After a number of first - party apps were found to have outstandingly high rankings , Apple has at long last updated the App Store ’s lookup algorithm to “ handicap ” itself and help make apps from other developers easier to find .
Just do n’t call this change a mistake , because grant to arecent statement given to the New York Timesby Apple execs Phil Schiller and Eddy Cue , it ’s more of an improvement . Cue said “ we make mistake all the time , ” which Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller followed up by saying “ We ’re happy to admit when we do . This was n’t a mistake . ”
Regardless of what you call it , Apple ’s recent change in how it ranks apps on the App Store follow allegations that Apple had been unfairly favoring its own apps , while apps from competing developers — include large names such as Netflix , Stitcher , and others — often yen scads or even one C of spots deep in the App Store ’s lookup results
Photo: (AP)
In its defense force , Apple claim part of the reasonableness why its apps were ranked highly is because users were using the App Store to detect apps like Apple Music that came pre - installed on their phones , which caused Apple ’s lookup algorithm to give those apps higher rank .
Apple also claims that another reason why so many of its first - political party apps prevail search resultant was due to an App Store feature that grouped apps by the app maker , which often result in a figure of Apple apps bunching up at the top .
Prior to 2016 , Apple did not really list its own apps in the app store , since those apps were include pre - install on the company ’s devices . However , after Apple began adding its apps to the App Store , as pick up in reports by both theWall Street Journaland theNew York Times , Apple ’s first - political party apps step by step began dominating search results , a trend which Apple engineers claimed they did n’t notice until months by and by .
So in July , Apple finally removed all of its apps from show up in search termination , which caused a number of first - party apps like Apple Wallet top bead in rank . Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller and Cue maintain that antecedently its search algorithm had been functioning aright , with Schiller say “ We can just severalize you that we ’ve not done anything to drive that — that is , other than launching a great wallet , an Apple Card and market the heck out of it . ”
That say , withAppleand other tech hulk like Google and Amazon having recently come under fire for potentially violating antitrust laws when it comes to their online marketplaces , these change to the App Store ’s search algorithms seem more like an attempt to stand off further investigation from regulators than a simple altruistic enterprise to support third - party devs .
Earlier this yr , after formal complaint made by Spotify , theEU launched an anti - trust investigation into Appleto examine if the party ’s recitation of taking a 30 percent issue for purchases made in the App Store give Apple first - company apps like Apple Music an unjust reward .
Either way , if you were wondering why it suddenly got a lot gentle to find third - political party apps on the App Store , now you know why . However , the full impact of Apple ’s change to its App Store are likely still yet to come .
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