Tag: app store

Spotify Says Apple Has Rejected Its App Update With Price Information for EU Users

Apple has rejected Spotify’s new version of its iOS app with in-app pricing information for users in the European Union, the audio streaming firm said on Thursday.

The Swedish company submitted a new version of its app to Apple with basic pricing and website information, which is a minimum requirement under the European Commission’s ruling in its music streaming case, it said in a post on X on Wednesday.

Spotify said Apple rejected its update in a response directly sent to the company.

“Apple has once again defied the European Commission’s decision, rejecting our update for attempting to communicate with customers about our prices unless we pay Apple a new tax. Their disregard for consumers and developers is matched only by their disdain for the law,” a spokesperson for Spotify said in a statement.

Apple said it will approve the new version of the app after Spotify accepts the terms of the Music Streaming Services Entitlement in the European Economic Area (EEA), and resubmit it for review.

“This entitlement is required even if your app does not include an external link,” Apple said in a response to Spotify about the app update.

Under Apple’s proposal, Spotify and other streaming services can include links to their websites to inform users of payment options outside its App Store and the company would charge a 27 percent commission on transactions made through a link.

Spotify did not include the in-app link in the update submitted to Apple.

Spotify said it does not want to be a part of Apple’s entitlement as it is a new set of anti-steering restrictions and includes the 27 percent commission on digital purchases made through links.

“We are currently assessing whether Apple has fully complied with the decision,” a spokesperson for the European Commission said, adding the Commission will also assess any changes implemented by Apple to its App Store business terms under the Digital Markets Act.

In March, Brussels fined Apple with EUR 1.84 billion ($1.97 billion or roughly Rs. 16,418 crore) for thwarting competition from music streaming rivals via restrictions on its App Store.

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Altstore PAL With Annual Subscription, Free Delta Nintendo Emulator Launched in Europe

Altstore PAL was launched in Europe on Wednesday as the first third party iPhone app store — or alternative app marketplace, as Apple calls it. Users who live in Europe and want to access apps that are not available via the official App Store, can now install Altstore PAL after updating their iPhone to iOS 17.4. However, thanks to Apple’s mandatory Core Technology Fee (CTF), customers will have to pay a small annual fee to access the first third-party app store to arrive in the region.

Developer Riley Testut shared details of the Altstore PAL app marketplace in a blog post, stating that the open source app currently offers two applications — a Nintendo emulator called Delta and Clip, a clipboard manager. The former will be free to download via Altstore PAL, while the latter will require a minimum donation of EUR 1 (roughly Rs. 90) or more, according to the developer.

The new Altstore PAL won’t have Apple’s content restrictions (you can’t download a torrent client or via Apple’s App Store on iOS) and will also allow developers to distribute apps with Patreon, by specifying a minimum pledge amount that unlocks access to an app. Testut says the platform won’t take commissions on donations received via Patreon, and developers can use the Patreon income to pay Apple’s CTF fee that kicks in after 1 million downloads.

In order to install Altstore PAL, users who live in the EU will need to update their iPhone to iOS 17.4, then pay EUR 1.50 (roughly Rs. 135) — an annual subscription that allows the project to pay Apple’s CTF, Testut says. Users who don’t want to fork out the annual fee as well as those who live outside the EU) can sideload apps using a computer (using the original Altstore app) and refreshing them every seven days.

Unlike users, developers won’t have to pay to host their apps on Altstore PAL, and there’s no commission for Patreon donations. Testut says that once Apple has notarised an app, the processed “alternative distribution packet” (ADP) must be uploaded to the developer’s server. They must then create and upload a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) file that contains metadata about the app, so that users can include the same source in the Altstore PAL app to begin downloading and updating that app.  

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iOS 17.5 Beta 2 Brings Supports for Installing iPhone Apps via Websites: Report

iOS 17.5 Beta 2 was rolled out to beta testers on Tuesday, along with new functionality and features that are expected to make their way to eligible iPhone models next month. One of the most notable changes arriving with iOS 17.5 will be the ability to install apps directly from websites for users in the European Union, making it easier for developers to distribute apps without what Apple calls alternative app marketplaces as well as the App Store As with the recently introduced changes related to third party app stores, the ability to download apps from websites will only be available in the EU.

