They could go back to the way it used to be, when you could open up the app store, see all of the categories than be able to see the top few hundred apps in each category, ranked by popularity. Now they have a manually curated feed of 1-2 apps per day, mostly pushing large companies like Nike or UNO. If they want to curate they should at least personalize the recommendations to each user, their current suggestions are full of apps for kids.
Back in the day if I wanted to find a good navigation app I could open up the app store, press on the navigation category and get a list of top navigation apps, determined by usage. Now it's:
open app > press "Apps" tab > scroll 10 pages worth of content down to "Top Categories" > press a small blue text button "See All" > select "Navigation" > scroll past hiking, charging and bike sharing recommended sections > find "Top Free" section > press "See All" > browse top apps
From talking to a lot of users of my app I guarantee you that 90% of people never make it past the hand picked suggestions that Apple decides to show everyone. To make things worse their search is completely broken, I just searched "maps" and got:
0. Paid Ad for Google Maps
1. Apple Maps
2. "Brainstorm and Mind-Map Your Ideas" ("Story")
3. Google Maps
4. Google Photos
5. Facebook Messenger
6. Gmail
7. Waze
A new mapping app has no shot at getting discovered the way Waze did back in the day unless it raises millions of dollars and blows all of it on Apple, Google and Facebook ads.
Now they have a manually curated feed of 1-2 apps per day, mostly pushing large companies like Nike or UNO
Marco Arment is a one man shop who saw success with both InstaPaper before he sold it and now Overcast. Overcast is often featured in the App Store.
David “Underscore” Smith is another indie Mac developer who is frequently featured in the iOS App Store and the Watch App Store. Not to mention apps like Carrot Weather and Dark Skies.
On another note what shot does an indie musician have to being successful?
m_ke's point is that you shouldn't have to be hand-picked by Apple like that to be successful. Apps that people rate highly and download more should have the benefit of being on the front page.
open app > press "Apps" tab > scroll 10 pages worth of content down to "Top Categories" > press a small blue text button "See All" > select "Navigation" > scroll past hiking, charging and bike sharing recommended sections > find "Top Free" section > press "See All" > browse top apps
Maybe you and m_ke are using different versions of iOS.
Open App Store. This is what the screen looks like.
Apps
Watch With Family
Disney+
Stream Pixar’s Latest hit
[ Screen shot of Onward]
Popular Apps. [See All]
Today | Games | Apps | Arcade | Search
If you click on Games you see “essential game picks”.
If you click on Apps, you see “Popular Apps”.
The entire issue with “popular free apps” is that it never gives other apps the opportunity to gain exposure and the same apps stay popular for years at a time. Apps like Facebook would get exposure forever.
Back in the day if I wanted to find a good navigation app I could open up the app store, press on the navigation category and get a list of top navigation apps, determined by usage. Now it's:
open app > press "Apps" tab > scroll 10 pages worth of content down to "Top Categories" > press a small blue text button "See All" > select "Navigation" > scroll past hiking, charging and bike sharing recommended sections > find "Top Free" section > press "See All" > browse top apps
From talking to a lot of users of my app I guarantee you that 90% of people never make it past the hand picked suggestions that Apple decides to show everyone. To make things worse their search is completely broken, I just searched "maps" and got:
0. Paid Ad for Google Maps
1. Apple Maps
2. "Brainstorm and Mind-Map Your Ideas" ("Story")
3. Google Maps
4. Google Photos
5. Facebook Messenger
6. Gmail
7. Waze
A new mapping app has no shot at getting discovered the way Waze did back in the day unless it raises millions of dollars and blows all of it on Apple, Google and Facebook ads.