ASO news digest for November 2021

Google has authorized the use of third-party payment systems on Google Play for South Korea. App Store moderation will accept applications during the Christmas holidays. Asodesk now has custom reports and new plans. Read about this and other news in our digest. 

Contents

1. In South Korea, it will be possible to use third-party payment methods besides Google Play
2. Google Play is testing the Offers tab
3. Google may remove the “Last Updated” section from Google Play
4. Google updated the design of the Google Play desktop version for some users
5. App Store moderation will work during the Christmas holidays
6. Apple should allow developers to share third-party payment methods from December 9
7. Huawei to suspend support for 32-bit app versions
8. Asodesk has new plans and discounts of up to 40%
9. New custom reports and notifications
10. Updated Keyword Table: new features, improved design, and a mobile version introduced

Google Play news

In South Korea, it will be possible to use third-party payment methods besides Google Play, and commission will be reduced by 4%

Google will allow the use of third-party payment systems and reduce commissions by 4% for South Korea. This change will ensure compliance with a recently adopted law, according to which Apple and Google are prohibited from forcing developers to accept payments only through their payment systems.

Developers will be able to add an alternative billing system to the app for South Korean mobile users. When placing an order, users will be able to choose their preferred payment system.

Google notes that alternative systems may not be as secure and may not offer the same features as the Google Play payment system.

Google’s decision has already been criticized, since the 4% discount is insignificant, and app publishers will also have to pay a commission on third-party systems. South Korean Democratic Party representative Jo Seoung-lae said Google is only keeping up appearances and not doing enough to change high developer expenses. 

Google Play is testing the “Offers” tab

For some users, Google Play has added an “Offers” to the bottom bar. 

Most users now have four tabs at the bottom of the Play Store. When you subscribe to Google Play Pass, you’ll have five.

Five tabs, including “Offers”, might appear by default soon.
Despite the name, this page is different from “Offers & notifications” in the app menu and resembles cards that advertise “Limited-time events” in the game feed.

The “Offers tab” for Google Play Store is not yet widespread on devices. It is not clear if this update is an A/B test or a completed feature.

Google may remove the “Last Updated” section from Google Play

The AndroidPolice team found posts on Reddit saying that Google is testing the removal of the “Last Updated” section from app descriptions. This means that the users will have to guess when the app was last updated. 

This doesn’t seem like a bug, as the section has disappeared for many users. As you can see in the screenshot, there is no information on when the app was last updated in the description.

According to AndroidPolice, this is not a general change for users, but an A/B test. We hope that Google will not remove this section, because the regularity of updates shows users that the developer is constantly improving the app.

Google updated the design of the Google Play desktop version for some users

The design of the Google Play desktop version has been outdated for a while and the company finally changed it. Now the content is stretched across the entire screen, whereas before it was pinned inside one block. 

The page background is now white, icons have increased in size, and some apps (like Netflix) have a large cover strip at the top of the page.

To navigate to the side menu, you need to click on your profile in the upper right corner. A scroll bar has been added to the screenshot gallery on app pages. 

The main pages “Apps” and “Games” at the top now have buttons for quick selection of apps for phones, tablets, TVs, Chromebooks, Wear OS, and cars.

Currently, the new design depends on the user’s account and is only available in a few regions such as Korea and Taiwan.

App Store news

App Store moderation will work during the Christmas holidays

In their press release, Apple says that moderators will continue accepting applications to App Store Connect this year during the Christmas season. The company recommends ensuring apps are up to date and ready for the busiest season on the App Store, and advises you to send time-sensitive materials in advance. Verification may also take longer between December 23–27.

Apple should allow developers to share third-party payment methods from December 9 

In accordance with Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers’ judgment, Apple was to allow developers to use other payment systems in apps. This verdict was reached in Epic’s lawsuit against Apple. Apple later filed a motion to suspend the judgment, which was rejected by the court. 

As planned, starting December 9, Apple is obligated to allow iOS developers to include links to third-party payment methods. This means that very soon App Store developers will be able to accept alternative payments. 

AppGallery news

Huawei to suspend support for 32-bit app versions

Huawei AppGallery plans to remove 32-bit apps and stop supporting them. In their emails to developers, Huawei says it will only accept 64-bit versions for better performance. 

This change will be implemented gradually:

• From February 1, 2022, all new or updated apps must contain 64-bit versions.
• Effective September 1, 2022, AppGallery will not publish apps that contain 32-bit versions.

Asodesk news

Asodesk has new plans and discounts of up to 40%

We’ve added new pricing plans to better suit the needs of every business. Now you can choose what you want to work with: ASO, reviews, or ASO and reviews simultaneously. Learn more about new plans and choose yours. 

New custom reports and notifications

We’ve added custom reports and notifications so you never miss an important event. ️

Analyze the results of your work using four report types: 

• overview report on keywords, positions, featured, reviews and updates;
• reviews and app ratings report (for any period);
• dynamic app rankings by keywords report;
• ASO report on the effectiveness of promotion in the App Store and Google Play.

Notifications will help you keep up-to-date with important changes: 

• getting featured;
• app updates;
• getting your apps into App Store Trending Searches;
• new reviews or reviews with a specific tag;
• large number of negative reviews.

Read more on how to use reports and notifications for your app. 

Updated Keyword Table: new features, improved design, and a mobile version introduced

We analyzed user experiences and improved Keyword Table:

️The table has become easier to use. We removed unnecessary elements and made it possible to hide filters and customize the Keyword Table.

️We also added new features: you can now check your competitors’ positions, estimate the complexity of queries, and see the popularity of search suggestions. 

What’s more, we introduced a mobile version of the tool, which allows you to track the popularity of each keyword, view its rankings, and check suggestions.

Read more about the new features in Keyword Table. 

Try new Keyword Table features for your app.

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