Apple rolls out peer group benchmarks for developers

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Apple Developer News:

Starting today, you can put your app’s performance into context using peer group benchmarks, which compare your app’s performance to that of similar apps on the App Store. Now you’ll have even more insights to help you identify growth opportunities.

Peer group benchmarks provide powerful new insights across the customer journey, so you can better understand what works well for your app and find opportunities for improvement. Apps are placed into groups based on their App Store category, business model, and download volume to ensure relevant comparisons. Using industry-leading differential privacy techniques, peer group benchmarks provide relevant and actionable insights — all while keeping the performance of individual apps private.

Having checked out the benchmark data for some of the apps I ship or work on, it’s evident Apple still has a way to go if they want these benchmarks to be on par with the data that’s available for Android developers via the Google Play Console. Where Google allow developers to create peer groups containing specific apps, Apple’s approach is based on your apps category, monetisation strategy and download count.

Google’s approach allows for comparison to your actual market competitors, Apple’s is far more generic and less meaningful. But given Apple’s stance towards privacy, and the clear emphasis on protecting individual app privacy it’s hard to see that changing.

On the flip-side, it’s fascinating to be able to compare some metrics and see how well your app is performing against other apps. It adds a valuable context to some of the metrics already available in App Store Connect.

Apple updates App Store pricing tiers

Apple's iPad and iPhone, digital

Apple announced late Friday a number of upcoming changes to App Store pricing tiers in countries across the world. Prices will increase in Colombia, Egypt, Hungary, Nigeria, Norway, South Africa, and the United Kingdom while they will decrease in Uzbekistan on February 13.

Prices in Ireland, Luxembourg, Singapore, and Zimbabwe won’t increase, but there will be changes to the proceeds shared with developers based on local tax changes.

By February 13, proceeds to developers will then increase in Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, Tajikistan, Thailand, and Uzbekistan.

Apple:

The App Store’s commerce and payments system was built to empower you to conveniently set up and sell your products and services at a global scale with 44 currencies across 175 Storefronts. Periodically, we update prices on the App Store in certain regions based on changes in taxes and foreign exchange rates. This is done using publicly available exchange rate information from financial data providers to help ensure prices for apps and in‑app purchases stay equalized across all storefronts.

Apple clarifies app removal policy

Apple has issued a note to developers after recent media reports about them removing apps from the App Store that haven’t been updated in 2+ years:

As part of the App Store Improvements process, developers of apps that have not been updated within the last three years and fail to meet a minimal download threshold — meaning the app has not been downloaded at all or extremely few times during a rolling 12 month period — receive an email notifying them that their app has been identified for possible removal from the App Store.

Apple always wants to help developers get and keep quality software on the App Store. That’s why developers can appeal app removals. And developers, including those who recently received a notice, will now be given more time to update their apps if needed — up to 90 days. Apps that are removed will continue to function as normal for users who have already downloaded the app on their device.

Apple Developer News & Updates

It’s unclear why this has suddenly made mainstream headlines, as this program has been ongoing for many years now since 2016. Perhaps this time around Apple has inadvertently targeted more popular app developers, or enough time has passed since the program was announced that many forgot about it?

If you do get hit by an app removal notice, you’ll now have 90 days (an increase from 30 days) to issue an update to keep the app in the store.

And based on the wording of the post, if your app continues to function and doesn’t require an update you can appeal to Apple to keep the app in the store.