What the App Store is
The App Store is Apple’s app distribution store. It opened on July 10, 2008 with roughly 500 apps. Built into iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro, it handles downloading and updating applications and games. The App Store exists only on Apple platforms; there is no official client for Android or other systems.
Discovery and safety mechanisms
Apple’s page describes the store as “the apps you love. From a place you can trust.” Its main mechanisms include:
- Discovery: the Today tab carries editorial stories and collections, curators offer personalized recommendations, and app product pages provide videos, ratings, and rankings.
- Search: the official page says search supports natural language, with results including inline video previews, editorial stories, and tips.
- Safety: the official page says 100% of apps are automatically screened for known malware and go through review before listing.
Figures on the official page include nearly 2 million apps, 175 storefronts in over 40 languages, and more than 120 expert editors; such numbers change over time, so treat the official page as the reference.
Developers and boundaries
Developers join the Apple Developer Program and submit apps through App Store Connect for review before release; distribution rules, commission, and regional policies change over time, so the official Apple developer documentation is the reference. Issues with purchases, such as refund requests, go through Apple’s official Report a Problem page and are reviewed by Apple.
Discussion in the show
In Weekly #005’s chapter “用 Opus 5.5 写游戏：代码质量与效率” (writing a game with Opus 5.5: code quality and efficiency), Yang Pan said he had built a front-end game with Opus 5.5, wanted to ship it to Steam and the App Store, and was advised to package it with Godot, per the Chinese transcript. He added that with enough unit tests locking down the logic, the model could swap the code to another language. This is a participant discussing his own project, not an explanation of the listing process; actual submission requirements are defined in Apple’s developer documentation.
Frequently asked questions
When did the App Store launch?
It opened on July 10, 2008 with roughly 500 apps, as recorded in the Wikipedia article on the App Store and its cited sources.
Can I install the App Store on an Android phone?
No. The App Store is only available on Apple devices; there is no official App Store app for Android.
How do I request a refund from the App Store?
Sign in with your Apple Account on Apple’s official Report a Problem page and submit the request; refunds are reviewed by Apple.
How do developers publish an app on the App Store?
Join the Apple Developer Program, submit the app in App Store Connect, and pass App Review. Rules and commission follow Apple’s developer documentation.