The App Store can do better if it has competitors on iOS

Mark Gurman turned the rumor mill on its head a few days ago by raising the possibility that competitors from the App Store will arrive in future iOS updates. It would be the biggest change to the platform since 2008 and could render iOS unrecognizable.

But at the same time, that would open the door to something that always benefits the user in the end: competition. The App Store would be forced to fix it so that no competing business can attract too many developers. And yes, there are points where there is room for improvement.

The best version of the App Store is still on its way

The effect of only having one app store is what it is: we see everything so normalized that we don’t see how improvements could be applied. A good example is allowing practices like applications that are free to download, but that They ask you to activate a subscription as soon as you open themwithout being able to use anything for free.

These types of apps have a strong presence on the App Store and use built-in purchases to advertise themselves as free and sneak into the most downloaded apps lists. In this case, however, nothing is free: From the first second, a subscription is requested.

A store that doesn’t allow these practices could draw the attention of many, and the App Store has an easy way of solving the problem: you can force these purchases to be well marked (now you have to look for a list of subscriptions , which is quite hidden ) or ban outright .

Another more serious problem that I can also mention is misleading subscriptions: there are applications that use a very simple theme (e.g. offering wallpapers) that try to trick you into subscribing with abusive fees and try to Confusing you with the contract message. Their goal: to get less knowledgeable users to subscribe and start pay a fee without them realizing it.

Back in 2018, the media commented on these practices, with Forbes pointing to QR code readers charging users for a $150 annual subscription. In addition, those responsible for these applications are advertised on the App Store, thereby standing out from the attention:

In 2019, Apple took additional measures to alleviate the problem, but unfortunately it hasn’t gone away completely.

Then we can’t forget events like the one with the App Store ads, where users’ own criticisms caused Apple to step down: ads for online betting apps appeared on app tabs to get you from addiction to those bets detoxify, or also in children’s applications. Luckily it was fixed within a few days.

It’s these types of cracks that other companies can use to promote their alternative app stores. And there’s the good news: Apple will improve and refine its rules to prevent developers from opting out. And that’s an advantage for us, that we will get a higher quality app store (and apps)..