Apple has responded to a New York Times report, claiming that it has removed various parental control apps from the App Store. Apple allegedly removed apps which offered similar features to its own Screen Time tool.
In response, Apple confirms that it did remove “several” such apps — but says that this was done due to privacy and security risks.
A court in India has lifted its ban on popular video-sharing app TikTok, which resulted in it being temporarily booted from the Indian iOS and Google Play app stores.
The app was ordered removed after accusations that it encouraged pornography and could pose a danger to kids from sexual predators. However, the decision was overturned on Wednesday afer a plea from developers Beijing Bytedance Technology.
Two Saudi sisters who fled the country for the U.S. have renewed attempts to get Apple and Google to delete an “inhuman” tracking app from the App Store. The app, called Absher, allows men to receive alerts about the whereabouts of wives or daughters.
Apple previously said that it was looking into the app to see if concerns were warranted. However, it still remains available in the Saudi version of both the Apple and Google app stores.
Some users report that they are not able to buy new apps or download updates to existing ones through the App Store. This appears to be the result of a bug which locks users in an endless cycle, requesting that they agree to new terms and conditions.
Update: Apple and Google have both removed TikTok as requested. While the app is no longer available for download, those who have previously downloaded it can continue using it.
TikTok, the popular — albeit controversial — Chinese video-sharing app, has run into problems in India. The country’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has reportedly asked Apple and Google to remove the app from their respective app stores.
The issue will be heard in the Supreme Court on April 22, but the app could potentially vanish from stores before then.
A Swedish publisher has accused Apple of acting like a “whimsical feudal lord” in its monopolistic App Store practices.
In an open letter, publishing giant Schibsted says that, while Apple presents itself as being a more ethical company than other tech titans, it “constitutes a threat as big as Facebook and Google.”
Apple is increasingly moving toward subscription-based Services as a major source of income. However, it’s also doing the right thing by making sure that users actually want the subscriptions they’re purchasing — and aren’t just subscribing by accident.
To help cement this, it has added a new step into the App Store subscription process. Before subscribing to an app, users must now confirm a “Confirm Subscription” popup.
Dutch regulators are investigating complaints by developers that Apple promotes its own apps over others in the App Store.
News of the anti-trust probe comes on the heels of Spotify filing a formal antitrust complaint with the European Union.
The monthly YouTube TV subscription fee is going up to $49.99. And it will be even higher for those who pay for this streaming video service via the Apple App Store.
This is apparently YouTube’s way of partially offsetting the cut Apple takes from all subscription fees. And it’s something other companies might emulate.
Apple could be among the companies having to censor certain apps and websites as a result of new proposed U.K. laws. Designed to combat “harmful” content online, the new laws would give censorship power to independent regulators tasked with overseeing apps and websites.
The view of “harmful” content is a broad one, including terrorism, self-harm, hate speech, child abuse, and more. It would mean that the U.K. government could have a say on the content that Apple sells or offers to customers in the United Kingdom.
The number of downloads from Apple’s iOS App Store declined slightly last quarter, according to a report from market analysis firm Morgan Stanley.
However, revenue from iOS software is increasing, up 15 percent year-over-year.
WhatsApp Business for iOS has begun its worldwide rollout.
The new app, which lets businesses connect with their customers in an instant, made its debut on iOS last month — but only in a small number of countries. Now you can get your hands on it anywhere.
Apple may be launching a plethora of new Services, but its established App Store business also continues to boom.
According to new figures released by analytics platform Sensor Tower, the App Store will more than double its revenue by 2023. That would mean bringing in a global revenue of $96 billion, a 104 percent increase over last year’s $47 billion.
Apple has been accused of violating its own App Store guidelines within the new Apple News app.
The Apple News+ signup page is missing a number of important elements that would lead the app to be rejected if it was made by a third-party developer. A former Apple developer says he is surprised the company hasn’t been hit with an “an extremely public lawsuit” for its double standards.
App Store users in a bunch of new countries will now see ads when searching for apps and games.
Apple on Tuesday expanded App Store Search Ads to 46 new territories. Developers can bid to have their titles appear in search results for specific keywords, which brings more attention to their apps.
Another week, another round of great deals on gear and gadgets. This round’s goodies include a premium language learning app, a portable charging hub, a wireless charging stand and a high-end video editor (at a super-low price).
Most of these tech deals are discounted by more than half!
Did you ever update a bunch of apps over a slow connection? Maybe you’re on vacation, saving your cellular data, and you’re running your app updates on the free Wi-Fi in a cool beachside bar? Can you cancel that huge update you don’t need?
Or maybe you just restored your iCloud backup to a brand-new iPhone, and now you’re waiting for all the apps to re-download. Isn’t there a way to make your favorite apps jump to the beginning of the queue?
Well, the answer is yes to both! You just need 3D Touch.
Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab has filed a complaint against Apple, alleging monopolistic behavior in the way it runs the App Store.
“Despite a long history of working successfully with Apple, we believe that this is a necessary step,” the company claims. The complaint comes shortly after Spotify also alleged that Apple was abusing its position.
Music exclusives are nothing unusual when it comes to streaming music services, such as Tidal and Apple Music. But electronic music legend Moby has thought different with his approach to releasing his latest album.
Fans wanting to get hold of Moby’s “Long Ambients 2” can do so only by downloading the Calm meditation app.
Apple has responded to Spotify’s complaint that Apple is being anti-competitive by charging a cut of App Store purchases — including subscriptions.
In an impassioned statement, Apple points out how many jobs have been created through the App Store. This has amounted to payments of “more than $120 billion for developers.” It also criticizes Spotify for wanting to take advantage of the reach that the App Store makes possible, without wanting to give anything back.
Valve today confirmed a big update to its PC game streaming platform that makes desktop games more portable than ever.
Its new Steam Link Anywhere service now lets you enjoy your favorite titles anywhere in the world through the Steam Link app for mobile. But don’t get too excited if you use an iPhone or iPad.
Apple’s strict App Store guidelines mean iOS users remain left out in the cold.
Spotify has filed a legal complaint against Apple for what it believes is anti-competitive behavior.
The music streaming service, like many others, has an issue with the 30 percent cut Apple charges on App Store revenue. Spotify says Apple makes it very difficult to avoid the fee, which makes some services more expensive.
You can now enjoy a 10 percent bonus when you add funds to your App Store or iTunes account.
The offer runs until Thursday, March 14, and is applicable to any amount you add to your account, from $1 to $200. Here’s how to take advantage of it.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s campaign for U.S. president has taken a hard line against big tech, and she has Apple in her sights. On Friday she proposed breaking up a number of large tech firms, and the iPhone-maker made the list.
Now she’s shared more details on why she thinks dividing Apple into at least two parts is necessary.
Senator and presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has proposed breaking up some of the biggest names in tech, including Apple. She says these companies have “bulldozed competition.”
She turned most of her ire on Amazon, Facebook and Google, though.