Is Apple beefing up its own apps’ rankings in the App Store?

By Aliya Barnwell November 16, 2015

App Store — Bloomua/123RF

Apple may be promoting its own apps on the iPhone App Store instead of giving fair billing to apps that deserve Top Chart positions. When checking on the App Store from a desktop, certain apps like Keynote and iMovie aren’t ranked in the Top 20 Free section, or have lower rankings within it. However, when viewed on an iPhone, these comparatively unpopular apps show up with a boost to their ranks.

Rankings seem to vary based on the model of phone you have. TechCrunch compared an iPhone 5s with 6s, both running the same (latest) version of iOS at the same time, and found different Top Free Chart rankings.

Recommended Videos

For example, Pages, the app, ranked seventh on the Top 20 chart on the iPhone 5s, while it sat in sixth place on the 6s. Numbers was in ninth on the 5s, and one behind again on the 6s in tenth place. iTunes U was listed as number 11 on the 5s, but on the 6s it ranked 13.

While devices of certain types have different charts from each other — meaning iPads and iPhones don’t list the same app rankings — this is the first time different rankings have popped up for the same type of device (or rather, the second time according to this tweet).

Yes, something could be off in the algorithm that ranks the Apple Store’s apps. If so, it begs the question when it will be fixed, since the current situation works out conveniently in Apple’s favor. Sensor Tower, the app store optimization firm started looking into this last week.

The company tested the App Store on different phones running 9.1, the newest version of iOS, and encountered similar errors. Apple apps that have already been downloaded show up in the Top rankings, even when they shouldn’t be there at all. Force closing and relaunching the app resulted in random redistribution of the apparently overrated apps.

A device running iOS 8.3 didn’t suffer from the same problems. According to Sensor Tower’s data, the only Apple apps that should legitimately be in the Top 10 are GarageBand and iTunes U.

Still the problems remain, even if they can’t always be duplicated. And this isn’t the first time Apple has been given the side-eye for playing favorites. A few years ago, MacStories reported that users searching the App store for related terms would find themselves redirected to Apple stock applications.

Hopefully, Apple is not actively cheating third-party developers out of rankings and sales by purposefully putting its own apps in the Top charts. Since the company has yet to issue a related statement, Apple users are left wondering.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Aliya Tyus-Barnwell is a writer, cyclist and gamer with an interest in technology. Also a fantasy fan, she's had fiction…

Mobile

How to fast charge your iPhone

iPhone 12 Mini with charger

While they may not be some of the longest-lasting smartphones on the market, modern iPhones boast more than respectable battery life that should be able to get you through an entire day's use without breaking too much of a sweat. Of course, that assumes a lot of things — including a battery that's still relatively new and in good health, plus a usage pattern that doesn't include all-day streaming or gaming.

If you fall into either (or both) of these categories, then overnight charging isn't going to cut it, and you'll want to get your battery topped up again as quickly as you can so you can get back on the road. Thankfully, every iPhone released in the past six years supports much faster charging, but the downside is that with very few exceptions, Apple has never supplied you with the right adapter to get the best possible charging speeds from your iPhone.

Mobile

These are the only 2 reasons I’m excited for the iPhone 15 Pro

The App Library on the iPhone 14 Pro.

It’s peak summer right now, though fall is just around the corner with back-to-school season on the horizon. With that also comes Apple’s annual iPhone event.

This year, we are definitely expecting the iPhone 15 lineup, as well as Apple Watch Series 9, and maybe a new Apple Watch Ultra. The rumors for the iPhone 15 series have been going strong for months, though there has also been a lot of back-and-forth too, mostly relating to the iPhone 15 Pro models.

Mobile

Apple may face ‘severe’ iPhone 15 shortage over production issue, report says

Hoping to get your hands on an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max when the new phones come out in the fall? Well, you may be in for a wait.

Apple is experiencing production issues caused by a new manufacturing process designed to significantly reduce the size of the bezel around the display, according to a report from The Information on Thursday.