App Store

Developers can now earn affiliate commission on iTunes sales through their apps

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 18, 2016

Apple has boosted its Affiliate Program that enables website owners to earn commissions on qualifying iTunes sales. Now, the iPhone maker is inviting developers to join the party.

According to an email communique the Cupertino company sent out to the registered iOS developers, makers of iPhone and iPad applications can now earn commissions, too, by promoting paid music, apps, books and other items via iTunes, App Store, iBooks and the Mac App Store affiliate links provided within their apps through the iOS Store Kit Share Sheet.

Jump past the fold for the full reveal...

Apple begins adding Family Sharing support info to select App Store listings

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Apple has been spotted adding support info for its upcoming Family Sharing feature to both iOS and Mac App Store listings. The data can be seen in the Information section of select apps (where it lists Seller, Category, etc.), under a new field called 'Family Sharing.'

For those unfamiliar with it, Family Sharing is a new feature built-in to iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite that will allow families to share content like apps, music, movies, and more across all of their iOS devices, as long as their iTunes accounts are all using the same credit card...

July was the best-ever month for App Store revenue and downloads

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 6, 2014

As a prelude to the most recent numbers detailing the impact of so-called app economy on Europe's job market, Apple yesterday underscored that July files as the App Store's best-ever month in terms of downloads and revenue.

Although the company stopped short of backing up the claim with some cold, hard numbers, a spokesperson confirmed to CNBC on Tuesday that the App Store in July generated more revenue and had more customers make purchases than ever before...

App economy at work: App Store created 500,000 jobs in Europe and other highlights

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 6, 2014

Apple today released a plethora of freshly-updated stats and pretty charts that paint a rosy picture of the company's positive contributions to the European job market and the continents's economy as a whole.

The so-called app economy is now sustaining half a million jobs across Europe, with a total of 629,000 jobs created or supported by Apple in Europe. Apple paid out $6.5 billion to European app developers so far, representing nearly out-third of the $20 billion the company paid to developers globally.

I've include additional stats and key charts right after the break...

How to create an Apple ID without a credit card

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated May 8, 2023

Having an Apple ID is a prerequisite to do just about anything related to Apple services. If you want to buy music on iTunes, download apps in the App Store, or use iCloud, you must have an Apple ID.

A few years ago, linking a credit card to an Apple account was mandatory. But Apple has changed its stance and has been letting users create an Apple ID without a credit card for a while now.

Whatever your reason might be to do so, we are going to show you how to create an Apple ID without a credit card...

Reverse-engineer crosswords with Bonza Word Puzzle

Jake Underwood ∙ August 1, 2014

Looking at the App Store, it's easy to see that word games and puzzles aren't quite what the public is clamoring to download. Often, the endless runners and messaging apps take control of the charts, leaving good but more sophisticated games to fall out of common knowledge.

Bonza Word Puzzle, a new type of crossword, is trying to combat this trend with an innovative style and some additional quality features. How does it fare? Read on for a full review...

New in iOS 8: App Store trending searches

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 20, 2014

At WWDC back in June, Apple announced several nice-to-haves aimed at improving the oft-criticized app discovery with new App Store features. Among them: trending searches.

It should be noted that first mentions of this feature being active date as far back as a week ago. It's however unclear whether everyone on the latest iOS 8 beta is seeing hot searches or just a subset of Apple's registered iOS developers.

Be that as it may, trending searches are tremendously useful and bound to help developers get their apps found in the App Store. As the name suggests, the feature surfaces hot search queries at any given time...

No Brakes: it’s like driving therapy for your mind

Jake Underwood ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for a game that sports a cute hero. Whether it's a small animal or an abstract shape with a cute face, I can't seem to resist helping the little guy to victory. So when I stumbled by the app icon of the game No Brakes (and heard Sebastien mention the game on the last episode of Let's Talk iOS), I knew I just had to give the game a chance. Read on for my full review...

RideScout will get you around your city fast

Andrew Kunesh ∙ Updated January 29, 2018

From bike share to rail to ride sharing, if you live in a big city, chances are there is a ton of transportation options to choose from. And with so many options come different pricing, routes, and timing, so it can be tough to pick what works best in each situation. That's where RideScout comes in.

RideScout is a relatively new app that takes multiple forms of transportation into account when searching for directions. The app compares cycling, driving, taxis, ride share, and public transportation to give you the best options in regards to timelines, cost, and health. Read my full Ridescout review to learn more.

5 calculator apps Apple featured in App Store’s Productivity Monday section

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 22, 2022

To me, calculator apps are a lot like weather apps - I can never get enough of them. In an effort to help you increase your mobile productivity, Apple is now featuring several great third-party calculators in an App Store section titled Productivity Monday.

Featured iPhone and iPad software includes both paid and free calculators, including the gorgeously designed minimalist Digits app with the ability to edit complex calculations and get instantly updated results...

Wunderlist 3 previewed: fast sync, gorgeous UI and 60+ improvements

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 12, 2018

Berlin, Germany-based 6Wunderkinder, the makers of the popular Wunderlist to-do, task and list management app, is getting ready to release a major new version. The wait for Wunderlist 3 is almost over, developers told me via email.

Filed as "our biggest update ever," Wunderlist 3 brings fast real-time sync engine, top-to-bottom makeover with a beautiful new design and over 60 various improvements to put the fun back into note-taking, task management and list creation and curation...

Korean watchdog orders Apple to change App Store refund policy

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 7, 2014

It used to be that in the past you could get updates for an iOS or Mac app after asking for a refund. However, Apple's relaxed policy concerning refunds and app updates has recently been tightened after the company updated the App Store's Terms of Service to prevent this.

Turns out this may not be the only change in store as South Korea's Fair Trade Commission has now ordered both Apple and Google to take action and revert their unfair no-refund app store policies...