The move comes at a time when Apple and the App Store are under scrutiny from regulators in Europe and the US, as the company faces the prospect of greater regulation.(Image: Reuters)
The Mini Apps Partner Program, as it’s called, takes a 15 per cent cut of in-app purchases for mini apps and games, Apple said on Friday. That’s essentially a reduced rate from the usual 30 per cent fee developers are charged when Apple processes payments.
The idea behind the new programme is to offer developers a lower fee in exchange for using some of Apple’s technologies to build their apps, including Apple software to register a user’s purchase history, verify ages, and process in-app purchases.
Apple describes a mini app as a lightweight piece of software inside a third-party app store that’s built using web technologies like HTML5 and JavaScript and distributed within a larger native app. The technology has been supported on the App Store for nearly a decade, but this is the first time Apple has offered a reduced commission on mini app transactions.
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WeChat, owned by Chinese tech giant Tencent and used by more than a billion people every month, is perhaps the best example of a so-called “super app.” It offers far more than messaging, allowing users to do everything from making payments to booking flights and hotels. One key and distinctive feature is its “mini-programs,” which are apps within WeChat. Everything is integrated into a single service: instead of having separate apps for quick commerce or ride-hailing, many of these functions are built directly into WeChat, making it a one-stop shop for its users.
To qualify for the new Mini Apps Partner Program, Apple says the main app must be available on iOS or iPadOS and hosted on the App Store. It must also follow the Apple Developer Program License Agreement and the existing App Review Guidelines, including those for mini apps.
“This program is designed to help developers who host mini apps grow their business and further the availability of mini apps on the App Store — all while providing a great customer experience,” the company said in its announcement.
The move comes at a time when Apple and the App Store are under scrutiny from regulators in Europe and the US, as the company faces the prospect of greater regulation. Critics argue that Apple holds too much power and should be required to open up its closed iPhone ecosystem to developers, preventing it from favoring its own apps over others in the App Store. Apple has warned that such rules could raise privacy concerns for consumers. The App Store remains the only way most users can download apps in major parts of the world.
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While Apple doesn’t allow others to offer their own app stores on its iOS platform, the company has supported mini apps in recent years. In fact, last year Apple allowed mini apps to start charging for in-app purchases using Apple’s software for digital goods, such as in-game currency.
Apple’s decision to halve commissions for mini app makers signals how the company wants the App Store to evolve. Although the app landscape in the US is highly fragmented, in other parts of the world, especially in Asia, apps function very differently. Super apps integrate many services and tools into a single platform, often controlled by one company.
With OpenAI already taking steps toward creating a super app, the company recently announced the ability to run apps directly within the ChatGPT interface. These are very similar to the “mini apps” that have made WeChat so powerful and influential.
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