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App Store Scam App Required a Good Review to Function at All
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Apple’s 30% cut enables this wonderful curating system. 
No legitimate developer would want to do this, its not working, its pissing people off and they are leaving worse reviews because of this. Ideally you wouldn't want to show the review prompt to anybody that hasn't been using the app for a while.
I think the developers should have control over it, but It should be behind a button. So the user could tap the "Rate this app" button. Most people don't take the time to go back to the AppStore, search the app, and leave a review for an app they love.
It is a worry because it allows some developers to scam the store, get more downloads so more money while honest developers get hurt with lower rankings.
The dev is making $200k a month from his apps according to sensor tower so whatever he does seems to be working
Just a quick look in the Free toplists:
1. Top #47 in photo & video is Paparazzi+ with a $29 IAP - this app is to trick people who are looking for the new Poparazzi app(easy to search for the wrong thing, probably autocompletes to this too)
2. Top #98 in entertainment is PrankDial. This is from the App Store guidelines 1.1.6: "Apps that enable anonymous or prank phone calls or SMS/MMS messaging will be rejected." #191 is also another prank call app.
3. #77 in Lifestyle is iShow Screen, which claims to be a "incoming calling screen with stunning hd themes" - this is obviously not possible on iOS
4. #91 in Lifestyle is another prank call app
5. #37 in utilities is Charging Show, claims to provide custom charging screen. Also not possible on iOS
6. #174 in Utilities is Get likes + for Instagrams fans, with the clever subtitle "boost insta likes & followers. And the app actually just compares hairstyles or somethings? Doesn't even makes any sense.
7. The Social Networking category is filled with the same dating apps with fake profiles, asking for IAPs all the time. Probably a handful of companies uploading these with different names. All with fake reviews. For example the app Woo-18+Live Video Chat app has these review, which are obviously fake:
1. Top #47 in photo & video is Paparazzi+ with a $29 IAP - this app is to trick people who are looking for the new Poparazzi app(easy to search for the wrong thing, probably autocompletes to this too)
2. Top #98 in entertainment is PrankDial. This is from the App Store guidelines 1.1.6: "Apps that enable anonymous or prank phone calls or SMS/MMS messaging will be rejected." #191 is also another prank call app.
3. #77 in Lifestyle is iShow Screen, which claims to be a "incoming calling screen with stunning hd themes" - this is obviously not possible on iOS
4. #91 in Lifestyle is another prank call app
5. #37 in utilities is Charging Show, claims to provide custom charging screen. Also not possible on iOS
6. #174 in Utilities is Get likes + for Instagrams fans, with the clever subtitle "boost insta likes & followers. And the app actually just compares hairstyles or somethings? Doesn't even makes any sense.
7. The Social Networking category is filled with the same dating apps with fake profiles, asking for IAPs all the time. Probably a handful of companies uploading these with different names. All with fake reviews. For example the app Woo-18+Live Video Chat app has these review, which are obviously fake:
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How did this app get into the store in the first place? Same goes with a lot of apps that have extremely misleading video ads (eg ads show a puzzle "How should I fix this?" when it's actually just a Candy Crush ripoff).
I'm also curious: what does the app do if you do leave a 3+ star review? Does it actually show any video?
Sure, it's the developer's fault for doing this, but I also blame Apple for not putting safeguards in place to prevent developers from doing something this.
I'm also curious: what does the app do if you do leave a 3+ star review? Does it actually show any video?
Sure, it's the developer's fault for doing this, but I also blame Apple for not putting safeguards in place to prevent developers from doing something this.
This is simple, it goes against App Store rules, should be reported/banned and that’s it, I don’t see the point of this…
having alt stores would note destroy the ecosystem. You seem to not understand how all this works hell it works for the mac very well you would need to actively in settings state that you would like alt stores by default iPhone would come as app store only. Done Issue resolved
I do not understand Apple's current approach to the App Store and this on-going problem. Note that this scam apps were called quite some time ago (years). They have also been analyzed at very big revenue generators for a long time (meaning a lot of consumers have lost billions of dollars). Yet Apple to date has done nothing. Not just scam apps, but so many apps that pretending to be something they are not. I felt uncomfortable finding the NordVPN app among all the pretenders. Not sure what would have happened if I had made a mistake selecting my install.
Apple seems to think that having the lowest barrier to entry for App Store developers is a good thing. Why ?? Why do we need millions of devs ??
It would not be hard for Apple to require an escrow account to hold a meaningful dollar amount for each new app submitted. Add back the old "report a problem" button. If a new app gets installed and not reported, dev gets his/her escrow back. If the app is reported, and Apple finds the problems to be legit, then the escrow is lost. Apps not yet out of the "proving period" would be indentified prior to install.
Obviously not perfect, but not too much to ask for devs and would likely clear up a lot of issues. Yet here we are years after the scam apps have been an identified problem. Days after Apple was embarrassed in Federal court about how scam apps undermine Apple's message about App Store protections.
It appears that Apple has been consciously avoiding this issue for a long time. Perhaps it is related to the legal implications of "not changing the App Store rules" & monopolistic practices. Bottom line is it is hard to believe what Apple says re: App Store being about protecting consumers when this open wound has been left festering for sooooo looong.
Apple seems to think that having the lowest barrier to entry for App Store developers is a good thing. Why ?? Why do we need millions of devs ??
It would not be hard for Apple to require an escrow account to hold a meaningful dollar amount for each new app submitted. Add back the old "report a problem" button. If a new app gets installed and not reported, dev gets his/her escrow back. If the app is reported, and Apple finds the problems to be legit, then the escrow is lost. Apps not yet out of the "proving period" would be indentified prior to install.
Obviously not perfect, but not too much to ask for devs and would likely clear up a lot of issues. Yet here we are years after the scam apps have been an identified problem. Days after Apple was embarrassed in Federal court about how scam apps undermine Apple's message about App Store protections.
It appears that Apple has been consciously avoiding this issue for a long time. Perhaps it is related to the legal implications of "not changing the App Store rules" & monopolistic practices. Bottom line is it is hard to believe what Apple says re: App Store being about protecting consumers when this open wound has been left festering for sooooo looong.
Apple should offer bounty’s for apps that scam like this. Something like 100 gift card, for every verifiable scam app reported.
On one hand, you might think that. On the other hand, this could also illustrate the need for more restriction with the App Store and what we can expect more of, if they lose that lawsuit.
Because sometimes bad apps get through review? LOL
It's obviously not perfect, but claiming Apple's argument that the app review process makes apps better/safer is bogus because of this one app that only a tiny population has even seen or heard of is ridiculous.
"Epic is... trying to save iOS users money..."
Um, I'm sorry, but what are you on about??? Nothing about what Epic is doing has anything to do with saving money for users. They are trying to line their pockets.
This is what AI is for. Apple has enough money that they could develop and train a neural net to spot these kinds of things. It's not like putting an AI out in the human world and having it try to figure how to interact with the natives, but just a subset of all that known as computer programming. Apple could still have faulty humans doing reviews, but an AI could help point them to things that look suspicious. And then we'll have Skynet.