Total Number of App Store Apps Shrank in 2017 Thanks to Apple's Quality Crackdown

[groovebuster]

When apps available gets into the millions it tends to carry less weight. There's a **** ton of duplication and cruft.

That's the problem. There are no 2 million uses cases out there. Nobody needs 100 different calculators or 50 different WiFi explorers. But at a price point of just a few bucks and this kind of competition almost nobody can generate a sustainable income. Successful are usually only the companies who need to complement their software portfolio with a mobile device app or the ones who are using the app to sell their already existing web services. Stand alone apps are too easy to copy and it is impossible to generate a sustainable income from selling them for $1.

This whole App development BS (no matter on which platform) is a huge scam. Because the only company really making money off of it is Apple and a few bigger software companies who are already big in the business. If there are 2 million apps in the App Store, how do I find an app with a completely dumb interface like they are using it right now? Only if you directly know the name and enter it, otherwise you are lost in app space... How can I compare competing apps if there is no way to test them properly before buying?

When all that hype began back then, I was considering to get into app development (because Apple sold it as THE next big thing) and THANK GOD I did the math before I started. And I was right... Several friends who did app development turned their backs on it again, because there was no money in it and as a hobby it was too time consuming.

And honestly, how many apps do I use almost daily myself on top of the ones that are coming already with iOS? A handful... maybe 5? The dozens of other apps I accumulated over the years on my phone mostly just occupy memory for nothing. Most of the time I am trying to avoid using the phone anyway when I am not in a working environment. Fiddling around with a mobile device all the time is such a serious waste of time. And I don't even remember exactly when I bought an app the last time, because the ones I have do the job just beautifully for me.

The App Store reminds me so much of Spotify. The artists get almost nada, while Spotify is filling their pockets. The big companies are making a crazy amount of revenue off the intellectual property of others, who almost get nothing for their work and people are standing by and applaud this genius exploitation scheme. Shows how brain-washed our society has become. Brave new world.

 

[elmaco]

I lost at least 30 great apps because Apple stopped to support 32-bit applications.

I'm getting tired Apple, feels like you get less and less with every year. No headphone jack, no magsafe, and soon not an Intel CPU.

 

[YaBe]

I would say there are about 15 - 20 quality Apps and around 20 quality games worth on the App store, on Android there is probably a little less than that, probably around 5-10 apps and about the same games.

So yeah iOS store wins, and the average app is better than the Android one, but all in all I think the number of total apps counts nothing.

 

[AdonisSMU]

Kinda the point of marketing. Plus when the App Store came out that was kinda th big selling point, “we’ve got a lot of apps for you” but now there’s apps for everything everywhere it’s not really a huge marketing point anymore.

Everyone knows this. I understand liking Android but this just feels like haters piling on.

I'm glad Apple is curating the App Store more closely.
[doublepost=1522913899][/doublepost]

That's a good thing.
Now if they'd only crackdown on quality in their own software...

I guess you weren't hear for that article saying they were focusing on the quality of their own software earlier this year.
[doublepost=1522914235][/doublepost]

I would said XCODE is the worst IDE. ever to build code. With all the warning message, is it annoying to developer and for sure more will go android studio instead of XCODE need to paid 99 dollar per annum.

Actually I know a few Android devs and they hate it. I agree Xcode is a POS IDE. I'm like there is no excuse for it to be lacking basic features that even free IDEs have. Apple won't even let you developers extend Xcode to add the missing features for them. It's annoying.
[doublepost=1522914500][/doublepost]

That's the problem. There are no 2 million uses cases out there. Nobody needs 100 different calculators or 50 different WiFi explorers. But at a price point of just a few bucks and this kind of competition almost nobody can generate a sustainable income. Successful are usually only the companies who need to complement their software portfolio with a mobile device app or the ones who are using the app to sell their already existing web services. Stand alone apps are too easy to copy and it is impossible to generate a sustainable income from selling them for $1.

This whole App development BS (no matter on which platform) is a huge scam. Because the only company really making money off of it is Apple and a few bigger software companies who are already big in the business. If there are 2 million apps in the App Store, how do I find an app with a completely dumb interface like they are using it right now? Only if you directly know the name and enter it, otherwise you are lost in app space... How can I compare competing apps if there is no way to test them properly before buying?

When all that hype began back then, I was considering to get into app development (because Apple sold it as THE next big thing) and THANK GOD I did the math before I started. And I was right... Several friends who did app development turned their backs on it again, because there was no money in it and as a hobby it was too time consuming.

And honestly, how many apps do I use almost daily myself on top of the ones that are coming already with iOS? A handful... maybe 5? The dozens of other apps I accumulated over the years on my phone mostly just occupy memory for nothing. Most of the time I am trying to avoid using the phone anyway when I am not in a working environment. Fiddling around with a mobile device all the time is such a serious waste of time. And I don't even remember exactly when I bought an app the last time, because the ones I have do the job just beautifully for me.

