Apple allows subscription price increases without explicit consent

Apple is changing its policy around auto-renewing subscriptions; allowing them to be increased in price without explicit user consent.

Under the previous policy, a user would be alerted to the price change and have to manually accept any increase. Failing to accept the new pricing would result in the subscription being automatically cancelled at the next renewal.

The new approach still alerts users to price changes but no longer requires the user to opt-in before it...

17 May 2022 | App Stores

Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey demos LDK for supporting fast Bitcoin payments

Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has demonstrated the Lightning Development Kit (LDK), a solution to help developers support fast Bitcoin payments via mobile and point-of-sale terminals.

Dorsey stepped down from Twitter to focus his efforts on Block (formerly Square) which, as a group, is aiming to boost the adoption of Bitcoin as a payment method.

The company’s Square Crypto project was rebranded to Spiral. The company is developing the LDK to enable developers to...

7 December 2021 | API

Apple is fighting Russia’s decision to let developers promote alternative payments

Apple is requesting a judicial review of Russia’s decision that developers must be allowed to promote alternative payment options.

In August, the country’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) issued a warning to Apple that clause 3.1 of the App Store Guidelines – which prohibits iOS app developers from informing in-app users about the possibility to pay for their purchases outside the App Store – breaches Russian antimonopoly legislation.

FAS gave Apple until 30...

6 December 2021 | App Stores

Apple appeals to delay App Store change following Epic’s single court victory

Apple has filed an appeal for a stay on an injunction following the firm’s court battle with Epic Games.

The injunction forces Apple to enable developers to direct users to payment methods away from the App Store. It’s an important change that means developers can avoid paying Apple a significant portion of their profits (despite a recent cut from 30 percent to 15 percent for most developers.)

“Epic believes that you have a right to save money thanks to using more...

11 October 2021 | App Stores

App Annie reveals the most popular SDKs following iOS 14.5’s release

Mobile data and analytics experts App Annie have shared the most popular SDKs following the release of iOS 14.5.

iOS 14.5 delivered significant new protections for user privacy which have drastically limited access to user-level data. A report from Flurry Analytics earlier this month discovered that 96 percent of iOS 14.5 users in the US are blocking ad tracking.

As to be expected, App Annie found that Apple’s own SDKs lead by unique iOS installs globally—taking the...

27 May 2021 | Developer

Cloud gaming will ‘fundamentally disrupt’ distribution, monetisation, and consumption

A report from GlobalData highlights the big changes that cloud gaming will bring to the industry which requires consideration.

Cloud gaming is still a small industry – representing around one percent of gaming revenue in 2020 – but it is expected to grow quickly as technologies like 5G continue to rollout and/or improve.

Rupantar Guha, Associate Project Director at GlobalData, said:

“In ten years, traditional PC and console games will have been replaced...

23 February 2021 | Cloud

Progressive Web Apps on Chrome OS will soon support in-app purchases

Google will soon enable support for in-app purchases in Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) on Chrome OS.

Mountain View has long been an advocate of PWAs—unsurprising, really, considering Google is the world’s largest web services company.

What is therefore surprising is how long it’s taken for Google to provide support for in-app purchases in PWAs on Chrome OS. Better late than never and all that, though.

Although Android apps are now supported on many...

10 December 2020 | Platforms