Apple has redesigned the App Store’s web interface to make it actually available to people who don’t view the store on their Apple devices.
Before this update, users could view individual pages for apps on the web (presumably found via a search engine), but there was no way to view them within the App Store. On a MacBook, navigating to an app’s iOS Store page in your browser launches the native App Store software. But with non-Apple hardware, this would lead to a dead end.
The new interface allows users to browse apps by category and platform. Apps on iPhone, iPad, Watch, and other devices have separate sections. Currently, users cannot download apps from the web, but this feature may be added in the future.
Granted, there’s probably a small percentage of people who are trying to learn more about iOS apps from, say, a Microsoft device. Perhaps this will be useful for app developers and researchers working on products in both the iOS and Google ecosystems.
This redesign marks Apple’s continued effort to portray itself as a more open ecosystem. For years, governments around the world have filed complaints against Apple, accusing the company of operating as an anticompetitive monopoly. Any steps Apple takes to make its products more accessible beyond its own ecosystem will be tied to ongoing legal battles.
