Six Months After Launch, Developer Excitement Over iMessage Apps is 'Fading'

[MacRumors]

The iMessage App Store turned six months old this week, and the app analysts at Sensor Tower have decided to see where Apple's miniature app store stands among users and developers following an initial launch rush last year. According to Sensor Tower, more than 5,000 apps have either added iMessage features, or launched exclusively on the text message-based App Store.

Unfortunately, while the growth is noticeable -- and on par with the original App Store in 2008 -- it has begun subsiding on a month-to-month basis, with Sensor Tower noting it is "seeing signs that the initial rush of excitement over iMessage apps is fading among developers." From September to October the number of iMessage-enabled apps grew 116 percent, from 400 to 1,100. By the end of November, the iMessage App Store had grown 108 percent to include around 2,250 apps.

Things began slowing down in December where growth was marked at 65 percent, with 3,700 iMessage apps stocking the App Store worldwide. As 2017 began, the iMessage App Store hit its slowest growth period yet: it saw an 18 percent increase from December to January, and a 9 percent increase from January to February.

Sensor Tower points to confusion over the iMessage App Store's UI and app discovery that could be leading to an overall lack of user interactivity with the apps, and subsequently resulting in developers' fading interest. The analysts still look forward to the iMessage App Store's "real test" of growth down the line as iOS 11 approaches later in the year.

Any new platform will see an initial surge in offerings due to the aforementioned excitement, rallying cries from the platform holder, and the associated rush by developers to ensure that they're capitalizing on (what they hope will be) the next big thing. The real test for the iMessage App Store's catalog will be how its growth looks for the rest of its first year.

Still, consumer platforms such as Apple's latest are driven by the steady availability of compelling software, and the cadence of releases can say a lot about developer confidence--which, in turn, is reflective of what and how much users are consuming.

Games are the most popular of the iMessage apps, and the category includes regular apps that create iMessage versions with sticker compatibility without any specific gaming features. Following games are Entertainment, Utilities, Social Networking, and Photo & Video apps.

In a bid to bring more awareness to iMessage apps -- and stickers specifically -- Apple this week launched a new ad to promote the wide array of stickers that users can download and share within Messages. The live action commercial featured people running around and sticking colorful, animated stickers, including some from Disney and Family Guy, on everything from other people to food.

Article Link: Six Months After Launch, Developer Excitement Over iMessage Apps is 'Fading'

 

[itsmilo]

It is just inconvenient to use. I always forget its there and mostly just use emojis

 

[SteveW928]

Surprising???

 

[RoelJuun]

Honestly never found a reason to use any of them. For me iMessage is about...iMessages (and once in a while sms).

 

[BigJayhawk]

Still though, NO ONE should expect things to double and triple EVERY MONTH for more than a few months. Not even the NATIONAL DEBT rises that fast!

Success is RELATIVE and those are still some seriously successful numbers. Hah!

 

[brian3uk]

At what point is there just a glut of chat apps and stickers and people get tired of it. I know it was a bid to get younger users to use imessage but I'm on the younger side of things and it's just too much. Facebook, messenger, snapchat, twitter, instagram, all offer the same stuff and the apps are getting so bloated. Just sending a photo from your camera roll with imessage is like 5 taps away now. Simplify!

 

[NinjaHERO]

This is how I know I'm getting old...I don't understand the appeal of stickers. lol

 

[Osxguy]

Best battery drain idea ever to come from Cupertino.

 

[maflynn]

Seemed kind of an odd feature, or service.

 

[thisisnotmyname]

still increasing but at slower rate. doom...

 

[miniyou64]

Wait, Apple gave up on great design and now just throws together confusing UI?

You don't say...

 

[LordQ]

Bring back the iOS 9 layout, keep the effects, port it to Android and watch WhatsApp die. Simple. Why am I not CEO yet?

 

[Sylvan]

I haven't seen the appeal, either as a user or a (potential) developer. But, I understand my opinions aren't universally shared so I'm glad the option is there for those that want it.

 

[Pafoofnik]

I might be an idiot but if there are 10 apps in month #1 and 20 apps in month #2 that's a growth of 10 apps and an increase of 100% over month #1. If, in month #3, there are 30 apps, even though that's only an increase of 50% in the total number of apps from the previous month (20), the number of apps added (10) is still equal to the number of apps added in month #2. I would not call that a drop or a slowdown even though the %-age dropped. Of course the %-age will drop as the base # of apps increases. What am I missing?

 

[nezr]

It's stupid and I never used it.

It was just hyped at the keynote cuz the had nothing else to talk about.

 

[poppe]

It's literally been 1 billion stupid stickers trying to grab as much money possible with adding no value to a conversation. The games are fun, but many of them are so poorly built and so few apart from being even functional that it's more annoying than anything.

 

[1rottenapple]

I never use it after 1 week. Just not appealing. Now I'm emojifies

 

[Branskins]

I love the co-op games. Very easy for an older family member who isn't use to these things to play

 

[jerry16]

Not surprising - the entire interface is a convoluted mess. It takes way too many taps to do anything with it. It's very un-Apple like.

 

[Juicy Box]

Games are the most popular of the iMessage app

I didn't know there was game apps for iMessage. I just pretty much use it for messaging people.

 

[itsmilo]

Bring back the iOS 9 layout, keep the effects, port it to Android and watch WhatsApp die. Simple. Why am I not CEO yet?

Exactly. Apples UI elements keep getting more questionable like the whole "pressing on the blue arrow thing" to bring up the effects options is like ... not very intuitive. I would go as far as saying no one i know even knows it exists just like pressing randomly on the keyboard to move the cursor or pressing on the refresh icon in safari to bring up other options or ...

 

[SteveW928]

This is how I know I'm getting old...I don't understand the appeal of stickers. lol

Hehe, for sure. Either that, or there went a whole year of Apple's 'innovation.'

 

[eyeseeyou]

I think they should build on implementing IOS's stock apps into the imessage platform more making it easier to collaborate and make decisions rather than kill time and play games. Example: notes, calendar, email, group FaceTime, polls? All without leaving iMessage.

That being said giphy is awesome.

 

[Defthand]

That’s an issue with cutesy gimmicks. They’re novel at first, but unless they become a fashion trend, they fade from a lack of utility. Nice try, Apple. What else you got in the pipeline?

 

[now i see it]

Can't wait until there are 1 million apps for iMessage. Growth. We need endless continual growth. More. More. More.