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I used to love browsing the app store looking for cool apps. Now I can't even trust searching for the app by name because sometimes a completely different app s

I used to love browsing the app store looking for cool apps. Now I can't even trust searching for the app by name because sometimes a completely different app shows up, and then there is the case of appstore ads. It's a joke.

FridayoLeary 5y ago
It's a bit unfair to state that you are the only option when it comes to ios apps, to then push ads on your captive customers and provide them with a lower quality of service. iPhone is a premium product, ads have always seemed to me to be a symbol of tacky seediness, a cheap alternative for the masses. It's not in line with Apples image. At least it shouldn't be.
- swiley 5y ago
  The iPhone is certainly expensive, but it's a bit to abusive to its users to be called "premium." Maybe if it had a self hosting dev environment like macs do but certainly not the way it is now.
- Apocryphon 5y ago
  Not adding ads to a platform was the whole basis of "A million dollars isn't cool. You know what's cool? A billion dollars is cool." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5fJmkv02is&t=93s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5fJmkv02is&t=93s
judge2020 5y ago
At least the App Store ads are completely contextual.
- wilde 5y ago
  Not for long. The search page by default shows one non-contextual app above their ranked list of apps you might like.
  - actuator 5y ago
    Also, these ads along with ones in News and Stocks are targeted ads based on a user targeting profile from your data. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27261273 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27261273
    - selsta 5y ago
      Personalized ads can be disabled in Settings -> Privacy -> Apple ads.
      - hu3 5y ago
        So Apple pushes others to be Opt-in meanwhile they are Opt-out?
        selsta 5y ago
        The Apple ad setting is about personalized ads, not tracking. > App Tracking Transparency allows you to choose whether an app can track your activity across other companies’ apps and websites for the purposes of advertising or sharing with data brokers. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212025 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212025 Apple does not track you across other companies' apps and websites so I don't see how this is related. Facebook can still do personalized ads even if you click on "ask app not to track".
yingbo 5y ago
Totally agree. I'm using your phone, your app store and download APP which leads me paying 30% to you, and you show me Ads for more money?!
smoldesu 5y ago
That's because Apple introduced their own targeted ads, which you don't need to opt-in to (since there is no opt-out). See more below: https://searchads.apple.com/advanced/ https://searchads.apple.com/advanced/
cmckn 5y ago
This is another way to extract money from developers -- you have to purchase the search ad for your own app in order to show up first when someone searches for the exact name of your app. Not only does this cost feel a bit silly, it can also be substantial. From the blog's author, Marco Arment, who develops Overcast: https://twitter.com/marcoarment/status/1392089383864393728/photo/1 https://twitter.com/marcoarment/status/1392089383864393728/p... CPT (cost for a single tap): $2.18 CPA (cost for a single download): $53.43
- tshaddox 5y ago
  Would fewer restrictions on publishing apps that pretend to be other apps somehow improve the situation?
  - tobr 5y ago
    Trust is supposed to be one of the things the AppStore provides, which is used as an argument against third-party stores. But since Apple is failing so miserably in this regard it’s not a good argument.
    - tshaddox 5y ago
      I agree that Apple is nowhere near restrictive enough with what makes it into the App Store, which is an argument that they ought to be more restrictive.
      - username90 5y ago
        Which is an argument for why they should either be regulated or be forced to introduce competition since otherwise there is no incentive for them to fix these issues.
      - tobr 5y ago
        They should start by being more restrictive with the problems they’ve created for themselves, like ads in search, fake reviews, and editorial recommendations for the worst-of-the-worst adware.
JoeyJoJoJr 5y ago
I recently released an app with one word purposely misspelt (the first word has a z at the end instead of an s). Even if you type in the full app name it still appears as the 5th search result.

FridayoLeary 5y ago

It's a bit unfair to state that you are the only option when it comes to ios apps, to then push ads on your captive customers and provide them with a lower quality of service. iPhone is a premium product, ads have always seemed to me to be a symbol of tacky seediness, a cheap alternative for the masses. It's not in line with Apples image. At least it shouldn't be.

swiley 5y ago
The iPhone is certainly expensive, but it's a bit to abusive to its users to be called "premium." Maybe if it had a self hosting dev environment like macs do but certainly not the way it is now.
Apocryphon 5y ago
Not adding ads to a platform was the whole basis of "A million dollars isn't cool. You know what's cool? A billion dollars is cool." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5fJmkv02is&t=93s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5fJmkv02is&t=93s

judge2020 5y ago

At least the App Store ads are completely contextual.

wilde 5y ago
Not for long. The search page by default shows one non-contextual app above their ranked list of apps you might like.
- actuator 5y ago
  Also, these ads along with ones in News and Stocks are targeted ads based on a user targeting profile from your data. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27261273 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27261273
  - selsta 5y ago
    Personalized ads can be disabled in Settings -> Privacy -> Apple ads.
    - hu3 5y ago
      So Apple pushes others to be Opt-in meanwhile they are Opt-out?
      - selsta 5y ago
        The Apple ad setting is about personalized ads, not tracking. > App Tracking Transparency allows you to choose whether an app can track your activity across other companies’ apps and websites for the purposes of advertising or sharing with data brokers. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212025 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212025 Apple does not track you across other companies' apps and websites so I don't see how this is related. Facebook can still do personalized ads even if you click on "ask app not to track".

yingbo 5y ago

Totally agree. I'm using your phone, your app store and download APP which leads me paying 30% to you, and you show me Ads for more money?!

smoldesu 5y ago

That's because Apple introduced their own targeted ads, which you don't need to opt-in to (since there is no opt-out). See more below: https://searchads.apple.com/advanced/ https://searchads.apple.com/advanced/

cmckn 5y ago

This is another way to extract money from developers -- you have to purchase the search ad for your own app in order to show up first when someone searches for the exact name of your app. Not only does this cost feel a bit silly, it can also be substantial. From the blog's author, Marco Arment, who develops Overcast: https://twitter.com/marcoarment/status/1392089383864393728/photo/1 https://twitter.com/marcoarment/status/1392089383864393728/p... CPT (cost for a single tap): $2.18 CPA (cost for a single download): $53.43

tshaddox 5y ago
Would fewer restrictions on publishing apps that pretend to be other apps somehow improve the situation?
- tobr 5y ago
  Trust is supposed to be one of the things the AppStore provides, which is used as an argument against third-party stores. But since Apple is failing so miserably in this regard it’s not a good argument.
  - tshaddox 5y ago
    I agree that Apple is nowhere near restrictive enough with what makes it into the App Store, which is an argument that they ought to be more restrictive.
    - username90 5y ago
      Which is an argument for why they should either be regulated or be forced to introduce competition since otherwise there is no incentive for them to fix these issues.
    - tobr 5y ago
      They should start by being more restrictive with the problems they’ve created for themselves, like ads in search, fake reviews, and editorial recommendations for the worst-of-the-worst adware.

JoeyJoJoJr 5y ago

I recently released an app with one word purposely misspelt (the first word has a z at the end instead of an s). Even if you type in the full app name it still appears as the 5th search result.