The App Store reminds me so much of Spotify. The artists get almost nada, while Spotify is filling their pockets. The big companies are making a crazy amount of revenue off the intellectual property of others, who almost get nothing for their work and people are standing by and applaud this genius exploitation scheme. Shows how brain-washed our society has become. Brave new world.

Most engineers make apps and put them on the App Store to show employers that they can get through the process. They then get picked up by a big corporation or an app shop. So if the goal is to start a business behind an app the business part better be really well thought out before you start writing code. If you are trying to show a business you can make it through the process then that is an avenue one can look into.

 

[Jmausmuc]

Amazing! Apple is really stepping up their game.
The new iPad is great value for just 329, new iOS 11.3 is working perfectly on my X and my 6 and the App Store cleanup was desperately needed.

I have been complaining a lot in the last month but now I feel they are finally heading in the right direction again.

 

[WatchFromAfar]

Why are people praising this? Apple said right from the start the app store would be a curated experience with rules and guidelines. Are people patting Apple on the back for doing their job? For not being liars?

Apple - "Hey, you know that thing we said we were going to do, well we're doing it"
Macrumor readers - "Whooo! yeah! go Apple!"

SMH

 

[where is it]

Apple is wrong on this policy.

Won't be too long before they ban, reject an app or game that then becomes a huge success on the Play Store... and then what?

A grovelling apology to the developers in the hope they bring that success back to the App Store.

I hope that developer tells Apple where to go.

Another historic repeat of Apple v Microsoft circa 1990.
[doublepost=1522921131][/doublepost]

If I was running the iOS App Store, I would send out a letter to every App Developer, informing them that Apple is now charging $299 USD per app, to keep apps in the App Store, and that payment MUST be received no later than 30 days from today.

That simply act would force Devs to do the clean-up, & I'd bet, cut down on the Garbage Apps much faster than any other action Apple could devise !

In fact, I'd bet that 90% of the Apps would simply be left to die (by their Devs).

So, Apple would make $299 on the remaining 10% of apps, but the intend is NOT to make Apple extra Coin ... simply to position the clean-up appropriately.

It's NOT Rocket Science, the iOS App Store could be COMPLETELY cleaned-up in 30 days !

And of course, an App Developer could always RE-instate an app past the 30 day point if they couldn't come up with the necessary Coin by then, or changed their mind after the Deadline.

You would have a very empty App Store then.

Software development is a gamble for individuals and companies. No one knows if app is going to be a success or not. Testing can tell you so much, but in a global world something that engages one audience can fall flat on another.

Who's to say that something shouldn't be released to the world to decide?

To truly clean up the store there should be a policy that if an app receives a truly terrible rating then the developer gets a chance to either improve the app / rating or remove the app. If no change is made then app is then removed from the store.

Quite simple really.

 

[MacBH928]

The problem with app store apps is that they are only as good as the next iOS update. If they don't update the apps will not work as they are supposed to. I had some apps that will totally not work at all.

That being said, who needs 2 million apps? thats a crazy amount of software

 

[McTool]

It varies. I've talked with Android devs whose clients tell them they'd like their apps to be laid out more like Android apps, as opposed to using what iOS does, in terms of layout and design.

As for quality, all you need are the right ones, no matter what app store you use.

Terms of design? Just look at the icons and yes even emojis on iOS and compare them to the android apps and emojis. They are ugly as f..k. Apparently you, sir don’t know much about design.

 

[Winni]

But hell, Google don’t even follow their own guidelines.

Neither does Apple.

 

[YaBe]

Terms of design? Just look at the icons and yes even emojis on iOS and compare them to the android apps and emojis. They are ugly as f..k. Apparently you, sir don’t know much about design.

"Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like. People think it’s this veneer – that the designers are handed this box and told, “Make it look good!” That’s not what we think design is. It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works." S.J.

Both Google and Apple have things they could learn from each other in that respect.

P.S. I would like to know what kind of "design" you came up with that entitles you to tell what is good or bad design.

Instead of looking at emoji (wich is superfluous) I would definetly look at the cumberstone way to add attachments (especially multiple) into iOS Mail, that is a "DESIGN HORROR", and it something you actually use for "work".

 

[gnasher729]

I would said XCODE is the worst IDE. ever to build code. With all the warning message, is it annoying to developer and for sure more will go android studio instead of XCODE need to paid 99 dollar per annum.

If you find warning messages annoying, then you are not a developer. Usually the people who find an error message annoying are those that don't have the mental capacity to understand it. Try the static analyser once in a while.

 

[alien3dx]

If you find warning messages annoying, then you are not a developer. Usually the people who find an error message annoying are those that don't have the mental capacity to understand it. Try the static analyser once in a while.

your don't particular understand what i mean.Even the function is depreciated in ios 7,8,9,10,11, if the code don't parse,shouldn't it allow to give warning. It should at least give warning on runtime testing not compiling .
[doublepost=1522926410][/doublepost]

Terms of design? Just look at the icons and yes even emojis on iOS and compare them to the android apps and emojis. They are ugly as f..k. Apparently you, sir don’t know much about design.

emoji design may not standard but it can moved with any browser,ios,android nicely even if the default emoji aren't the same design.

