App Store (Apple) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
App Store

Screenshot of the App Store on iOS
Developer(s)	Apple
Initial release	July 10, 2008; 16 years ago (July 10, 2008)
Operating system	iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and VisionOS
Type	Digital distribution and software update

The App Store is a special online shop for apps made by Apple. It's where you can find and download apps for your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. Some apps can even work on your Apple Watch or Apple TV.

The App Store first opened on July 10, 2008. It started with 500 apps. By 2017, there were about 2.2 million apps. Apple later removed some old apps. As of 2021, the store has over 1.8 million apps.

Apple says the App Store helps create many jobs. They also say they have paid developers over $155 billion. However, some people think Apple has too much control over apps. They also think Apple's 30% share of app sales is too high. For example, in 2021, a group in the Netherlands said Apple's fees were unfair. They asked Apple to change its rules for in-app payments.

How did the App Store start?

Download on the App Store badge as of 2017

When the first iPhone was being made, Apple's boss, Steve Jobs, didn't plan for outside people to make apps. He wanted them to make simple web pages that worked like apps. But many developers wanted to create real apps. So, in 2007, Steve Jobs announced that Apple would let developers build apps. The tools for making apps came out in March 2008.

The iPhone App Store opened on July 10, 2008. The next day, the iPhone 3G came out with the App Store already on it. At first, apps were either free or cost money. In 2009, Apple added "in-app purchases." This meant you could download an app for free, but then buy extra things inside the app. This quickly became a popular way for apps, especially games, to make money.

After the App Store became very popular, other companies also made their own "app stores." Apple tried to trademark the name "App Store." But a judge said that the name was too common. The word "app" itself became very popular. In 2011, it was even named the "Word of the Year."

In 2010, Apple also launched the Mac App Store. This was for apps on their Mac computers.

What's new with the App Store?

In 2013, Apple added a "Kids" section to the App Store. This section helps parents find apps for different age groups.

Around 2016, some people thought that apps were not as exciting anymore. They said it was hard to find new apps. Also, many people weren't downloading as many new apps as before.

To help people find apps, Apple started letting developers buy ads. These ads show up at the top of search results. They are based on what you search for, not on your personal information. Apple later made it easier for developers to reply to customer reviews. This helped developers talk directly with users.

In September 2017, the App Store got a big new look with iOS 11. It became more colorful and focused on showing daily highlights and stories about apps.

In December 2017, Apple let developers offer apps for "pre-order." This meant you could see an app in the store and order it before it was officially released.

The App Store had a record-breaking holiday season in late 2017. Customers spent over $890 million in one week. On New Year's Day 2018 alone, they spent $300 million.

In 2019, Apple launched Apple Arcade. This is a special service where you pay a monthly fee to play many games without ads or extra purchases.

In 2020, Apple made "Sign in with Apple" a must-have for many apps. This feature lets you sign into apps using your Apple ID, which helps protect your privacy.

Some companies and governments have criticized Apple's App Store rules. They say Apple has too much control. In 2020, Apple started a "Small Business Program." This program lowers Apple's fee from 30% to 15% for smaller app developers.

In 2022, Apple added "unlisted apps." These apps can only be found if you have a direct link. They don't show up in search results. Later in 2022, Apple started to prepare for allowing other app stores on iPhones in Europe. This is because of a new law called the Digital Markets Act.

In January 2024, Apple allowed game streaming apps like Xbox Cloud Streaming on the App Store. They also let iPhone users in the European Union use other app stores and web browsers.

How are apps made and how do they make money?

Making apps with iOS SDK

The iOS SDK (Software Development Kit) is a free tool that helps people make apps for Apple devices. You need a Mac computer to use it. The SDK gives developers access to many features of iPhones and iPads. It also has a special "simulator" that lets developers test their apps on a computer. To put apps on the App Store, developers need to join the Apple Developer Program. This costs money each year.

Developers use the iOS SDK with a program called Xcode. They write apps using special computer languages like Swift and Objective-C.

How do apps make money?

To put an app on the App Store, developers usually pay a $99 yearly fee. But Apple has waived this fee for some non-profit groups and governments.

Developers have different ways to make money from their apps:

• Free Model: The app is completely free. This helps many people download it.
• Freemium Model: The app is free to download, but you can buy extra features inside the app.
• Subscription Model: You pay a regular fee (like monthly or yearly) to use the app.
• Paid Model: You pay to download the app itself. There are no extra purchases inside.

Apple usually takes 30% of the money made from apps and in-app purchases. The developer gets 70%. But if a user subscribes to an app for more than a year, Apple's share drops to 15%.

In 2016, China became Apple's biggest market for App Store money. Chinese users spent $1.7 billion on apps in three months.

By 2017, the App Store had made over $70 billion for developers since it started. By 2020, this amount grew to $155 billion.

Apps for Apple TV

The App Store is also on tvOS, which is the system for the Apple TV. It was launched in 2015 with the 4th generation Apple TV. Developers can make apps for Apple TV using the same tools as for iPhones. They just need to make a few changes for the bigger TV screen.

How many apps are there?

When the App Store opened in 2008, it had 500 apps. In the first weekend, 10 million apps were downloaded! By September 2008, there were 3,000 apps and 100 million downloads.

App Store app availability has increased in line with downloads over time.

Over the years, the number of apps grew a lot. It passed milestones like 50,000, 100,000, and even 1 million apps. The billionth app was downloaded in April 2009.

In 2017, the number of apps went down a little. This was because Apple started removing old apps that didn't follow their rules anymore. As of 2020, there were about 1.8 million apps.

Apps for iPad

When the iPad came out in 2010, it had about 3,000 apps made just for it. By July 2011, there were over 100,000 iPad-specific apps.

