News On App Stores, July 2020

Apple App Store

More API capabilities are now available on App Store Connect to offer greater flexibility to automate and customize workflows. The new features include:

• Build and maintain the App Store product page by uploading and managing assets like screenshots, app previews, app description

• Create new versions of the app, set up pre-orders, manage phased releases for version updates, and submit the app to App Review.

• Monitor app performance indicators by downloading power and performance metrics and diagnostics logs.

• Manage additional resources associated with the developer account

Apple is working on removing non inclusive language across its developer ecosystem. The company encouraged developers to monitor deprecation warnings across their codebases and to move to the latest APIs available in the platform SDKs.

Full content and details (external sources): Developer.Apple.com

Google Play Store

Google Play Store now lets Europeans see content from other EEA countries. With some easy tricks even US residents can explore that same content.

Joker Android malware is back: it managed to bypass Google Play Store protection again.

“Categories” section has been re-designed to make it easier to navigate.

Search filters such as Rating, New and Premium apps are rolling out to more users

Microsoft and Google are working together to help developers get their Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) into the Play Store.

Full content and details (external sources): XDA Developers, Forbes, 9to5Google, Android Police, Thurrott

Huawei AppGallery

Growth in Europe: AppGallery now counts 33 million active users every month, the store Virtual registers more than 73 million Huawei IDs and more than 81,000 integrated apps in Europe 

Apps UP innovation contest: developers are invited to compete for $1 million in total cash prizes. The contest is seeking inventive uses of the functionality provided by HMS Core.

Full content and details (external sources): Techlapse, GsmArena