 

[DNichter]

Good to see. Tough for some to lose some old apps, but better for the majority of customers. iOS has the best choice of quality apps.

 

[DerpHooks]

Wait... Didn`t Apple just enforce support of 64 bit apps last year? May that be one reason for the decline in quantity?

 

[spazzcat]

I lost at least 30 great apps because Apple stopped to support 32-bit applications.

I'm getting tired Apple, feels like you get less and less with every year. No headphone jack, no magsafe, and soon not an Intel CPU.

It isn't Apples fault that developers stop supporting their apps, but we are better off with them removed the 32bit code base from the OS.
[doublepost=1522929473][/doublepost]

"Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like. People think it’s this veneer – that the designers are handed this box and told, “Make it look good!” That’s not what we think design is. It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works." S.J.

Both Google and Apple have things they could learn from each other in that respect.

P.S. I would like to know what kind of "design" you came up with that entitles you to tell what is good or bad design.

Instead of looking at emoji (wich is superfluous) I would definetly look at the cumberstone way to add attachments (especially multiple) into iOS Mail, that is a "DESIGN HORROR", and it something you actually use for "work".

Microsoft Outlook is the way to go for work email.

 

[YaBe]

Microsoft Outlook is the way to go for work email.

I know, I was pointing out the fact that he was criticizing other company's "design" while Apple isn't doing any better.

No company is perfect, but I think you have to pick "your battles" and Emoji, well I don't think it is the right one when speaking about design.

I agree Outlook is great for work, there's definetly something Microsoft can teach about design to other company (hard to believe i lauded Microsoft ).

 

[McTool]

"Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like. People think it’s this veneer – that the designers are handed this box and told, “Make it look good!” That’s not what we think design is. It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works." S.J.

Both Google and Apple have things they could learn from each other in that respect.

P.S. I would like to know what kind of "design" you came up with that entitles you to tell what is good or bad design.

Instead of looking at emoji (wich is superfluous) I would definetly look at the cumberstone way to add attachments (especially multiple) into iOS Mail, that is a "DESIGN HORROR", and it something you actually use for "work".

This. So it’s not apparently you have no clue what design is. It’s you don’t know what design is. It’s not about designing something it’s how the end product looks and feels.

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

It varies. I've talked with Android devs whose clients tell them they'd like their apps to be laid out more like Android apps, as opposed to using what iOS does, in terms of layout and design.

As for quality, all you need are the right ones, no matter what app store you use.

You should fire those clients. Nothing is a bigger turn off than encountering a mutant version of Material Design and/or the hamburger menu on iOS.

 

[kyleh22]

ugh oh. What's Tim Cook going to talk about for the first 10 minutes at WWDC now?!

 

[YaBe]

This. So it’s not apparently you have no clue what design is. It’s you don’t know what design is. It’s not about designing something it’s how the end product looks and feels.

I think you need to re-read my statement. Design it is how it works!

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

But that’s probably because they no longer support newer iOS devices and no longer follow modern App Store guidelines, which is the developers fault for abandoning the app, not Apple’s, they let you download anything that is currently supported

Apple should have never ditched 32bit support. I'm still perturbed over the apps I lost (I intended to keep my SE on iOS 10.3.3 but that got shot to hell too.)

There are also a ton more Android users with different uses for their devices. Makes sense the quantity would be higher on the Play Store...

Except that it's not different uses, it's that there's still so many trash robot phones out there that will never see Marshmallow, let alone Oreo or P.

Google users like to ignore the fragmentation issue and the lack of OS and security updates, yet when Google starts initiatives to resolve the issue, they complain Google is "becoming more like Apple."

As far as the actual Play Store goes... I should not be able to get an app that still uses the Holo (or older) design language today. It's one of the reasons why Android is such an incohesive and jarring experience to use.

 

[RickInHouston]

And this is why I’ll never go back to Android.

I’d much prefer a quality, rules enforced App Store like Apple’s over Google Play. Google needs to be way stricter! But hell, Google don’t even follow their own guidelines.

I get this, I understand. I mean, this site is full of apple app developers so it makes sense. But really, how many apps are on a phone THAT ARE USED? 8? 20? The apps they are police-ing are such 'off the beaten path' that it doesn't affect any of us.

 

[McTool]

I think you need to re-read my statement. Design it is how it works!

Not for the consumer. Am not attacking you. The ‘problem’ we have here is the difference in language. Over here we say create something if it’s beautiful and has a nice feel to it we say it’s design. Like Apple, B&O stuff we say that is design. When we look at the icons and emojis on Android we say that’s just ugly. Which they are, freaking ugly. But design is not how it works. It’s how it looks like Apple or B&O stuff. How it works is the way you created it. Creating and designing is apparently the same thing for you guys in America.

 

[Jsameds]

Quality increases by quantity. I couldn't find any quality apps on App Store, so I switched to Android.

You obviously didn't look very hard..