MacRumors discovered the ability to download apps directly from websites has been introduced on the second iOS 17.5 beta that was released on Tuesday. Last month, Apple rolled out iOS 17.4 which introduced support for alternative app marketplaces in the EU, while the next update will expand sideloading by allowing users to visit a developer’s website to install apps outside the App Store.

Last month, Apple announced it was working on a new web distribution feature designed to allow users to directly download apps from developer websites in the EU. The company calls it Web Distribution, and it will allow authorised developers to distribute their apps via their websites, while having access to iOS application programming interfaces (APIs) for backup and restore support, along with iOS integration, and automatic updates without using an app store.

It’s worth noting that all developers won’t automatically be eligible for Web Distribution. Apple previously stated it will require developers to be part of its developer program for two years, have one app with at least one million downloads in the EU, and be enrolled as an organisation (or have a subsidiary legal entity) that is “incorporated, domiciled, and or registered in the EU.” 

Even if developers choose to distribute their apps via their website using Web Distribution, Apple has also stated that it will charge them a Core Technology Fee (CTF) of EUR 0.50 (roughly Rs. 45) for every annual app install over one million. The company will exempt non-profit organisations from the CTF fees and the Apple Developer Program membership fee in the EUU.

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Apple’s New Guidelines Now Allow Game Emulators on App Store

Apple has come under scrutiny in the European Union for its strict App Store rules that restrict external payment options, sideloading of apps and more. The iPhone maker and other tech giants like Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft and more, however, have had to bring in several changes to their policies since the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) came into effect for the companies in March. Now, Apple will allow game emulator apps on the App Store.

The Cupertino, California based company has established strict guidelines for software hosted on its app storefront. Game emulators, which allow a device to run video games released on a different platform by emulating the hardware of the platform, were not allowed on App Store. In its latest App Review Guidelines, however, Apple confirmed that it will allow developers to make and distribute emulation software on its App Store globally.

Apple announced the development in the “Mini apps, mini games, streaming games, chatbots, plug-ins, and game emulators” section of the guidelines. “Additionally, retro game console emulator apps can offer to download games,” the company said. A report in 9to5Mac also said that Apple sent an email to developers confirming the change.

The company, however, added that developers would be responsible for the emulation software offered in the app and would need to ensure that it complies with Apple’s guidelines and applicable laws. Apps that fail to comply with the rules will be rejected from being hosted on the App Store.

It is still unclear if the App Store will allow third-party emulation software applications that run retro games from publishers like Nintendo, Sega and others on the platform. Game publishers have historically cracked down on emulators that run their games on other devices.

As part of its new app guidelines, Apple will now also allow music streaming apps like Spotify to provide a link to users, directing them to their own website for purchases. Apple users in European Economic Area can provide their email address to music streaming apps to receive a link to the developer’s website to make payments for digital services.

Apple launched the iPad Pro (2022) and the iPad (2022) alongside the new Apple TV this week. We discuss the company’s latest products, along with our review of the iPhone 14 Pro on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Google Files Lawsuits Against Chinese Nationals for Promoting Fraudulent Crypto Apps on Play Store: Report

Google is taking a conscious approach towards identifying risky apps being promoted on its Play Store. In a fresh development, the search engine giant has identified two suspects who could have been using the app storefront to advertise fraudulent crypto apps. In order to deal with this situation, Google has filed a lawsuit against two Chinese nationals residing in mainland China. Google’s major competitor Apple has maintained a policies-based boundary from crypto-related activities, aiming to safeguard its community members from financial risks.

In the lawsuit filed by Google, the company has alleged that the two Chinese nationals were luring people to engage with scam crypto apps, getting them to deposit funds and later blocking access to their deposits, a report by CoinTelegraph said.

