News On App Stores, January 2021

App Store

Preparing for Strong Customer Authentication transactions in the European Economic Area

By December 31, 2020, legislation from the European Union introduced Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) requirements for users in the European Economic Area (EEA). While the App Store and Apple Pay will support Strong Customer Authentication, you’ll need to verify your app’s implementation of StoreKit and Apple Pay to ensure purchases are handled correctly.

For in-app purchases that require SCA, the user is prompted to authenticate their credit or debit card. They’re taken out of the purchase flow to the bank or payment service provider’s website or app for authentication, then redirected to the App Store where they’ll see a message letting them know that their purchase is complete. 

Apple Pay includes built-in authentication and doesn’t require additional authentication by banks.

Full content and details (external sources): Apple Developer

More on App Store 

• In a brief interview with Fox News, Apple CEO Tim Cook discussed the social responsibility of tech platforms and the potential return of Parler. In an earlier interview, Cook said that Parler could return to the App Store once it begins to follow Apple's Terms of Service.

Full content and details (external sources): AppleInsider

• A German developer and lobbyist has filed a complaint with the EU, claiming that both Apple and Google are unfairly rejecting apps with coronavirus themes.

Full content and details (external sources): AppleInsider

• Apple has been hit with a lawsuit claiming that it hosts, facilities, and benefits from an illegal gambling enterprise on the App Store. While the lawsuit focuses on casino apps, it targets Apple specifically for hosting the apps — and for taking a 30% cut of in-app purchases.

Full content and details (external sources): AppleInsider

Google Play Store

Now developers, publishers, and users will be able to see a new rank change icon in its top app lists on Google Play. They will know which apps are trending and which ones are seeing a fall on the Play store charts.

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

FAU-G, aka Fearless and United Guards, is now available to download on Google Play. Pre-registration for the game was live since December 2020 and that surpassed four million just a few days ago. According to the developers, the game is compatible with handsets running Android 8 and above. 

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

Signal is now at the top of the charts on the App Store in India. The app is on the number one position in the top free apps in the Indian market, while on Google Play store, it takes the third position thanks to WhatsApp Privacy Change.

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

Huawei App Gallery

Huawei announced a redesigned update to its App Gallery app with a revamped user interface and a new ‘Featured’ tab that improves the users’ ability to discover new apps. Let’s see what’s new about the latest Huawei AppGallery APK [11.1.1.305]:

• Apps and Games are now split into two tabs with reviews and rating made more accessible for users to see what others think of the apps.

• A Campaign tab shows app promotions like Cashback discounts, ‘Lucky Draws’, and Challenges which reward users for trying or buying new apps.

• The Featured Tab will show a card-style feed that gives a quick overview of the featured apps including pictures, guides, and articles relating to the app.

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena