Digest ASO News September 2020
Apple has released the new iOS 14. App publishers have formed a coalition against Apple. Google will improve navigation in games and allow application sharing.
ASOdesk has introduced a revolutionary Keyword Auto-Suggestions tool and rates have changed. Read more about all updates in the digest.
IOS News
Official release of iOS 14
The new version of iOS 14 was released on September 16. The changes had a significant impact on the following algorithms:
- Downloading an app from the Featured Apps section has become easier: now users do not need to go to “stories” or “collections”. Two applications will be displayed in the search results; they can be downloaded directly from the search.
- Keywords with typos won’t help anymore. You will not be able to pull some of the traffic for a search query by adding brand names with a typo. An auto-correction feature has been added to the App Store. The program will correct the user’s requests, but the option of searching for the original request remains.
- At the top of the page, you’ll now see rating, age limit, category rating, developer name, language, and app size. Previously, the app size was at the bottom of the page and attracted less user attention. Now, size will play a big role in the install conversion.
- Moderation has become more loyal. If the app is rejected for violating the rules, the developer has the right to appeal. Fatal errors will be fixed faster. Developers will be able to skip metadata validation when negotiating Express Requests.
- Apple Clips allows you to use some of the apps’ features without downloading. For example, order a taxi using QR codes, NTF tags and links. There is a risk that this will negatively impact downloads, as users will be less interested in downloading the app.
For more information on how these changes will affect the work of ASO specialists, read our article.
In the first four days since the iOS 14 release, top 20 apps with widgets received 5.7 million installations
Now the screen can be customized in the style of your favorite movie or work of art; you can choose any color or photo. iPhone users got carried away with customizing the screen and many started downloading applications for creating widgets.
Users have spent about $400,000 on customization applications in just four days, from September 17 to 20. Moreover, Widgetsmith has accounted for $370,000. iOS 14 created a new category of apps for customizing the home screen. It is possible that this app category will appear in the App Store. Read more about this in the article.
Apple postponed the implementation of the new privacy policy
Developers and marketers can breathe a sigh of relief. No new privacy rules will be introduced this year. It was previously planned that the changes would enter into force with the release of the new iOS 14.
The new policy will allow you to provide or not to provide access to your data. The user will be able to deny access to the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA), which is used by marketers to track advertising effectiveness. The code is used for retargeting, creating look-a-like audiences, analytics and other tasks.
Eric Seyfried, a well-known expert in the field of mobile technologies, noted that the market is not ready for such large-scale changes. It takes six months for the developers to figure out how to adapt to the new policy. He talked about this in more detail in this article.
Apple will release app subscription codes
By the end of 2020, iOS 14 will have app subscription codes. Using them, you can give the user a one-time alphanumeric code for a discount or free subscription. The code can be activated in the App Store. A system like this motivates subscribers or customers of the company to download the application from the App Store. You can distribute codes by email, on the website, on social networks, at exhibitions and conferences.
The Verge notes that the feature was implemented following a lawsuit with Epic Games, which added direct purchases to their Fortnite app, bypassing the 30% App Store fees. Unlike trial periods, promotional codes give developers more control over attracting installations.
Launching Apple Fitness could have an adverse effect on other fitness apps
Until the end of the year, Apple is going to launch a sports app — Fitness +. The service costs $9.99 per month and will be available on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Apple TV. You will need an Apple Watch for this app to work.
Fitness + has 2 competitive advantages:
- Apple Watch Integration allows you to access personalized health statistics.
- Apple Music Integration allows you to listen to your favorite tunes while exercising.
Apps formed a coalition to fight against unfair Apple App Store rules
Major app and game developers such as Epic Games, Match Group and Spotify have formed “Coalition for App fairness” to defend fair application practices. At the moment, there are 13 companies in the coalition.
The group criticizes Apple for its “arbitrary terms” and frequent iOS updates that make app promotion difficult. Application publishers demand the following changes:
- Reduce the commission. According to publishers, a 30% commission limits the purchasing power of consumers, as well as developers’ income. Coalition members point out that other payment providers charge a maximum commission of 5% on purchases.
- Stop pursuing the monopoly policy. The publishers point out that Apple puts developers at a disadvantage — and even removes apps from the store under far-fetched pretexts — in order to promote its services.
- Give users the freedom to choose a site. The case of Fortnite is cited as an example. The game is priced at $9.99 on the App Store, but if purchased directly through Epic, the upgrade will only cost $7.99. The publishers point out that Apple users should be able to buy apps directly from the developer.
