Last year, Apple revealed that it has more than two billion active devices. However, Apple has never revealed the no.of active users of its various app stores. Due to a recent legal requirement in Europe, Apple was forced to reveal the no.of monthly active users of its app stores. Find the data below.
- iOS App Store: 101 million
- iPadOS App Store: 23 million
- macOS App Store: 6 million
- tvOS App Store: 1 million
- watchOS App Store: under 1 million
- Apple Books: under 1 million
- Podcasts paid subscriptions: under 1 million
As you can notice in the above data, apart from iOS and iPadOS app stores, other app stores have very few monthly active users. Apple views each version of the App Store as a distinct online platform under the DSA, and only the iOS App Store may qualify as a VLOP (Very Large Online Platform).
The European Union’s new Digital Markets Act (DMA) may force smartphone companies to open up their devices to a degree that would be game-changing for Apple, and which would affect their App Store, Messages, FaceTime, third-party browsers, and Siri.
Aimed at reigning in “gatekeeping”, the legislation would force the following changes:
- Users would be allowed to install 3rd party app stores and download apps from the internet.
- Developers would be allowed to use in-app payment providers of their choice and promote offers to users.
- Users will be free to uninstall app apps.
- OEMs would not be allowed to preference their own apps and services.
- Developers would be free to use any browser engine in their apps.
- Messaging, voice-calling and video calling apps and services should interoperate with other services and include end-to-end encryption
- Users should be prompted to select their preferred digital assistant the first time they use a native voice assistant.
- OEMs will need to share metrics with their competitors.
