Mobile menu toggle

App Store - page 34

Apple slashes commissions for App Store referrals

By

App Store
Apple is cut affiliates' pay.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has decided to lower the amount of money it pays affiliate who funnel customers to buy apps and in-app purchases from the iOS App Store.

In an email update sent out today to members of its affiliates program, Apple says its cutting commission rates by more than half, leaving companies and websites with less money from what can be a valuable revenue stream.

Siri can now read out your WhatsApp messages

By

WhatsApp
You’ll need a new iPhone if you can’t update to iOS 8 or later.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

The latest WhatsApp update adds the ability to have Siri read aloud your WhatsApp messages.

You can also use the virtual assistant to compose and send replies, so urgent conversations can continue while you’re busy or driving, and you don’t even need to touch your iPhone.

Why Uber’s rule-breaking app tactics got Tim Cook so upset

By

How much would you pay for lunch with Tim Cook? Photo: Apple
Tim Cook threatened to ban Uber from the App Store.
Photo: Apple

Tim Cook dressed down Uber CEO Travis Kalanick — and even threatened to boot Uber out of the App Store — for violating Apple’s privacy rules, claims a new report.

Uber broke iOS privacy laws in an attempt to crack down on a certain kind of fraud in China, in which some drivers would earn incentives by booking fake rides on iPhones, which they then wiped. This allowed them to earn more money.

Get Me Outta Here, Sky Guide, and other awesome apps of the week

By

Awesome Apps
'Appy weekend everyone!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Awesome Apps

Want to find out which apps were gracing our Apple devices this week? Check our list below.

From a great piratical RPG to an… erm, naked selfie sharing app, here are the apps that occupied our time over the past seven days. There’s simply no better way to spend the remainder of your weekend.

Apple makes iWork and iLife apps free for all

By

You no longer need to buy a new Mac to get GarageBand for free.
You no longer need to buy a new Mac to get GarageBand for free.
Photo: Apple

The best apps made by Apple for iPhone and iPad are finally available for free to all users.

As part of an update to its iWork and iLife apps this morning, Apple changed the price for both the Mac and iOS versions, giving customers access to a suite of apps that can be used for music and video or getting work done.

Instagram now lets you save photos into collections

By

Instagram now has more than 600 million users.
Photos can now be grouped into collections.
Photo: Instagram

Keeping tabs on all your favorite Instagram posts just got a lot easier today, thanks to a new update that adds a new ‘Saved’ section.

Instagram’s new update lets users create Pinterest-like collections based off of posts from other users. However, unlike Pinterest only you can see the collections. For now.

Cuzzle, Clips, and other awesome apps of the week

By

Awesome Apps
'Appy weekend everyone!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

If you’re looking to unwind this fine Sunday by sampling the latest App Store delectables for your iPhone or iPad, look no further: Cult of Mac has your hookup!

Whether you’re seeking a fun party game, a great minimalist puzzler, or Apple’s new video and photo-sharing Clips app, we’ve got what you’re searching for.

Check out our picks below. You won’t be disappointed.

Pebble update ensures your watch will work when services die

By

Pebble might be dead, but your watch isn't.
Pebble might be dead, but your watch isn't.
Photo: Pebble

The original smartwatch maker is closing down after being acquired by Fitbit, but your Pebble watch will continue to work after all of its services are dead.

With its final update, Pebble has eliminated any reliance on online servers, ensuring your wearable will continue to function as normal when connected to your smartphone.

Microsoft launches new social networking app for iMessage

By

Get your friends organized with 'Who's In'
Get your friends organized with 'Who's In'
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft is dipping its toes back into the social game with a brand new app for iOS users that aims to make it easier than ever to organize group events.

The app is called “Who’s In” only instead of launching as a standalone iPhone or iPad app, Microsoft’s new software can only be accessed via iMessage.

Apple issues refunds for recent Workflow app purchases

By

wofkflow
Workflow is now completely free to download.
Photo: Workflow

Apple has begun issuing refunds to users who recently purchased the Workflow app for iOS following its acquisition of the company that created it.

Workflow was recently priced at $2.99 in the App Store, but Apple made it free to download as soon as it claimed ownership of DeskConnect, Inc.

Beware phone scammers who warn of iCloud hack

By

Hacker who tried to extort Apple for $100k is spared prison
Hacker who tried to extort Apple for $100k is spared prison
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Got a call from “Apple Support” to say your iCloud account was hacked? Hang up and ignore it.

Phone scammers are calling unsuspecting iPhone and iPad users and trying to trick them into handing over their iCloud account details. Once they have them, they can purchase whatever they want, and it’s you who foots the bill.

Total Android app revenue could surpass iOS this year

By

The Apple brand is the big difference.
Numbers are tipping in Android's direction. Kind of.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

The iOS App Store is expected to remain the most lucrative app store around for at least the next five years, but according to a new report Google Play and various third-party Android stores are likely to overtake it in total revenue as early as this year.

The insight comes from app analysis company App Annie, which suggests that total worldwide mobile app store downloads will exceed 352 billion in 2021, while gross consumer spend across all app stores will surpass $139 billion.

