Subj : Apple has been forced to change App Store purchases, but it's sti To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Wed Jan 17 2024 14:30:06 Apple has been forced to change App Store purchases, but it's still found a way to win Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2024 14:25:26 +0000 Description: Apple is making changes to App Store purchases, but theyre unlikely to save you much cash. FULL STORY ====================================================================== The long-simmering dispute over Apples App Store commissions and practices has just resulted in some pretty substantial alterations to the ways youll now be able to pay for apps. But in some respects, not a whole lot has changed and you might not end up saving any money at all. Recently, a judge dismissed any ongoing appeals in Apples legal case with Epic Games . The end result is that both sides have to comply with the original judgement, and thats overturned a major App Store practice that caused a lot of contention among developers. Previously, devs were forbidden from allowing users to sign up for in-app purchases (IAPs) on their own websites (or anywhere other than in the app itself). In fact, the developers werent even allowed to tell users that they could save money by paying elsewhere. Now, as noted by Apple Insider , app creators can apply to Apple for an entitlement to include a link that goes to a payment portal on an external website they control. Apple must approve of the link, and it only applies to iPadOS or iOS apps in the US App Store. In theory, those sound like pretty big changes, as previously you were forced to use Apples own IAP method for purchases. One of the complaints with this process was the 15-30% cut Apple charges to developers for in-app sales. If users no longer have to pay via IAPs, that means they can avoid higher prices prompted by these fees, right? Well, not quite. The latest change actually makes very little difference to this situation and the prices you pay are unlikely to drop any time soon. High fees and hurdles (Image credit: Apple) While developers can now direct users to pay using a system outside of Apples control, they still have to pay a sizable commission to Apple on these payments. One of the conditions of the link entitlement is that IAPs must remain as an option within the app. That means developers cant prevent users from paying with a method that gives Apple a slice of the pie. Theres another caveat. Even when a user pays via a link entitlement, Apple takes a commission of between 12% and 27% on the purchase. Thats slightly lower than the standard 30% and 15% rates, but not by much. The only exception is if a user purchases something to be used in the app through a method that does not involve either the link entitlement or IAP. So, developers can make direct sales that were generated through online advertising or email marketing, for example, without paying a commission. In that case, we might pay a lower price for apps. There are a lot of other hurdles for developers. While they can mention that an external payment method might be cheaper, they cant actively discourage anyone from using Apples IAP method. The external link can only appear once in the app and cannot be displayed using a pop-up or modal window either. Theres more. App developers cannot include their external link as part of Apples IAP process, and must also show a system disclosure sheet when a user selects the link that tells them theyre leaving the Apple ecosystem and are heading to an external website. External links cant contain tracking measures and cant open in an in-app browser. The App Store info page cant mention the external payment method, and the linked website cannot mimic Apples IAP system, which Apple says is to minimize fraud and user confusion. In other words, there are a lot of hoops for developers to jump through. Even if they manage that, the benefit to going external isnt that great at all. While some developers had hoped that overcoming Apples IAP stranglehold would reduce the cut Apple took from their proceeds, the most likely outcome is that little will change in this way. And with all these requirements, actually using the link entitlement method might be a hassle for users, too. Whats Apples motivation? (Image credit: Apple) Why is Apple insisting on taking a large commission, despite the unpopularity of this move? Thats simple: Apple views its commission as a fair compensation for the service it provides to both users and developers. That includes enabling developers to get their apps seen, the distribution of the apps, ensuring a secure environment for users to download and pay for apps, marketing, support, and more. With these changes in effect, users might not save very much money since developers are being charged almost exactly the same rates by Apple, whether they use the IAP system or not. In fact, the user experience will probably be worse, since paying externally will involve more taps and might require additional account registrations. Developers are likely to be frustrated with the way Apple has rolled out these changes, as it also means more work for them (to both implement external payment methods and to avoid falling foul of Apples rules) without much tangible benefit to their users. Yet we probably shouldnt be too surprised that it turned out this way. For one thing, Apple believes it has put a lot of work into its operating systems and App Stores, and that it should therefore be allowed to monetize those systems. For another, the judge in the Apple vs Epic trial clearly ruled that Apples charging of a commission was not a problem. So dont expect major changes to the way you pay for apps or their contents any time soon. Things might appear different on the surface, but underneath theyll largely remain the same. You might also like iPhones in the EU could get iOS app sideloading next year here's what that means What is app sideloading? The rumored iOS 17 feature explained The legal battle between Apple and Epic heats up again as Supreme Court looms ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/software/apple-has-been-forced-to-change-a pp-store-purchases-but-its-still-found-a-way-to-win --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .