The App Store on your Mac is your gateway to expanding your program library. Gone are the days of buying computer programs from electronics stores; you can just download whatever you need from the App Store. Some stuff is free; other stuff you'll have to pay for. All it takes is an Apple ID and away you go.
The first store dedicated to Mac games with over ten years of customer satisfaction. Thousands of Mac games to choose from! Instantly download and play most games for sale. Sep 18, 2019 If you ever get a new Mac, all you have to do is log into the Mac App Store and re-download away! How to check for app and macOS updates in the Mac App Store; How to download apps from the Mac App Store. Open the App Store app from the Dock, Launch Pad, or using Spotlight Search. Find an app you want to download. You can look at featured apps.
Here's how to get started with the Mac App Store!
How to sign in with your Apple ID
Before you can download any apps, you'll need to sign in with your Apple ID.
- Launch the App Store from the Dock or Finder under Applications.
- Click Sign In in the lower left corner
- Enter your Apple ID and password.
Click Sign In or hit return on your keyboard.
Boom. You're in.
How to view and edit your Apple ID account
Before downloading apps, you'll want to make sure you payment and country information are in order so that you don't have to bother with that stuff while you're excitedly downloading apps.
Mac App Store New Games List
- Launch the App Store from the Dock or Finder.
Click Your name on the left side of the screen. It should be in the corner.
- Click View Information in the upper right corner. From here you can edit your credit card information, billing address, country, and nickname. If you edit your nickname, it'll appear that way in Game Center.
- Type the required information into the fields of the item you're editing.
Click the blue Done button when you're happy with your edits!
How to download an app or game
Whether the goal is productivity or time-wasting, the App Store has the app for you; you just have to download it. Here's how:
- Launch the App Store from the Dock or Finder.
- Search for the app you want to download. You can view Featured apps or search via category, title, and more.
- Click the price if it's a paid app, or click Get if it's a free app.
- Click Buy App if it's a paid app, or click Install App if it's free.
- Enter your Apple ID password.
Click Buy. (Buy will appear even if the app is free).
How to set up automatic downloads of apps or games on another Mac
If you download apps and games on several different Macs, you can enable automatic downloads so that you have all of your apps with you on all of your Macs!
- Launch the App Store from the Dock or Finder.
- Click App Store in the menu bar on the top left of your screen.
- Click Preferences.
Click the checkbox next to Automatically download apps purchased on other Macs.
How to find an app or game after it's been installed
After you download an app, you obviously want to find it and use it. Here's how!
- Open a Finder window.
- Click Applications in the folders on the left.
- Click the settings button at the top of the window. It looks like a gear.
- Click Arrange By.
Click Date Added. This will move your most recently downloaded apps to the top of the list.
How to view and re-download your previously purchased apps and games
If you've already paid for an app, you don't need to pay for it again. So if it goes missing, you can just re-download it and you won't have to look far!
- Launch the App Store from the Dock or Finder.
- Click Your name at the bottom left corner of the window.
Click Download next to the app or game you'd like to re-download.
How to check for updates to Mac App Store apps
It's a good idea to make sure you have the most recent version of every app you download. Here's how to check:
- Launch the App Store from the Dock or Finder.
- Click Updates at the left side bar of the window.
- Click Update next to each app you'd like to update, or click Update All.
Enter your Apple ID password if prompted.
How to enable automatic updates
If you have many apps, it can be a pain to keep track of them all and constantly check for updates. You can set up automatic updates to do that for you!
- Launch the App Store from the Dock or Finder.
- Click App Store in the menu bar on the top left of your screen.
- Click Preferences.
- Click the checkbox next to Automatically check for updates.
Click the checkbox next to each update setting you'd like to enable:
- Download newly available updates in the background
- Install app updates
- Install macOS updates
Install system data files and security updates
Questions?
Let us know in the comments below!
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Summary
Introduced in 2008, the App Store is Apple's one-stop-shop for content that has been specifically created fort he iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and iPod touch. Apps may be developed through Apple as first-party programs like Keynote or GarageBand, or popular third-party apps developed by companies like Facebook or Microsoft. Since its inception, this digital storefront has seen over two million apps available for download, and Apple customers have downloaded more than 100 billion apps collectively.
