[deleted]
Delisted Overnight: A Cautionary Tale for Indie iOS Developers
101–110 of 127 posts
Re: Delisted Overnight: A Cautionary Tale for Indie iOS Developers
#102Just installed the app. I wish I found this one earlier.
Re: Delisted Overnight: A Cautionary Tale for Indie iOS Developers
#103Take it from someone who’s worked with client apps making ten times as many downloads at similar price points: if you want to be successful in the app business you need to look beyond optimizing App Store search terms. You need to be marketing and promoting your application across multiple channels to a wider audience. It does not sound like this developer was doing that, so while it is sad he has had revenue slashed…
This is just another way of saying "Apple doesn't give a f*ck about indie developers." Might be true, but it's still shitty.
[deleted]
Re: Delisted Overnight: A Cautionary Tale for Indie iOS Developers
#104Earlier quoted context omitted.
MS had a monopoly on x86 operating systems, Apple does not have a monopoly on ARM operating systems.
How is this anything but a category error? Just as there are phones other than Apple's, there were computers other than Wintel boxes. I see nothing wrong with society demanding more accountability from those with more economic importance.
> Just as there are phones other than Apple's, there were computers other than Wintel boxes
Well the specific numbers matter, don't they? Microsoft had a massive overwhelming monopoly whereas iOS has healthy competition in Android.
> I see nothing wrong with society demanding more accountability from those with more economic importance.
I don't disagree, but why should we specifically target Apple's app store rather than say, for example, passing a law that prohibits selling locked down hardware that prevents the user from installing whatever software they choose?
Re: Delisted Overnight: A Cautionary Tale for Indie iOS Developers
#105I think he already has his answer- Apple doesn't guarantee search placement- though it is odd that he'd fall all the way off altogether. If you're relying on Apple (or Google) to feature you in their search results, you're already at their whim with no recourse.
That's a BS answer, and if it's the one Apple wants to give, then they should not be surprised when they 1) are seen by devs as a unattractive platform to build a business on 2) Get treated like a monopolist in courts.
No it isn't. They changed the algorithm in which apps appearin search. Should they have to go through every change of app order, contact that dev and explain why?
Re: Delisted Overnight: A Cautionary Tale for Indie iOS Developers
#106Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm not sure I understand this reasoning. Why should Apple or Google be responsible for promoting your app? If I walk into a supermarket and I don't see the item I wanted on their front feature displays (meaning I need to walk down the isle to find it), does that mean the supermarket is monopolistic? Does that mean the item vendor should stop selling their product in that supermarket?
I like this analogy, but there are some pretty big differences between a supermarket and the app store. The "aisle" on the app store goes on for miles. Sure the product may be there, but if it's a 5-10 minute walk down the aisle to get to it, I don't think may people would look that far. The item is technically there, but it's not exactly accessible. In this example there's also only one supermarket, the Apple app st…
> In this example there's also only one supermarket, the Apple app store.
But there is other apps stores. There is Googles, Amazons, even Samsung have one.
Re: Delisted Overnight: A Cautionary Tale for Indie iOS Developers
#107Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm not sure I understand this reasoning. Why should Apple or Google be responsible for promoting your app? If I walk into a supermarket and I don't see the item I wanted on their front feature displays (meaning I need to walk down the isle to find it), does that mean the supermarket is monopolistic? Does that mean the item vendor should stop selling their product in that supermarket?
Those situations are in no way comparable. It's wild to me you think they are. No one is saying they are responsible for promoting your app. What we're saying is that if they're going to lock down their platform so that you can't install apps without going through their store, then they shouldn't arbitrarily, with no explanation, destroy years of good will thats been built up by genuinely building and delivering a hi…
> destroy years of good will thats been built up by genuinely building and delivering a high quality app people love.
And how did they do that? By changing where it appears in one search. wow.
Re: Delisted Overnight: A Cautionary Tale for Indie iOS Developers
#108Earlier quoted context omitted.
where have you moved to?
Some general backend and web work, and some blockchain stuff as well. The latter is the opposite set of tradeoffs. Completely permissionless, but lots of riff-raff and scammy nonsense going on.
Sorry to take the topic a little off rails, but - I meet so many contractors who do "blockchain stuff", and I've never asked until now - what kind of blockchain stuff are people paying you to do?
Re: Delisted Overnight: A Cautionary Tale for Indie iOS Developers
#109I don't know if this is the issue Russ is having or not, but I thought I would post here (I've also emailed Russ). I experienced similar drop-off this week with an app of mine which has been in the App Store for several years. I wouldn't have noticed except I checked after reading Russ's post.
My app has space-separated keywords in the Appstore Connect portal. They've always been space-separated and I can't remember the last time I updated them. But the App Store guidance says to comma-separate keywords. Indeed, the newer apps I work on for my day job have comma-separated keywords. Could Apple have changed how keywords are parsed, and broken older keyword sets that used to be valid but now are not?
I'll be updating my app tonight and the keywords along with it; time will tell if this is the culprit.
Re: Delisted Overnight: A Cautionary Tale for Indie iOS Developers
#110Seems like Apple changed the search/discovery algo and he got hit with it.
Don't think anything particularly devious has happened, but seems like the App Store search team really hit some folks who were trying to organically build a good app/biz over time. For what it's worth there's some pretty good feedback here for AppStore search + customers who voted up the app individually, so hope that helps.