The Wall Street Journal says that according to their analysis that Apple's mobile apps are often first in the App Store search results ahead of competitors. They say that for basic searches like "maps", Apple's apps ranked first more than 60 percent of the time during testing. Apps like Music or Books showed up first 95 percent of the time. Do you know what shows up nearly 100% of the time?:
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In response, Apple says that it uses an algorithm that uses machine learning and past consumer preferences, leading to app rankings that often fluctuate. They suggested that its apps ranked first many time over because the apps are popular with consumers.
Apple customers have a very strong connection to our products and many of them use search as a way to find and open their apps. This customer usage is the reason Apple has strong rankings in search, and it's the same reason Uber, Microsoft and so many others often have high rankings as well.
The Wall Street Journal suggests that Apple's ownership of the App Store gives Apple an upper hand, as many default apps are not held to the same standards that third party apps are required to adhere too. Many of their apps do not feature reviews or ratings, which is one of the factors that influence search results.
Apple is currently facing legal battles over its App Store policies. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed a lawsuit that accuses Apple of anticompetitive behavior for requiring apps to be sold through the App Store to continue.
Apple is currently facing legal battles over its App Store policies. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed a lawsuit that accuses Apple of anticompetitive behavior for requiring apps to be sold through the App Store to continue.