Apple has simply revealed a captivating peek backstage of the App Retailer, revealing simply what number of apps the corporate evaluations on an annual foundation — and what number of of these it rejects for varied causes.
The information comes from Apple’s 2022 App Retailer Transparency Report, a doc that it agreed to start publishing in 2021 as a part of a class-action settlement with a bunch of builders.
In placing a constructive spin on the choice, Apple stated it “agreed to create an annual transparency report based mostly on that knowledge, which is able to share significant statistics in regards to the app overview course of, together with the variety of apps rejected for various causes, the variety of buyer and developer accounts deactivated, goal knowledge concerning search queries and outcomes, and the variety of apps faraway from the App Retailer.”
Now it seems that Apple is fulfilling that promise with its new transparency report, and the info affords some fascinating insights into what number of apps Apple’s overview group truly needed to take care of in 2022.
First up, the full variety of apps on the App Retailer in 2022 was 1,783,232. Nonetheless, throughout that very same 12 months, Apple additionally rejected 1,679,694 app submissions.
To be clear, every “app submission” doesn’t essentially symbolize a person app. Within the positive print, Apple notes that “Apps could also be submitted to App Evaluation a number of instances earlier than they’re accredited for launch on the App Retailer.” It additionally presumably contains updates to present apps, which should additionally cross by means of the App Retailer overview group.
Whereas 1.6 million rejections sounds a bit harsh, it’s vital to place that within the added context of the 6,101,913 complete submissions reviewed. This implies Apple rejected round 27% of all app submissions to the App Retailer. Nonetheless, not all of those had been everlasting rejections — builders can repair the problems and resubmit their apps, and chronic sufficient builders ought to finally get an approval, offered they’re not attempting to push by means of an app that flagrantly violates the App Retailer Pointers.
The overwhelming majority of apps doubtless fell into this class, as Apple notes that 1,018,416 app submissions had been rejected for non-compliance with App Retailer efficiency pointers. These can embody every little thing from apps that appear incomplete, unfinished, or in a “beta” stage to people who “quickly drain battery, generate extreme warmth, or put pointless pressure on system assets.”
One other 92,598 app submissions had been rejected for Security causes. This contains apps that include “objectionable content material” corresponding to hate speech, excessive violence, pornography, or “false data and options,” in addition to those who may encourage customers to threat bodily hurt to themselves or mishandle a consumer’s knowledge.
There have been 152,391 app submissions rejected for not complying with Enterprise pointers, which typically cowl inappropriate use of in-app purchases and subscriptions, from attempting to rip-off customers with deceptive or misleading in-app purchases to people who try to avoid Apple’s fee system. Nonetheless, apps can be rejected on this class merely for not being clear sufficient about what an in-app subscription affords or the way it works. In such circumstances, builders could be suggested what to appropriate and will hopefully repair it and get their app accredited on re-submission.
There have been additionally 212,464 rejections for failing to stick to the mandatory Design pointers, which incorporates “copycat apps” and those who aren’t notably helpful, corresponding to advertising and marketing supplies, “digital enterprise card” apps, and books or music being distributed as an app.
Lastly, Apple rejected 441,972 submissions within the Authorized class, which typically covers the shortage of correct privateness insurance policies for delicate data like well being and monetary knowledge, not adhering to guidelines concerning the gathering of knowledge from youngsters, and mental property violations.
App Removals
Apple additionally reported eradicating 186,195 apps from the App Retailer final 12 months, with essentially the most outstanding classes being Video games (38,883) and Utilities (20,045). Of the full variety of apps eliminated, 149,378 had been pulled for violating App Retailer Design pointers, whereas 32,009 had been eliminated for fraud.
Of these, 1,474 apps had been faraway from the App Retailer because of “authorities takedown calls for,” and, not surprisingly, the overwhelming majority of these calls for got here from China — 1,435 in complete.
Nonetheless, that will not be as sinister because it sounds. Within the positive print, Apple notes that “There have been 1276 sport apps eliminated for lack of a legally required GRN license.” That is one thing that’s been an ongoing drawback in China, and appears to be extra of an financial concern than a political one.
There have been additionally 14 apps eliminated in India, 10 in Pakistan, and seven in Russia, on the request of every of these international locations’ governments. Nonetheless, as Apple explains, these apps are solely eliminated in these international locations’ App Shops; they’ll stay on sale elsewhere.
Builders and Clients
In 2022, Apple reported 36,974,015 energetic registered builders and 428,487 accounts terminated for violations of the Developer Licence Program Settlement (DLPA). 428,249 of those had been because of fraud, whereas the remaining 238 had been associated to “export management” points. 3,338 of those had been appealed, and 159 had been restored because of these appeals.
Apple additionally terminated over 1 / 4 of a billion App Retailer buyer accounts in 2022 — a staggering 282,036,628 accounts. It doesn’t supply any specifics on why these had been terminated, however they had been doubtless associated to fraudulent transactions, corresponding to accounts set as much as benefit from reward card scams. Apple provides that it prevented over two billion {dollars} ($2,090,195,480) in fraudulent transactions on the App Retailer.
The report additionally reveals that Apple had a median of 656,739,889 App Retailer guests per week throughout 2022, with a median of 747,873,877 apps downloaded for the primary time every week and 1,539,274,266 apps being redownloaded every week. Nonetheless, that pales in comparison with the 40 billion automated app updates that happen every week.
Apple’s full 2022 App Retailer Transparency Report might be considered right here.