You can join the coalition or learn more about the principles and rules here.
30% commission was canceled for some applications in the App Store
In August 2020, Facebook launched a service for selling access to online lessons. Facebook waived the commission fees until August 2021, but Apple did not make any concessions. This drew criticism from Facebook, after which Apple’s management agreed to waive the commission by the end of 2020. The exemption will apply to Facebook, Airbnb and ClassPass. For other applications, the fee will remain the same. Click this link to read more.
Android News
Google Play will improve game navigation
Gamers will be able to choose games not only by genre, but also by other criteria. A Google manager on the Reddit forum talked about the new “fireball” feature, thanks to which you can search for games by the following tags: new, star rating, genre, advertising, no ads, with in-app purchases and without in-app purchases. This function can be found at the bottom of the Google Play interface or when searching through the mobile app.
Google Play apps will be able to be transferred to other devices
After updating Google Play, it will be possible to share applications. Users will be able to send the downloaded application to Android devices without using other services.
Google Play will rename store pages
The title of “My Apps” page will change to “Manage apps & device”, with two subsections: “Overview” and “Manage”. The “Overview” tab will contain information about updating applications, device memory and user reviews.
In the “Manage” tab, you can separately view installed and uninstalled applications in the library and filter them by category. The developers will announce the release date of the updates later. Read more here.
Starting next year, there will be a 30% commission for all purchases on Google Play
The corporation has updated the Android app store Policy. Developers will now only be able to receive payments through Google Play. Consumers will not be able to transfer money directly. Developers must switch to Google Play’s billing system by September 30, 2021.
Using third-party app stores will be easier
Now, when installing a third-party store, a user faces restrictions and warnings. Next year, with the release of Android 12, it will be easier for users to download apps from third-party stores and not violate security measures. The company has not yet announced what changes are planned. However, Google emphasizes that these are exactly the kind of updates users should be expecting.
AppGallery News
AppGallery has updated user interface
AppGallery is a branded app store from Huawei. The Chinese company has released updates for its store. New categories of applications will now appear in the panel at the bottom of the page: “Featured”, “Apps”, “Games”, and “Me” tabs. “Categories” and “Top” were replaced with “Apps” and “Games”. The user can filter apps and games by genre and other criteria.
The “Manager” tab was removed, and the application management section was moved to the profile. The “Gifts”, “Rewards” and “Comments” options are now displayed as icons above the update section. The image of the icons in the application has been updated. There are changes in the rating display: earlier the store rounded to 0.5, now it rounds to 0.1. The updates listed are not yet available to all users.
ASOdesk News
Keyword Auto-Suggestions is a revolution in the collection of the semantic core
The tool selects and groups the most suitable queries for optimization in a matter of seconds. Keyword Auto-Suggestions from ASOdesk includes the following features:
- Most Popular Keywords: finds hundreds of the most popular search queries for your application.
- Competitors Best Keywords: shows the keywords for which your competitors are getting installations.
- Long-Tail Keywords: selects the most targeted long-tail requests.
- Least Competitive Keywords: finds queries with low competition.
- Good for Keyword Boosting: shows the keywords that are most suitable for promotion to the top.
- Expected to be Trending: finds queries relevant to your application that have recently been on the home screen of the App Store search and will be there again in the near future.
Read more about Keyword Auto-Suggestions functions in our article.
Test drive of all ASOdesk features with a new plan
With the Test Drive plan, you can experience the full potential of ASOdesk: 5 apps, 1000 keywords and all professional tools (Advanced Filters, Custom Traffic Score, Keyword Notes, Organic Report, Keyword Auto-Suggestions, ASO Dashboard, Keyword Translation, ASO Comparative Report, ASO PRO Features, Activity Log). The plan can be purchased for $139 — only once and for one month!
To try Test Drive, go to Settings → Plans → Promo Plans tab in your account. Or contact the managers via online chat.
Startup rates have become more affordable
- A plan that includes 200 keywords is now $10 cheaper: $49 instead of $59 when billed monthly. And when you pay for the year, you save $89: only $41.6 per month.
- The Startup L plan now includes 5 apps, 1000 keywords, 3000 Daily Keyword Stat, 4 Keyword Tabs, 5 Teammates, as well as the ASO Dashboard tool. You can get all this for $119 per month!
Click this link to select your plan.