The individuals named by Google in the lawsuit are Yunfeng Sun, aka Alphonse Sun, and Hongnam Cheung, aka Zhang Hongnim or Stanford Fischer. In its filing, the tech giant has accused the defendants of having misrepresented their identity, location, and the nature of fraudulent apps in order to have them published on the Play Store.

Google estimates that these malicious crypto apps were collectively downloaded over 100,000 times. One such app that has been named is the TionRT exchange, among at least 87 crypto scam apps that Google has alleged the duo for having advertised and published on the Play Store.

The alleged culprits have been blamed for exploiting the international reach of platforms like YouTube to advertise these apps while also reaching out to potential victims through text message campaigns.

The tech giant is also suing the developers behind these apps for breaching the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations (RICO) law. Passed in the US back in 1970, the RICO law aims to eradicate organised crimes.

Over the last few years, the crypto sector has blossomed on an international level, with thousands of cryptocurrencies having been launched in circulation. Taking advantage of this boom, crypto scammers also ramped up their activities and have managed to steal billions of dollars from the community.

Now, several nations are deploying rules to regulate the crypto sector, hoping to make it secure for their nationals to engage with. Fake apps, false high return schemes, scam airdrop promises are just a few ways that scammers have been establishing connections with potential victims.

With the rising number of crypto crimes, platforms like Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store have time and again been reminded by authorities to be vigilant in identifying problematic apps.

In November 2022, for instance, US authorities had asked Apple and Google to provide elaborate details on crypto-related apps available on App Store and Play Store, respectively. The tech giants were also, at the time, asked to explain how and how often they monitor apps that are available for download on their respective app stores.

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Microsoft, Meta and X Join Fortnite Maker Epic Games’ Battle Against Apple

Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Elon Musk’s X and Match Group on Wednesday joined “Fortnite” video game maker Epic Games’ protest that Apple has failed to honor a court-ordered injunction governing payments in its lucrative App Store.

The technology companies, which developed some of the most popular apps in the App Store, said Apple was in “clear violation” of the Sept. 2021 injunction by making it difficult to steer consumers to cheaper means to pay for digital content.

Apple declined to comment specifically on the accusation, which was contained in a filing with the Oakland, California federal court.

It referred to its Jan. 16 statement that it had fully complied with the injunction, which it said would protect consumers and “the integrity of Apple’s ecosystem” while ensuring that developers do not get a free ride.

Epic had sued Apple in 2020, saying it violated antitrust law by requiring consumers to obtain apps through the App Store and charging developers up to 30% commissions on purchases.

The injunction required Apple to let developers provide links and buttons to direct consumers to alternative payment options.

Last week, Epic demanded that Apple be held in contempt, saying new rules and a new 27% fee on developers made the links effectively useless.

In Wednesday’s filing, the technology companies said Apple’s conduct “for all practical purposes” entrenches anti-steering rules that the court found illegal, propping up Apple’s “excessive” commissions and harming consumers and developers.

“Apple’s restrictions on where and how developers can communicate with their users about their options for purchasing in-app content create significant barriers to competition and artificially inflate prices,” the filing said.

In January, the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear Apple’s appeal from the injunction. It also decided against hearing Epic’s appeal of lower court findings that Apple’s policies did not violate federal antitrust law.

Apple has until April 3 to formally respond to Epic’s filing. The company is based in Cupertino, California, while Epic is based in Cary, North Carolina.

The case is Epic Games Inc v Apple Inc, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 20-05640.

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(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Apple Offers Up to Rs. 500 Bonus for Adding Funds to Apple ID in India

Apple is now giving a 10 percent bonus to customers adding funds directly to their Apple ID from the App Store in India. The Cupertino-based tech giant is currently notifying users in the country about the bonus offer that is valid through March 26. The offer can be availed while adding Rs. 2,000 and Rs. 5,000 to the Apple ID balance. The amount added can be used for purchasing apps and games from the App Store. It can also be used for Apple Music and Apple TV+ subscriptions. However, the offer can only be used once.

