iOS users having issues with downloading & updating apps from the App Store

If you think it’s your iPhone that has an issue updating your Netflix or Snapchat apps, you’re not alone. Users have been reporting on Twitter that a number of apps can’t seem to be updated on the Apple App Store, these include Netflix and Snapchat. Aside from updating, certain users can’t download select apps, which also include the two aforementioned apps. What some users experience is when you tap the “Get” or “Update” buttons, these seem to disappear for a split second as if the app is downloading but then these buttons or the iCloud button just reappears. Apple hasn’t updated its system status page yet but Apple doesn’t update this immediately in most cases.

Source: 9to5Mac

Apple to start showing ads in App Store

Google’s done it to the Play Store last year and now Apple’s bringing it into its own App Store in the U.S. iOS users will soon see paid ads show up when you search for specific apps in the App Store. Apple claims they’ll show no more than one ad marked in blue at the top of the search list when you look by name or subject. The tech giant claims this it a way to bring visibility to apps that are finding it hard to get noticed in an increasingly crowded app market. Apple promises that wealthy advertisers won’t dominate the results and they are working on ways to help users find new apps.

Aside from this, Apple is encouraging app-makers to sell their apps on a subscription basis. They promise these developers bigger revenue cut (from 70 percent to 85 percent) if consumers maintain their subscription for at least a year. This, they say, will help give developers a more reliable and long-term stream of income.

Source: Apple

Apple raises prices for App Store in Canada

Canada joins six other markets (Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, and South Africa) that will have Apple App Store prices raised. The price hike will include in-app purchases. For Canada, Tier 1 pricing will go up from $1.19 to $1.39, which means a $1 app in the U.S. App Store will cost $1.39 on the Canadian App Store. The price change is said to be in line with the fluctuating foreign currency exchange rates against the US dollar. Apple also plans to expand its low-price tiers Alternate Tier A and Alternate Tier B to Canada, these are valued at 99 cents in local dollars and said to be used for smaller in-app purchases.

If you have in-app subscriptions that will be renewed soon, you should receive an email informing you about the price increase and it should give you an option to cancel your subscription. You can find read more about the complete list of pricing updates from this PDF document published by Apple.

Source: MacRumors

Apple App Store gets Shopping category

It has been a bit tough for mobile shopping apps to be spotted on Apple’s App Store because these apps were previously located in the Lifestyle section of the store. Thankfully, Apple is giving them their own space with the new Shopping category—just in time for holiday shopping season. This doesn’t just help reduce a number of apps in the Lifestyle section, it also helps put the spotlight on apps that support Apple Pay, the company’s mobile payments technology. But this section won’t be limited to shopping apps, it also houses apps that will help you find apps that specialize in deals, latest trends, price checks, as well as product reviews.

To celebrate the new section, Apple also launched new featured collections such as “Save While You Shop” for deals and discounts, “Shop for Everything” with a variety of themes like “Chic,” “Rugged,” “Play Dates,” etc.

Source: TechCrunch