Features
- ● Over 2.2 million apps available for download
- ● Apps may be free, premium, or feature in-app purchases and subscriptions
- ● Curated app lists
- ● Tutorials and tips for popular apps
- ● Standalone store for Apple Watch
- ● Editorialized content in Today tab
- ● Available in 155 countries
The App Store is Apple's digital distribution platform used for distributing a mixture of both first and third-party apps to devices such as the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. A later iteration -- the Mac App Store -- allowed users to download apps for macOS.
Apps fit into a wide variety of pricing schemes. Some apps are free, while others feature a one-time cost associated with downloads. Ads support some apps, and reoccurring subscription charges support others.
As of 2019, there were over 2.2 million apps available on the iOS App Store.
App Store History and evolution
The iOS App Store initially launched on July 10, 2008, a day before the iPhone 3G was released. At launch, there were more than 500 apps available, of which 25% were listed as free apps. Popular apps available at launch included Sega's Super Monkey Ball, AOL's Instant Messenger, and Apple's own Texas Hold'em.
In late 2016, Apple began allowing developers to purchase advertising spots, which would show at the top of the search result page when specific keywords are searched.
In March 2017, Apple gave developers the ability to respond to customer reviews, allowing them to provide feedback, help, or insight into customer's issues.
For a few years, Apple had allowed affiliates to make a 7% commission off purchases in the iTunes Affiliate Program. However, in 2017, after Apple began expanding the App Store editors program -- which curates and facilitates app discovery -- they ended the affiliate program with regards to apps. Movies, TV shows, music, and books continue to receive a 7% commission cut.
In 2020 Apple added additional countries to its list that support the App Store, reaching 155 total.
App product pages
Every app gets a unique product page, where a potential downloader will be able to get a better idea of what the app will be like before downloading it.
The product page allows users to see the publisher, chart position, recommended age range, rating, and various screenshots of the app. Users can also watch videos to learn how an app works before downloading.
If the app has won an editors' choice award, the badge will prominently be displayed at the top of the page. Some apps get unique banners and styling if they are apps celebrated by the editors in one way or another.
More than just apps
In recent years, Apple has revamped the App Store to act not only as a place to purchase or download apps but also as a resource related to the apps. Editors maintain regularly published, curated lists of must-have apps in various categories. Every day, Apple also announces an App of the Day and a Game of the Day.
It also features tutorials and tips and tricks related to popular apps, giving users an incentive to check In daily to learn new skills.
The editorial team has also begun including 'Daily Stories,' a collection of original stories, interviews, and behind-the-scenes information that come together to show the impact apps have on our lives.
Mac App Store
The Mac App Store was announced in October of 2010 and launched in January 2011 alongside the 10.6.6 Snow Leopard update. Apple's Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services, Eddy Cue, was put in charge of overseeing the digital storefronts.
At launch, the Mac App Store featured over 1000 apps. Many of the apps were third-party ports of iOS Games, such as Angry Birds and Flight Control. Other apps included Apple's iWork '09, iLife '11, and Aperture.
In January of 2018, Apple announced that all apps submitted must be 64-bit. All existing 32-bit apps would be required to switch to the 64-bit architecture by June 1, 2018, in preparation for the macOS Catalina launch.
In 2020, Apple expanded its universal App purchases to include Mac Apps, so now you can pay once and own an app across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS.
Apple Watch App Store
In 2019, Apple had announced that users would be able to purchase and download apps directly from the Apple Watch, eliminating the need for an iPhone companion app. Companies like Nike and Pandora have released standalone apps for the Apple Watch.
Apple Arcade
Apple Arcade is Apple's video game subscription service that offers a 'play all you want' model for a recurring fee of $4.99 a month. Designed to circumvent many of the problems of modern mobile games, Apple Arcade has been well received and features a game catalog of over 100 titles. Currently, Apple Arcade is accessable as its own tab within the App Store app.