Eligible Apple users in India will see a notification about a 10 percent bonus while adding money to an Apple ID from the App Store. The offer is valid till March 26. Users adding Rs. 2,000 to the Apple ID balance will get Rs. 200 as a bonus and those adding Rs. 5,000 can avail of Rs. 400 as a bonus. The bonus can be accessed instantly after adding funds.

Apple ID

 

Apple notes that the offer eligibility may vary based on account information or the purchase history. The bonus can be availed only once.

Users can head to Settings > Your Name > Payment and Shipping > Apple ID > Add Funds from their iPhone or iPad to avail of Apple’s 10 percent bonus on Apple ID. Users can also access it by heading to the App Store > Account > Add Funds to Apple ID.

As mentioned, the Apple ID balance can be used to buy apps and games on the App Store. Users can also pay for subscriptions such as Apple Music, Apple Fitness+, Apple Arcade and Apple TV+ and third-party platforms. They can also purchase additional iCloud storage using these funds.

Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Apple Blocks Fortnite Maker Epic Games From Launching Its Own iOS Store in EU

Apple escalated its feud with Epic Games on Wednesday, blocking the Fortnite video-game maker from launching its own online marketplace on iPhones and iPads in Europe.

The two companies have been in a legal battle since 2020, when the gaming firm alleged that Apple’s practice of charging up to 30 percent commissions on in-app payments on its iPhone Operating System (iOS) devices violated US antitrust rules.

The latest challenge from Epic comes as Apple struggles with concerns about tepid demand for its iPhones in China, and its stock has tumbled 12 percent so far this year, underperforming its big tech peers in the US Its shares were largely unchanged on Wednesday.

Attempts by regulators and competitors such as Epic to pave the way for rival marketplaces on Apple’s devices are a major threat to the Silicon Valley heavyweight’s profits and control of its own ecosystem.

European lawmakers are forcing Apple to allow those third-party marketplaces with a law called the Digital Markets Act (DMA) that takes effect this week.

Separately, Brussels antitrust regulators on Monday fined Apple EUR 1.84 billion ($2 billion or roughly Rs. 16,547 crore) for thwarting competition from music streaming rivals via restrictions on its App Store, Apple’s first ever penalty for breaching EU rules.

Epic was working to take advantage of the DMA, but Apple blocked those efforts on Wednesday, citing Epic’s past breaches of contract in the long-running legal dispute.

Apple terminated a new developer account that Epic had created in Sweden. Epic had created the account in an effort to put Fortnite and other games back on iPhones in Europe by running its own game store on Apple’s devices. Apple must allow third-party stores on its devices, under the new European law.

The developer accounts are important because software creators cannot distribute apps to iPhones and iPads without one. Apple had previously terminated some of Epic’s developer accounts in 2020, after Epic purposely broke Apple’s in-app payment rules, using its violation of the rules and subsequent banishment from the App Store as the core of public relations and legal campaign against Apple.

Apple said on Wednesday the court rulings have made clear that it has “sole discretion” to terminate any Epic Games developer account in light of its “egregious” breaches of the company’s developer agreements.

“In light of Epic’s past and ongoing behavior, Apple chose to exercise that right” to terminate Epic Games’ account, Apple said.

Epic alleged that by terminating its account, Apple was removing one of the largest potential competitors to the Apple App Store.

“This is a serious violation of the DMA and shows Apple has no intention of allowing true competition on iOS devices,” Epic Games said.

The European Commission, the executive body of the EU, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Apple in January proposed certain changes ahead of a March 7 deadline to comply with certain conditions of the DMA, a legislation meant to make it easier for European users to move between competing services.

The company said it would allow alternative app stores on iPhones and an opt-out from using the in-app payments system, but set a “core technology fee” of 50 euro cents per user account per year for developers who sign up for the new regime.

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Apple launched the iPad Pro (2022) and the iPad (2022) alongside the new Apple TV this week. We discuss the company’s latest products, along with our review of the iPhone 14 Pro on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Apple Modifies Proposed App Store Changes to Comply With New EU Rules After Criticism From Developers

Apple has modified some of its proposals to comply with landmark EU tech rules after criticism from app developers, including dropping a demand that those who want to create alternative app marketplaces must have a stand-by letter of credit.

