Apple has now announced a handful of changes to the App Store. The reason for this appears to be a class action lawsuit filed by US developers. For example, the company allows developers to communicate about alternative payment solutions outside of their applications.
The class action lawsuit in question was first filed in 2019. This is not the Epic vs. Apple case, but a lawsuit by small developers against Cupertino. The newly announced changes naturally apply to all developers in the App Store - i.e. worldwide. A particularly interesting change to the rules can be found in the area of communication. According to Apple, developers will be allowed to contact their users in the future and inform them about alternative payment methods.
App Store Changes: In-App Communication Remains Unaffected
This means that a company or developer can send users an email with their consent to inform them about the subscription outside of the App Store. However, the change does not affect in-app communication. This means that developers are still not allowed to inform users within the app about prices or subscription options that are available elsewhere. Below we list the highlights from Apple's press release on:
- Apple and developers have agreed to keep the App Store Small Business program in its current structure for at least the next three years.
- App Store Search has always been about making it easy for users to find the apps they're looking for. At the request of developers, Apple has agreed that search results will continue to be based on objective characteristics such as downloads, star ratings, text relevance, and user behavior signals. The agreement will maintain the current App Store Search system for at least the next three years.
- Apple will also expand the number of price points available to developers for subscriptions, in-app purchases, and paid apps from fewer than 100 to more than 500. Developers will still be able to set their own prices.
- Apple will maintain the option for developers to appeal the rejection of an app based on perceived unfair treatment, a process that continues to prove successful. Apple has agreed to add content to the App Review website to help developers understand how the appeals process works.
- Over the past few years, Apple has provided a lot of new information about the App Store on apple.com. Apple has agreed to use this data to create an annual transparency report that will share meaningful statistics about the app review process, including the number of apps rejected for various reasons, the number of customer and developer accounts deactivated, objective data on search queries and results, and the number of apps removed from the App Store.
aid fund for small developers
As part of the announcement, Apple also announced the Small Developer Assistance Fund, which will pay between $250 and $30,000 to developers earning less than $1 million per year on the App Store. The amounts vary based on the developer's "historical participation in the App Store ecosystem." Only developers in the United States are eligible for this program. (Photo by bigtunaonline / Bigstockphoto)