Google Calendar finally arrives on iPad

By

GoogleCalendar
You can now get Google Calendar on your iPad.
Photo: Google

One of the most popular digital calendar services is the world is finally coming to iPad.

Google revealed today that its Google Calendar app for iPad is officially ready for download, bringing all of the popular Calendar features from the web to Apple’s tablet.

Devs no longer allowed to mention prices in app titles

By

App Store
It’s gone!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iOS and macOS developers are no longer allowed to mention price information in app titles.

Apple has previously discouraged users from including words like “free” in their App Store titles. Now the company has instigated a complete ban, and developers who don’t comply with its new rule will see their submissions rejected.

Death Road to Canada, and other awesome apps of the week

By

Awesome Apps
'Appy weekend everyone!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Somehow it’s the weekend again already, and to help you celebrate we’ve combed through the week’s best apps to help you sort the wheat from the chaff.

Whether it’s a great retro-style zombie game or a superb productivity app gone free you’re looking for, we’re confident we’ve got what you’re hankering after!

Check out our list below.

I can’t wait to reply to App Store reviews in iOS 10.3

By

App Store reviews can make or break an app
App Store reviews can make or break an app. Soon, developers will get a chance to answer their critics.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

I’m not so thin-skinned that I can’t handle the occasional criticism. But there’s something about App Store reviews that really bugs me.

Like most indie developers, I put blood, sweat and tears into my app, Reps & Sets, which I develop with my partner. It’s our baby, and we love and cherish it. So when some random dude posts an inaccurate one-star review, I’ll be honest: It hurts. That’s why I’m so excited that Apple will be giving developers the chance to reply to reviews in iOS 10.3.

Apple acquires popular iOS automation app Workflow

By

Workflow is now an Apple app.
Workflow is now an Apple app.
Photo: Workflow

Apple has completed a deal to acquire Workflow, the popular utility app for iPhone and iPad.

It’s unclear exactly how much the Cupertino company paid, though it was reportedly “a solid payday” for the team behind the app, which includes former iPhone jailbreaker Ari Weinstein.

Top iOS apps see sudden drop off on App Store charts

By

iPhone SE next gen
Staying visible on the App Store is tough.
Photo: Sam Mills/Cult of Mac

Scoring the No. 1 app on iOS doesn’t guarantee developers an extended stay on the App Store charts, according to a new study that found the shelf life for top apps is surprisingly short.

How to pick the perfect frame on iPhone Live Photos

By

Live Photos are magical.
Live Photos are magical.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone’s Live Photos feature is one of the funnest innovations Apple’s brought to photography. There’s just one annoying problem with the moving pictures: you can’t choose which frame it uses for the final image.

Thanks to a third-party app there’s finally a way to do just that, making Live Photos more versatile than ever.

ABC News brings multi-streaming viewing to Apple TV

By

Overload your brain with news.
Overload your brain with news.
Photo: TechCrunch

Getting your news fix without watching hours of talking heads can be a challenge now in the digital era. To help viewers out, ABC News is giving Apple TV owners a new feature that lets you watch multiple streams at once.

App Store finally gives indie games the spotlight they deserve

By

Mac App Store
The email app BlueMail finds itself on the outside of the "closed garden."
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

After a big indie game promotion over the past week, Apple has given titles from independent developers their very own spot in the App Store. And it’s about time, too!

The new section will make it easier for shoppers to find new titles from smaller studios, while developers will benefit from greater coverage. It won’t be quite as easy for the latest releases to be drowned out by bigger titles from gaming giants.

Developers lose interest in iMessage apps

By

Messages iOS 10
iMessage got some huge upgrades in iOS 10.
Photo: Apple

The popularity of iMessage apps is already starting to diminish, less than a year after their debut.

iMessage apps have been the hottest new feature on iPhones since iOS 10 introduced them last year. But new data from analytics firm Sensor Tower shows that excitement for the new apps is already starting to fade among developers.

iOS 11 might make 200,000 apps obsolete

By

iPhone 7 in hand
Some of your favorite old games might get booted from iOS.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s decision to drop support for 32-bit apps in iOS 11 later this year could kill about 187,000 apps, based on a new report that shows some old apps have been slow to catch up.

Analytics firm Sensor Tower estimates about 8% of all apps on the App Store will become obsolete. That small percentage may sound insignificant, but old games might be impacted the most.

It’s not just you, iCloud is down now for some users

By

icloud-music-library-itunes-match
iCloud is down.
Photo: Apple

Are you having a hard time backing up files to iCloud or listening to songs on Apple Music? You’re not alone.

It appears that Apple’s iCloud services are currently impacted by a major Amazon web services outage that has crippled the internet on the East Coast. It’s unclear what is causing the problem but Apple says only 0.04 percent of users are effected by “slower than normal performance.”

Here are all the Apple services that are down:

Turmoil, Castro 2, and other awesome apps of the week

By

Awesome Apps
'Appy weekend everyone!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

From a great update for an already fantastic iPhone keyboard to a couple of tremendous iOS games that’ll keep you busy on the subway to work, we’ve sifted through this week’s most exciting apps to bring you the ones you absolutely need to download now.

Check out our picks below. Trust us, this is the way you want to spend Sunday!