
As Paris city attracted a large number of sports tourists, the apps for the Olympic Games 2024 are tracking them, extracting private data, and peddling it to advertisers and big tech.
According to a report from the Cybernews research team, which selected 12 Android apps relevant to the Olympic Games attendees in Paris and tested their permissions, the apps designed t...
Geospatial mapping system TrueView GO lands from GeoCue
Wednesday, August 7, 2024 by Austin Harris
GeoCue, a provider of geospatial solutions, recently announced the addition of the TrueView GO to its innovative product lineup, which includes TrueView drone and mobile mapping systems as well as LP360 3D point cloud software. This latest release marks GeoCue's entry into the handheld mapping arena, setting a new standard for portable, high-precision geos...
