Apple is expanding the number of ads that appear in App Store search results. In an update on its Apple Ads website today, the company detailed that it will introduce more ads “to increase opportunity in search results” starting next year.
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To comply with the Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA), Apple has announced a set of major changes to the App Store and iPhone in Japan. The changes include new app distribution options for developers and new alternative payment rules for the App Store.
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On the heels of unveiling the App Store Awards winners last week, Apple today unveiled the most downloaded apps and games of the year in the United States. This year, the most downloaded free iPhone app was ChatGPT, while the top paid iPhone app was HotSchedules.
Meanwhile, the top free iPhone game was Block Blast!, while the top paid iPhone game was Minecraft: Dream it, Build it.
Head below for the full list of the top iPhone and iPad apps and games of 2025.
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After announcing the finalists last month, Apple today officially announced the winners of the 2025 App Store Awards. This year, the App Store Awards recognize 17 apps and games for their “technical ingenuity and lasting cultural impact.”
The winners were selected by App Store Editors for “demonstrating exceptional innovation, user experience, and design.”
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Roblox, one of the most popular kids’ apps in the world, is now requiring children as young as nine years old to submit a video selfie for age verification.
While the developer is doing this for good reasons, it adds further weight to the argument that Apple and Google, rather than individual app developers, should be responsible for age verification …
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Apple was today denied permission to appeal the result of a billion-dollar lawsuit filed by UK app developers accusing the company of abusive commission levels.
The company last month lost the case and a hearing today is deciding how the damages are calculated. If the ruling stands, it is expected to end up costing Apple anywhere between £1B and £2B ($1.3B to $2.6B) – but Apple is expected to counter this with four arguments …
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Apple’s monopoly on the sale of iPhone apps is set to be further eroded according to a new tweet showing third-party app stores in the iOS 26.2 beta in Japan. This follows a ruling by Japan’s Fair Trade Commission in August that both Apple and Google must allow alternative app stores.
This will make Japan the 29th country to get third-party app stores for the iPhone, with others set to follow as courts and antitrust regulators continue to issue rulings …
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Apple recently explained how it will comply with an App Store age verification law in Texas, and it will now face a similar requirement in California.
Apple found a privacy-respecting approach to the Texas law, and it seems that it will be able to adopt a similar one here …
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The controversy over Apple removing ICEBlock from the App Store is showing no signs of ending. The latest development is a former Apple marketing veteran challenging Tim Cook on the company’s human rights values.
Wiley Hodges worked for Apple for more than 20 years, the last 15 of them as a director of marketing and product management, and he’s written an open letter to Cook expressing his dismay at the decision …
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Apple has frequently cited insecure and scam apps as justification for wanting all iPhone apps to be sold exclusively in the company’s own App Store.
Numerous reports, however, have found that there is no shortage of scam apps making it through Apple’s app review process, and the company is now under fresh legal scrutiny in the EU over this issue …
Update September 23, 2025, 10:41am PT: Apple has issued the following statement to 9to5Mac:
“As digital threats have evolved in scope and complexity over the years, Apple has expanded its antifraud initiatives to address these challenges and protect users. Every day, teams across Apple monitor and investigate fraudulent activity and utilize sophisticated tools to stop bad actors. Unfortunately, the European Commission is undermining our efforts by forcing Apple to allow alternative app distribution and payments, despite warnings that this puts users at greater risk of fraud and scams. While the regulator focuses on issuing misguided and counterproductive threats of investigation and fines, we will continue to advocate for the safety and security of our users.”
Apple says that in the last five years, the App Store has prevented over $9 billion in fraudulent transactions, including over $2 billion in 2024 alone.
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Fortnite returned to the App Store in the US back in May after a federal court ruling, and is now set to return to iOS in Australia through the Epic Games store after a similar judgment there.
While Epic Games celebrated the ruling, the fate of the app in other countries still remains far from certain – and its availability in the US may be temporary …
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Last month, Apple announced another set of major changes to the App Store in the European Union, as part of its ongoing back-and-forth with regulators about the Digital Markets Act.
According to a new report from Reuters, Apple’s latest changes just might be enough to satisfy the European Commission.
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As expected, Apple has today formally appealed the €500 million fine it received from the European Commission for allegedly violating the Digital Markets Act.
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White House condemnation of a free app has drawn substantial attention to it, helping ICEBlock become the most popular social networking app in the App Store, beating out apps like X and Instagram.
ICEBlock alerts people to sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in their area, following a major immigration crackdown by the White House. Update: The US attorney general has said the app’s developer “had better watch out” – see end of the piece …
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Apple last week announced an insanely complex set of changes to its App Store terms in the EU, and hidden in the small–print is one sign that the company might be reducing its standard commission from 30% to 20%, and that it may make this change globally.
If so, it would be the first time the company has ever reduced its 30% cut for all developers, and might go a long way to tackling its legal battles with antitrust regulators around the world …
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In April, Apple was fined 500 million euros for violating the Digital Markets Act in the European Union. Since that penalty was announced, however, the company hasn’t detailed any further changes to its App Store Guidelines to avoid future fines.
A new report from the Financial Times today says that Apple is “locked in last-minute” negotiations with the European Commission about ways to ease its App Store anti-steering provisions.
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Ahead of WWDC next week, Apple is out with a new report today touting how the App Store “helps developers reach new heights.” According to Apple, the global App Store “supported” $1.3 trillion in billings and sales in 2024.
This comes after Apple touted the $406 billion impact of the App Store in the United States alone last week.
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