Despite the controversies, the App Store is earning more and more. Developers have earned more than $260 billion from Apple’s App Store since its launch in 2008, Apple said on Monday. The App Store is now used by more than 600 million people each week in 175 countries. The Apple brand has shared these new numbers with a host of others that highlight the growth of its increasingly important services business.
“Apple’s suite of world-class services proved essential in 2021 as the world sought new ways to be entertained, informed, connected and inspired,” said Eddy Cue. , SVP of Apple Services, in a press release issued on Monday. “With over 745 million claimed paid subscriptions, Apple continues to connect developers, artists and storytellers around the world with its users on more than one billion devices. “
As a reminder, Apple has had a major service business for several years. In October, the company reported services revenue up 27% for the fourth quarter, reaching $18.28 billion.
Apple shakes up its rules on the App Store
Faced with discontent from developers in recent months who felt they had been left behind by Cupertino, Apple recently updated its App Store review guidelines to take into account the agreement reached at the end of August with American developers.
With this agreement, Apple allows developers to use means of communication like email to share information about payment methods outside of their iOS applications, alternative methods thus avoiding paying a commission to the Cupertino giant. These changes are intended to create a fairer system for developers whose income depends on Apple’s platforms. The settlement allowed Apple to address its “anti-steering” accusations and end a two-year class action lawsuit brought by about 67,000 developers.
Changes in Apple’s policy took effect amid a legal battle with the publisher of Fortnite, Epic Games. Apple this month appealed a September ruling in the United States seeking a stay of an injunction to allow iOS app developers to offer their own in-app purchases. In 2021, Google and Apple halved their in-app commissions, to 15%, for the first $1 million of annual developer sales.