The Apple App Stores have a subscription problem

Both Apple’s app stores for iOS and Mac have a huge problem, and that is subscriptions.

When the store started, it was all purchases, so you bought the app you owned it, but then they enabled in app purchases and subscriptions. Both are used to enable all features in apps, in fact some apps barely function or don’t function at without the additional purchase. And the subscription prices have been going up. It has gotten so bad, that there should be a way to filter out subscription apps, but that would cut into Apple’s profits too.

Apple acts like they are all noble, wanting privacy for their users, but then they hide subscription prices and in app purchase prices in the store.

The price is not shown in the first page, then hidden in a drop in the app info page itself. This info should be displayed on the main page, not hidden. And for subscriptions you should be able to not only filter them out, but set limits on subscriptions when you pay. An example being that you could say yes I subscribe but for only 1 month, and automatically cancel unless I re-subscribe. To have to know how to unsubscribe in the settings app is not putting the customer first, but instead Apple’s paycheck.

The app stores are getting so much pressure from regulators, but for the developer cut to apple and opening up devices, and not for things like subscriptions. The problem with 3rd party apps is already apparent on Android, with a plethora of malware, and how easily it can be installed, to steal your data. And with a phone acting as your digital wallet with ID and Bank Cards as well as your location, 3rd party apps could endanger so much in your life, but then it is not like Apple hasn’t allowed in scam apps that are still available in the app store! And even worse most congress people don’t understand technology enough to properly regulate it, other than who is paying them that is. I have no hope of US regulators making things better, but the EU is pretty consumer oriented, so maybe they will force changes.

App stores need to get better, and the companies are only worried about their bottom lines, not their customers (who become the actual product making the companies money in many ways), and regulators focus on the wrong things. Being worried about Apple’s cut, instead of how companies prey on people with subscriptions. And honestly they are Apple Devices, and an Apple built and maintained store, how can you say they don’t deserve a cut to allow access to their store.

And we have too many subscriptions in our lives. Before i could buy software and could wait on upgrades that weren’t absolutely necessary, now I have to pay or I lose use of the software. And I pay enough for Adobe Creative Cloud and Maxon’s Red Giant Plug-Ins (which have changed their licensing from 2 installs 1 in use to 1 install) and all the streaming services, plus phone bill, cable, rent/mortgage, that I can’t afford subscriptions for all my apps! At least Adobe Creative Cloud gets tons of upgrades, many subscription apps don’t get constant new features so why pay constantly?