The company and five other tech giants have to comply by March 7 with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which sets out a list of dos and don’ts aimed at reining in their power and creating a level playing field for rivals and more choices for users.

Apple had in January announced proposals which allow software developers to distribute their apps to users in the European Union outside of Apple’s own App Store, as well as new fees and conditions.

The iPhone maker said one change will now allow developers to sign up to the new terms announced two months ago at the developer account level.

“We’ve removed the corporate entity requirement that the Addendum must be signed by each membership that controls, is controlled by, or is under control with another membership,” Apple said on its website late Tuesday.

It also created a one-time option for developers to terminate the Addendum under certain circumstances and switch back to Apple’s standard business terms for their EU apps.

Lastly, it scrapped a demand for a letter of credit from developers who want to create a rival app marketplace and introduced two eligibility criteria.

“A developer may operate an alternative app marketplace if their account has been in existence for two years and they have an established app business in the EU with more than 1 million First Annual Installs,” Apple said.

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Apple launched the iPad Pro (2022) and the iPad (2022) alongside the new Apple TV this week. We discuss the company’s latest products, along with our review of the iPhone 14 Pro on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Apple Set to Face Over $500 Million Fine After EU Finds It Broke Rules to Silence Spotify, Other Rivals

Apple will face a European Union fine close to EUR 500 million ($539 million or roughly Rs. 4,475 crore) over the regulator’s investigation into allegations it silenced music-streaming rivals, including Spotify Technology SA, on its platforms. 

The penalty — Apple’s first ever from the bloc — will be set after the EU watchdog found that it fell foul of competition rules in thwarting rival music services from informing users that cheaper alternatives existed outside of its App Store, according to people familiar with the matter. 

Apple, when contacted for comment, referred to a previous statement, which said that the “App Store has helped Spotify become the top music streaming service across Europe.” The European Commission declined to comment. The Financial Times reported the fine earlier.

EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager has made it a core strategy to attempt to dismantle Big Tech’s dominance in the bloc through fines and regulatory actions. She’s slapped Alphabet’s Google with penalties of more than EUR 8 billion (roughly Rs. 71,577 crore) and also ordered Apple to repay EUR 13 billion (roughly Rs. 1,16,325 crore) in allegedly unfair tax breaks from Ireland. 

Apple has also faced pressure from individual EU member states. It was fined EUR 1.1 billion (roughly Rs. 9,842 crore) in France in 2020 for anti-competitive behavior, although the total was later reduced to EUR 372 million (roughly Rs. 3,328 crore) after an appeal. 

The EU’s investigation into Apple’s App Store was sparked by a complaint nearly four years ago from Spotify, which claimed it was forced to ramp up the price of its monthly subscriptions to cover costs associated with Apple’s alleged stranglehold on how the App Store operates. 

In a closed-door meeting between EU officials and Apple in June last year, the tech firm told regulators it had already addressed any possible competition concerns arising from Spotify’s complaint.

In a separate probe, Apple is set to have its settlement proposal in the EU’s investigation into its tap-and-pay tech accepted, according to people familiar with the matter. 

The commission is poised to accept a 10-year offer from Apple to open up access to its coveted near-field communication chip on iPhones to rival digital wallets, after a market test received largely positive feedback, the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private, said. 

Apple’s move to settle the case came after the EU watchdog earlier raised formal concerns that the company had restricted access to the technology, amounting to an alleged abuse of its market power.

Vestager is now readying for enforcement of the bloc’s flagship Digital Markets Act — set to come into play on March 7. The sweeping new rules are intended to head off competition violations by tech firms before they take root. 

Under the DMA, it will be illegal for the most powerful firms to favor their own services over those of rivals. They’ll be barred from combining personal data across their different services, prohibited from using data they collect from third-party merchants to compete against them, and will have to allow users to download apps from rivals platforms.

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Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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