WWDC 2022: 10 main updates that can influence your app’s success

On June 6–10, the long-awaited WWDC 2022 is taking place, and the Apple team has already shared updates on its operating systems. We watched the conference and collected 10 great iOS 16 updates that could affect your app work, promotion, and internal app metrics. Discover the top-10 changes that can help publishers improve their apps.

Live Activities
Focus
Shared with you
SharePlay
Live Text
Apple Pay Later
App Clips
Benchmark App Analytics
The SKAdNetwork API
App Intents framework
How WWDC 2022 updates can influence your app and user experience

Live Activities

Later this year, developers will be able to automatically update notifications on the smartphone lock screen with Live Activity API. Live Activities help to immediately provide information in the Lock Screen. This tool is built with WidgetKit and helps users to see information in real-time when they look at the screen. For example, a sports app can display an up-to-date score or conduct a text broadcast, and a taxi app can report a driver approaching. 

Focus 

Focus was introduced on iOS 15, macOS Monterey, and watchOS 8. The updated feature now allows users to use Focus Filters to customize their screens for various modes. For example, users can create a work mode that only shows meetings with colleagues and tasks. 

If a developer adds the Focus API to the app, users can customize app behavior based on the currently enabled focus. For example, when the Focus filter is turned off users see all meetings in the Calendar. 

If we turn the Focus Filter on, users will only see personal meetings. 

This feature is needed for calendars, planners, and messengers. This filter will help your users avoid getting distracted while focusing on work. 

With this feature, developers will make their app more convenient for users, as they will only see essential information in the app. It also can positively affect app usage time, as unneeded information will not distract users from the app when they use a certain filter. Learn more on how to set up Focus Filter on your app in Apple’s session. 

Shared with you 

This feature was introduced last year. It lets users highlight photos, music, and other content right in the app to share with their friends. Developers can now connect it for their applications using Shared with your API.

Developers can highlight content that users have shared from their app in the Messages and Shared with You sections. This will make it easier to return to this content for users who received it. Learn how to add features to your app and how to create collaborations on your app with messages. 

SharePlay 

SharePlay allows users to use an app with their friends at the same time. It is possible to use the app during a FaceTime call, as well as share content from the app through iMessages. As for iOS 15.4, API developers can leverage the new API to start SharePlay without an existing facetime call. Users just need to find their favorite content in the app, press SharePlay and invite their friends. 

If a developer’s app is eligible for SharePlay, they can get this button with Apple’s zero adoption flow. But in such cases, users can’t start the GroupActivity through the system UI and need to re-interact with your app to choose content for SharePlay. That’s why it is important to adopt SharePlay API for your app. See how to do this in Apple’s Session. 

Live Text 

Live Text allows users to tap text in photos or paused videos to copy, translate, look up directions, make a call or send an email. It will be especially helpful for streaming apps. You can add Live Text interactions to your app. It will make the usage of video apps even easier. Learn how to add Live Text for your app in Apple’s Session. 

Apple Pay Later 

Apple Pay Later will allow users to pay for purchases in installments. They can divide the payment into 4 equal parts without additional commission. Developers do not need to connect an additional API — this feature will work with the standard Apple Pay feature. 

This feature may help to increase the app’s profit, as people who aren’t ready to pay all their money immediately can divide their payments. 

App Clips

App Clip is an innovation from Apple that was introduced on iOS 14. It allows people to use some of the functionality of applications without downloading them directly.

Updates of App Clips in iOS 16 will make development even easier:

• Now they can be up to 15 MB in size for devices with iOS 16. 
• Developers can test their App Clips faster with the Diagnostic tool in Developer Settings. 
• App Clips can now read data and resources stored in a CloudKit database. 
• App Clip can simply store secure items in the keychain and they will be moved to your app once it is installed. 
• App Clips designed experience web API which can automate workflow with your App Clips. 

Learn more about new features of App Clips in Apple’s session.

Benchmark App Analytics 

New benchmarks will become available next year in App Store Connect. They will allow you to compare your app’s performance to similar apps on the App Store with benchmarks in App Analytics. You will be able to check how your app performs compared to your peers and make decisions on how to achieve your goals. 

By the way, you can check the average CVR benchmark of your app category to compare it with your benchmarks with our free tool. 

Learn how new Benchmarks in App Analytics work in Discover Benchmark Session, which will be held on June 10. Apple will also share how developers can learn insights from Product Page Optimization and Custom Product Pages, as well as changes that can help to increase your app ranking on the App Store.

The SKAdNetwork API 

The SKAdNetwork API now has new features which help ad networks and advertisers better evaluate ad performance in apps or online while maintaining user privacy. Hierarchical source identifiers give developers more ability to optimize their campaigns, but don’t increase the risk of tracking users between apps. This can be achieved with Crowd Anonymity: the more installs you have, the more data you get. 

Apple has added a new 4-digit source identifier that will be used hierarchically. The company will send between 2 and 4 digits depending on whether there are enough installs to maintain privacy.

There will also be attribution for web companies that lead to the App Store.

Learn more about What’s new in SKAdNetwork API in Apple’s session. 

App Intents framework 

New capabilities help to make your app accessible for system services such as Siri and the Shortcuts app. With App Shortcuts, everyone can use your app with their voice through Siri without needing to set anything up first. 

App Shortcuts require no setup, are available as soon as your app is installed, and can be run from Shortcut, Setup, and Siri. The same adoption also makes your app appear in Spotlight when people search for it.

With the App Intents Framework, you can also use your focus filter, which allows you to customize apps with specific Focus settings. For example, users might set up their calendar app to only show their work calendar when they are actually at work. 

Thanks to the Integration of your apps with shortcuts, your customers can run shortcuts and take advantage of your app from many places on the system, such as the home screen.

Learn more about the App Intents framework in then “Dive into App Intents” session. 

How WWDC 2022 updates can influence your app and user experience

1. With Live Activities, users can stay up to date with important changes, such as taxis arriving, without opening the app. 

2. Focus Filter will help your users to concentrate only on essential in your app and avoid being distracted by unnecessary features.

3. Shared with you and SharePlay may help to increase your number of active users who will use apps with their friends. 

4. Live Text will help users easily understand the text on videos in your app. 

5. With Apple Pay Later, users may decide to make a purchase in your app more readily as now they can divide their payments. 

6. It will be easier to develop and test App Clips as well as read and store their data. 

7. With Benchmark App Analytics you can compare results with competitors and analyze user’ behavior. 

8. Updates in the SKAdNetwork API give more features to better evaluate and optimize ad campaign results. 

9. App Intent framework updates allow people to run your app with Shortcut, Setup, and Siri.

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