Most popular apps

Apple shares lists of the most downloaded apps each year.

Top apps each year

Most downloaded apps ever

These are the most downloaded apps and games of all time from 2010 to 2018.

App ratings

Apple gives ratings to apps based on their content. This helps users know if an app is right for their age. You can even block certain apps in your iPhone's settings. Here are the ratings:

Symbol	Rating	Description
	4+	This app is okay for everyone. It has no bad content. Made for Ages 5 and Under: Good for kids 5 and younger, but older people can use it too. Made for Ages 6 to 8: Good for kids 6 to 8, but older people can use it too.
	9+	This app might have a little bit of cartoon or fantasy fighting. It might not be good for kids under 9. Made for Ages 9 to 11: Good for kids 9 to 11, but older people can use it too.
	12+	This app might have more fighting (cartoon, fantasy, or realistic). It might not be good for kids under 12.
	17+	This app has content that is not good for people under 17. This includes apps that let you browse the internet freely. If you are 16 or younger, you cannot buy apps with this rating.
	No Rating	These apps cannot be bought on the App Store. All apps need a rating to make sure they are safe for children.

How apps get approved

Every app has to be approved by Apple before it can be on the App Store. Apple checks apps for problems and makes sure they follow the rules. If an app is not approved, developers can sometimes share it in other ways.

In 2017, Apple changed its rules for app reviews. Developers can no longer ask users to leave reviews in a special way. Also, when an app is updated, developers can choose to keep old reviews or start fresh. Another update lets users "tip" content creators by sending them money if they choose.

Privacy on the App Store

In 2019, a study found that some apps shared users' personal information without them knowing. This included phone numbers, emails, and exact locations. This information was sent to many marketing and data companies.

Apple responded by adding "privacy nutrition labels" to the App Store. Now, all apps must clearly show what kind of data they collect and how they use it. This helps users understand their privacy better.

Removing apps from the store

On September 1, 2016, Apple announced they would remove old apps. These were apps that didn't work well or didn't follow the rules. Developers were given 30 days to update their apps. Apps that crashed right away were removed immediately. Also, app names could not be longer than 50 characters. This was to stop developers from adding many words to their app names to get more searches. In October 2016, Apple removed 47,300 apps. This was a big increase from before.

In 2017, Apple started removing apps that copied popular apps. For example, if a game like Flappy Bird was popular, many similar games would appear. Apple also removed music apps that shared pirated (illegal) music. Since September 2016, Apple has removed hundreds of thousands of apps.

In December 2017, Apple made new rules about apps made using "templates." These are apps created quickly using pre-made designs. Many small businesses, like local restaurants or churches, use these templates because they are cheaper. The new rules caused problems for these businesses. Some companies even had to close down. People like Congressman Ted Lieu asked Apple to rethink these rules. Apple later clarified that businesses can use template apps if they publish them directly themselves.

App removal by governments

Sometimes, governments ask Apple to remove certain apps from the App Store in their country.

China

In January 2017, Apple removed The New York Times app from the Chinese App Store. The Chinese government said the app broke local rules. Apple said they follow the laws in every country they do business in. Later, Apple also removed apps that helped people get around China's internet filters, like virtual private network (VPN) apps. They also removed some internet calling apps like Skype.

In December 2017, Apple's CEO Tim Cook attended a conference in China. Some people criticized him for this, saying Apple was supporting China's strict internet rules. Cook said he hoped the removed apps would come back. But critics said Apple had removed many more apps than just a "couple."

In October 2019, Apple removed an app used by people in the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests.

In December 2020, Apple removed thousands of video game apps in China. This was because of new rules that required games to have a government license. Some groups said Apple removed apps related to human rights issues.

In August 2023, Apple removed over 100 AI (Artificial Intelligence) apps in China. This was at the request of the Chinese government. Starting in September 2023, all new apps in China must have a government license. Older apps need a license by March 2024.

Russia

Before the 2021 Russian legislative election, Apple removed the Smart Voting app from the App Store in Russia. This app was made by supporters of Alexei Navalny, a Russian opposition leader. It gave voting advice. Apple also turned off a privacy feature called iCloud Private Relay in Russia. Many people saw these actions as political censorship.

Removal of vaping apps

In November 2019, Apple removed all apps related to vaping from the App Store. They did this because health experts warned about the dangers of e-cigarette use. Apple wanted to help reduce the promotion of vaping.

Fair competition concerns

Apple has faced criticism and lawsuits. Some people say that Apple's control over the App Store is too strong. They argue that it stops other companies from competing fairly.

Epic Games

Epic Games, the company that makes the game Fortnite, had a big disagreement with Apple. Since 2017, Tim Sweeney, the head of Epic Games, questioned why app stores take a 30% cut of sales. He thought 8% would be enough.

On August 13, 2020, Epic Games offered a discount on "V-Bucks" (in-game money) in Fortnite if players bought them directly from Epic. This meant players could bypass Apple's payment system. Apple quickly removed Fortnite from the App Store. Apple said Epic broke their rules by not using Apple's payment system.

Epic Games then sued Apple. They said Apple was acting unfairly and stopping competition. Epic didn't ask for money. Instead, they wanted Apple to allow other ways to pay and other app stores. Tim Sweeney said they were fighting for users to choose where they get apps and for developers to sell apps directly.

Apple responded by saying they would close Epic's developer accounts. This would stop Epic from updating their Unreal Engine, which many other game developers use. A court allowed Apple to keep Fortnite off the App Store for a while. But the court stopped Apple from closing Epic's developer accounts. The judge said closing the accounts could hurt the gaming industry.

See Also

In Spanish: App Store (iOS) para niños

• List of free and open-source iOS applications
• List of iOS games
• List of mobile app distribution platforms