Apple TV's App Store now hiding installed apps on top charts
Apple has quietly tweaked the tvOS App Store to hide apps a user already has installed when browsing the store's top charts, a German developer noted on Tuesday.
The change appears to have taken effect last week, said Equinux in a blog post. The company noticed that its Live TV app mysteriously vanished from the Top Free section of the App Store, even though it was previously one of the top 10 downloads. To verify if anything was wrong, Equinux checked iTunes Connect and crash logs, and refreshed the App Store.
Ultimately the company discovered that once an app is downloaded, new algorithms simply replace it, pushing the next-lowest app to a higher rank for each individual user. Downloading an app will even cause it to disappear from featured slots at the front of the App Store.
The change is presumably meant to make it easier to discover more apps, since charts might otherwise be dominated by entries like Netflix and Hulu. At the same time, it's now more difficult to gauge the true popularity of a title.
Apple's other stores so far appear to be unaffected. The company could have more to say on the matter, at least to developers, at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, which starts June 13.
The change appears to have taken effect last week, said Equinux in a blog post. The company noticed that its Live TV app mysteriously vanished from the Top Free section of the App Store, even though it was previously one of the top 10 downloads. To verify if anything was wrong, Equinux checked iTunes Connect and crash logs, and refreshed the App Store.
Ultimately the company discovered that once an app is downloaded, new algorithms simply replace it, pushing the next-lowest app to a higher rank for each individual user. Downloading an app will even cause it to disappear from featured slots at the front of the App Store.
The change is presumably meant to make it easier to discover more apps, since charts might otherwise be dominated by entries like Netflix and Hulu. At the same time, it's now more difficult to gauge the true popularity of a title.
Apple's other stores so far appear to be unaffected. The company could have more to say on the matter, at least to developers, at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, which starts June 13.
Comments
How about they fix the irritating "reccommended movies/shows" section which shows me a ton of movies I own while shopping.
I'm looking for new stuff and half the suggestions I own.
Just (really) wondering or trying to understand your POV.
How exactly is this manipulation? And to your point, maybe that's next - if they're doing it for apps (on tvOS thus far anyway, hiding the top entry if it's already on your device and shifting the ones below it up), they should be able to for movies/shows.
Reccommended movies are suggestions pitched for sale.
Top charts are charts.
Point is, I can't believe they looked into removing apps from the charts but couldn't fix the obvious reccommended problem which is actually a real issue and losing sales. I don't even click "recommended" when shopping anymore because its become useless.
I've done the same since I was a child. I like to see what's popular and what's trending. I don't wanna see Sonic CD as the number one game when it could potentially be number 13.
Imagine if they start doing this with music? SMH.
I don't think anyone understood my point but I went back and re-read it and I honestly can't make it any clearer.
I just want them to fix something that matters first.
I don't really see it getting in the way of determining popularity since a curious 3rd party could just run a blank account for the unadulterated version.