Apple cracks down on apps with 'free' in the name

Apple is making more moves to clean up its App Store.

After cracking down on outdated apps, the company is now placing restrictions on how developers describe their apps. Apple is now rejecting updated and new app submissions that have the word "free" in the name, VentureBeat reports.

"Your app’s name, icons, screenshots, or previews to be displayed on the App Store include references to your app’s price," Apple reportedly pointed out.

"Please remove any references to your app’s price from your app’s name, including any references to your app being free or discounted."

Apple has yet to comment on the change other than to confirm its existence but the policy change is yet another sign Cupertino is looking to clean up its App Store.

The company is also cracking down on outdated apps that haven't been optimized for newer iPhones and iPads, which could include as many as 200,000 apps. That's in addition to the 47,000 apps Apple removed earlier this year.

While the change in how developers describe their apps in the App Store seems like a more subtle shift, it fits with the company's ongoing efforts to scrub old and low-quality apps out of its store. Many developers use "free" in their app names to try and game the store's search algorithms and lure new users.

Doing so may help an app appear higher in some search results but few high-quality apps actually use the word "free" in their name (with the possible exception of apps that have both a free and paid app). Apple could now be trying to crack down on apps with spammy-sounding names to improve the overall quality of its App Store,

Or, the company could simply be trying to reduce confusion. As Apple notes in its developer guidelines, referencing a price in an app name could be confusing to people in other countries where the price may be different.

Whatever the case, we're likely hear more in at Apple's World Wide Developer Conference later this year.

Comments

New photos show Tesla's massive Nevada factory is coming along

'Guess we shouldn't be too surprised that the what's going to be world's largest factory...continues to get larger. Tesla's Gigafactory, a gleaming white structure amid the muted browns surrounding Reno, Nevada, seems to be coming along, according to photos snapped by NM Group, a company that describes itself as specializing in "surveying and mapping, asset modeling and management, and engineering." The group was recently mapping the area for potential power lines on behalf of an electricity company, according to Tim Hustwayte, a senior client manager based in the United Kingdom. The route took them close to the Gigafactory, and they got some shots that appear to show the factory having bulked up since Tesla's battery cell began rolling off production lines at the start of the year. The Gigafactory employed nearly 3,000 people at the start of the year, less than half of how many people are expected to be employed there...

The Freedom 251 isn’t dead, it’s returned as the Freedom 420 4G feature phone for Rs 420(6.48$)

As we’re all aware by now, the Freedom 251 smartphone turned out to be a sham. The makers of the smartphone, resellers to be precise, were unable to follow through on their promise of delivering a smartphone at Rs 251 to the Indian public. Practically speaking, building such a smartphone was impossible to begin with. The bill of materials alone would place the cost of the device at over Rs 1,000 and despite claims of unnamed “partnerships” and tax breaks under the Make In India initiative, it would have been impossible to bring down the price of the smartphone and the plan fizzled out. Reality struck a harsh blow to the company and it’s offices have since been shut down. The original owners have also quietly disappeared and at least one has been arrested. It now appears that the company never gave up trying. We’ve learned that the company, now under new management, has taken a more realistic approach to the problem and have come up with yet another outra...

Google has started the rollout of Android 7.1.2 for Nexus and Pixel devices

Google is now rolling out a new version of Android to Nexus and Pixel devices in the market. The new version of Android is not Android O as you may think but Android Nougat 7.1.2. The company initially released a beta version for Android 7.1.2 back in January along with the second beta back in March. The new update is nothing significant and does not add any additional functionality to the operating system except the fingerprint scanner gesture. The fingerprint scanner gesture is coming to Nexus 6P and 5X along with Pixel launcher for Pixel C tablet. The update also added the option to choose where you want to set the live wallpapers along with a new battery usage list as detailed by Android Police . The option to choose where you want to set the live wallpapers gives you the option to choose if you want to only apply the current live wallpaper to the homescreen or the lockscreen also. The new battery usage list presents a ‘Usage alerts’ list where ...

TechCruuse

Search This Blog