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Why is the App Store application search process so horrible? I agree, "Signal" and "Whisper" are bad things to have to search for, but there's basically no way

by rdl 12y ago

Why is the App Store application search process so horrible? I agree, "Signal" and "Whisper" are bad things to have to search for, but there's basically no way to enter a simple memorable text string in the store and get the right app. I ended up using a browser on the phone to go to the HN article to go to the right app store link. I can't believe this hasn't been solved.

wmeredith 12y ago
Apple has kind of always sucked at search. It's a shame, considering the quality of the rest of their ecosystem.
- ableal 12y ago
  Word. The other day I typed the correct name of an app into the Apple web search box, no hits. Try Google, first hit straight to the app store. Last month I posted the John Dvorak piece where he suggests Apple should buy themselves some search - http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2458892,00.asp http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2458892,00.asp ; it features an amusing pic proposing DuckDuckGo http://www9.pcmag.com/media/images/429429-apple-isearch-mockup-apple-duckduckgo.jpg?thumb=y&width=740&height=426 http://www9.pcmag.com/media/images/429429-apple-isearch-mock...
thefreeman 12y ago
Perhaps the idea is to encourage browsing? Like how stores like Target and Walmart move things around all the time with the goal of forcing you to explore the store. Regardless I agree trying to find apps through any of the built in app stores is a nightmare, ios, android, and windows alike.
- graeme 12y ago
  >Perhaps the idea is to encourage browsing? Like how stores like Target and Walmart move things around all the time with the goal of forcing you to explore the store. It's a different situation though. In a physical store, you won't leave the store on a whim. In the app store, you can easily exit if distracted by a text, twitter, etc.
- rdl 12y ago
  It seems worth giving iOS apps "distinctive" names just to win the type-in traffic, if it doesn't work better; or at least having a weird company name with a boring product name so people can at least search on product. Maybe kids these days do EVERYTHING on mobile, including web browsing to find new apps; my problem is I browse on one platform without iTunes, but want the app on my iPhone.
dm2 12y ago
It might not be in there yet. The app was released about an hour ago.
- n6mac41717 12y ago
  https://itunes.apple.com/app/id874139669 https://itunes.apple.com/app/id874139669 Got to it on the company website, but on a desktop browser (can't find it using my phone browser). So I emailed the URL to myself to click on it in my phone mail client :-)
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
mox1 12y ago
It's really horrible on the iOS store, less so on Google play. I am like ranked 100+ on a certain low volume, extremely specific keyword that has approximately 20 actual apps related to that keyword in the store. This keyword is in my apps name. The other 80 are just random games and apps that happen to be more popular and Apple has somehow correlated to my keyword. It's a free app and I don't advertise. It sucks that people looking for my solution specifically will never even find it. I'm amazed it ever gets downloaded to be honest... On Google play, they at least take the name of the app vs. search term into account pretty heavily. So if I name an app "Widget Doodad" I will be ranked amongst all of the other apps related to Widget, before non widget related apps show up.

by rdl 12y ago

wmeredith 12y ago

Apple has kind of always sucked at search. It's a shame, considering the quality of the rest of their ecosystem.

ableal 12y ago
Word. The other day I typed the correct name of an app into the Apple web search box, no hits. Try Google, first hit straight to the app store. Last month I posted the John Dvorak piece where he suggests Apple should buy themselves some search - http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2458892,00.asp http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2458892,00.asp ; it features an amusing pic proposing DuckDuckGo http://www9.pcmag.com/media/images/429429-apple-isearch-mockup-apple-duckduckgo.jpg?thumb=y&width=740&height=426 http://www9.pcmag.com/media/images/429429-apple-isearch-mock...

thefreeman 12y ago

Perhaps the idea is to encourage browsing? Like how stores like Target and Walmart move things around all the time with the goal of forcing you to explore the store. Regardless I agree trying to find apps through any of the built in app stores is a nightmare, ios, android, and windows alike.

graeme 12y ago
>Perhaps the idea is to encourage browsing? Like how stores like Target and Walmart move things around all the time with the goal of forcing you to explore the store. It's a different situation though. In a physical store, you won't leave the store on a whim. In the app store, you can easily exit if distracted by a text, twitter, etc.
rdl 12y ago
It seems worth giving iOS apps "distinctive" names just to win the type-in traffic, if it doesn't work better; or at least having a weird company name with a boring product name so people can at least search on product. Maybe kids these days do EVERYTHING on mobile, including web browsing to find new apps; my problem is I browse on one platform without iTunes, but want the app on my iPhone.

dm2 12y ago

It might not be in there yet. The app was released about an hour ago.

n6mac41717 12y ago
https://itunes.apple.com/app/id874139669 https://itunes.apple.com/app/id874139669 Got to it on the company website, but on a desktop browser (can't find it using my phone browser). So I emailed the URL to myself to click on it in my phone mail client :-)

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

mox1 12y ago

It's really horrible on the iOS store, less so on Google play. I am like ranked 100+ on a certain low volume, extremely specific keyword that has approximately 20 actual apps related to that keyword in the store. This keyword is in my apps name. The other 80 are just random games and apps that happen to be more popular and Apple has somehow correlated to my keyword. It's a free app and I don't advertise. It sucks that people looking for my solution specifically will never even find it. I'm amazed it ever gets downloaded to be honest... On Google play, they at least take the name of the app vs. search term into account pretty heavily. So if I name an app "Widget Doodad" I will be ranked amongst all of the other apps related to Widget, before non widget related apps show up.