App Store violations and removal of apps
In 2015, hundreds of apps were created with XcodeGhost, a malicious version of Apple's Xcode development software. Many of the apps were developed in regions where access to Xcode was notoriously difficult to access, such as China. The apps were subsequently removed, and Apple began working with the developers to help them migrate to the official Xcode program. Shortly after, Apple made Xcode easier to access in areas outside of the United States.
In 2017, Apple began removing apps that violated copyright law. The process included removing games that were ostensibly clones of recently popular titles, as well as removing apps that used copyrighted material, such as unlicensed music tracks. Apple had removed hundreds of thousands of apps that violated its terms of service.
In 2018, Apple had begun to crack down on the use of templates and commercial app services. Apple had hoped that this would prevent duplicate apps from showing up on the App Store. However, many developers and customers argued that it unfairly targeted small businesses and nonprofits from being able to maintain their apps feasibly. Apple later went on to clarify that companies and organizations were allowed to use development suites, services, and app templates, but only if they directly published the apps on their own.
Since early 2017, the Chinese government has been instrumental in censoring apps that appear in the China-based iOS App Store. Virtual private network (VPN) apps, internet calling apps like Skype, and non-Chinese social media apps are among those that have been banned. Apple's willingness to remove such apps has been viewed critically by the media, who claim it lends credibility to Chinese censorship.
Apple was harshly criticized for removing HKMap Live, a controversial police monitoring app, in late 2019. The app had been used by Hong Kong citizens to avoid areas where protesters and police had altercations. Tim Cook later defended the choice, stating that the app was used to vandalize property where no police were present, as well as target individual police officers for violence.
In 2019, after health experts deemed vaping unsafe, Apple removed all vaping-related apps. Over 180 vaping-related apps were removed as Apple attempted to reduce youth exposure to e-cigarette marketing.
During the 2020 coronavirus outbreak, Apple deemed it necessary to ban all non-official apps pertaining to the coronavirus. This includes using it in a game or entertainment app title or description.
Mac App Store For Pc
Antitrust allegations
The App Store has also been at the center of many antitrust cases in recent years. In May of 2019, The U.S. Supreme Court voted 5 to 4 to allow an antitrust lawsuit against Apple to proceed, one accusing the company of maintaining a monopoly on iOS apps via the App Store.
App Store Games
Developers of iOS apps have been interviewed by investigators working for the US Justice Department as part of an antitrust probe into major tech companies and their control over digital marketplaces, and whether they are competing fairly.
The probe is a review to assess 'the widespread concerns that consumers, businesses, and entrepreneurs have expressed about search, social media, and some retail services online,' the DoJ said in an announcement. Its Antitrust Division was confirmed as 'conferring with and seeking information from the public, including industry participants who have direct insight into competition in online platforms, as well as others.'
Mac App Store New Games Online
The antitrust committee has also asked Apple for information related to how they manage the App Store. Information requested includes Apple's policy of third-party payment systems, Apple's revenue-share policy for in-app purchases, and whether or not users can choose non-Apple apps as default apps.
In-app purchases
Mac App Store App Download
Apple has strict rules in place surrounding how users get content from within apps and how that benefits them. Apps purchased from the App Store, any in-app purchase, and subscriptions made within an app all have to pay a 30% cut to Apple. This has lead to many apps trying to circumvent the in-app purchase model altogether.
Netflix and other entertainment apps will not let you subscribe from within the app, and some have resorted to a 30% price hike on subscriptions when done within apps rather on a website. Apple guidelines prevent developers from linking or even mentioning that other sources for making purchases exist.
Mac App Store New Games 2017
App Store subscriptions were introduced in 2016 as an alternative business model, and would allow users to pay for new features on a regular basis with the ability to cancel at any time. This feature came with a lower 'Apple Tax' of 15% as long as users stayed subscribed for over a year.
Mac App Store Games List
Apple made a huge move in April 2020 to allow specific entertainment apps to make sales inside their apps without a 30% cut. This is similar to how shopping goods apps like Best Buy and Amazon already work, but would apply to digital goods as well.
As long as a user has a credit card on file with Amazon, they may make purchases using the in-app cart system. If not, it will defer to an in-app purchase system using the on file Apple payment method for the App Store.