Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Freeware, Apple, iPhone
App Store loses "All Free Apps" link
Apple's made some strange changes to the App Store lately. While the reviews change was a good one, this latest update is just confusing: they removed all of the "See all" links from the sidebar of the main App Store page, including the much-visited "All Free Apps" that many of our readers used to browse the new free stuff in there. Now, all that's there is a bunch of category links. You can still search for apps, obviously, and you can click on the Top Paid and Free apps to see those, and you can even click on the "See all" near "New," "What's Hot" and "Staff Favorites." But if you want to browse all the new Free apps in the store completely unfiltered, you're out of luck.
Why would this be? Depends on who's guessing -- if you're angry at Apple (perhaps one of many developers who haven't seen their apps in the store yet), you might claim that it's because Apple wants to keep a firm grip on just what new free apps get seen on the homepage. If you're so-so on the issue, it might be because you think Apple wanted to streamline the process and keep you from the hassle of browsing all the free trash yourself. And if you're what our kind commenters call a "fanboy," you might claim that Apple is just having problems with their store, or that they're actually trying to help developers by raising app prices.
Personally, I'm going for option D: someone working on the iTunes page didn't realize how popular the link was, and after a little outcry, it'll be back soon. In the meantime, there are still a few RSS feeds around that will help you keep tabs on what's showing up in the store.
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Stephen.4 said 8:40PM on 9-29-2008
Hmmm. Apple is getting stupider? And smarter?
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eric f. said 11:54AM on 9-30-2008
That is, if you believe every conflicting theory... but at the point you could say the same thing about yourself.
I guess that a removal of the link would force people to view all apps in an equal light, free or not, and maybe give some of the paid ones a chance to be noticed.
grull27 said 8:51PM on 9-29-2008
That's what happens when the DOW JONES goes down 777.68 points in a day. :(
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Martin said 9:18AM on 9-30-2008
The Pinchmedia RSS-feeds haven't worked since friday.
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Gilbert Tang said 8:52PM on 9-29-2008
In light of this news, perhaps our economic crisis is less the reason for AAPL's slide. Those links were easily responsible for 15% of Apple's market cap.
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Frank Lowney said 9:14AM on 9-30-2008
I am more disappointed that previously when all I wanted was the ability to search for all iPod touch apps. Because I could not, I have several apps on my iPod touch that took too much of my valuable time before I realized that they would do me no good.
I recognize the symptoms all too well. Apple's MBA density has gotten too high. Easily fixed though, just fire half of all Apple employees who hold an MBA degree and things will get back to normal.
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Ed said 8:59PM on 9-29-2008
Feeds from Pinch Media (that you link to) are broken (why couldn't you check before posting this?). Latest apps on there are from Friday...
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jeff said 9:06PM on 9-29-2008
I just cannot catch a break from Apple recently. Every time I like something, they yank it. I'm starting to take it personally.
I visited those links at least once a day, thanks. Now I won't bother at all since I have to go through every g*ddamn category to figure out what is new.
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alin Steglinski said 9:12PM on 9-29-2008
P.S farewell scottie...
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arn said 9:13PM on 9-29-2008
the rss feed linked in the article hasn't been updated since Friday. it must have depended on the link that was removed.
I have some that are working (for now) @ http://appshopper.com/
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Buckingham said 9:15PM on 9-29-2008
Now it's harder to find my daily freebies. It wasl also good to catch new free-at-the moment apps that have value.
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YodaMac said 10:56AM on 9-30-2008
Absolutely! This was THE main way I searched for Free apps and "deals" on Apps before they became paid ones. :(
paperless said 9:43PM on 9-29-2008
lol.
Apple is trying really hard to piss everyone off.
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Chris said 10:02PM on 9-29-2008
This was a feature that I used daily and it really added value to my App Store experience. I think the term that fits here is "cutting off their nose, to spite their face!"
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Rob said 10:19PM on 9-29-2008
Apptism's feeds are accurate and up to date: http://www.apptism.com.
The site also fills the void of being unable to browse all apps in the App Store.
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aj_robins said 10:29PM on 9-29-2008
I'm going for Option E: Apple is trying to make more money by making it more difficult for users to find free apps. In doing so, they're making the app store more attractive to developers, because developers can hopefully now make more money. More developers with paid apps == more money for Apple. Users don't really enter in this, except as a source of money.
Note that this is really different from the "trying to help developers" option. In my opinion, Apple is not doing this to help developers. Apple is doing this to help Apple.
Apple had better be careful, here. This is a vulnerability that Android can exploit.
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Gilbert Tang said 11:59PM on 9-29-2008
Which inevitably means we'll get more ridiculous "Lite" apps.
YodaMac said 10:59AM on 9-30-2008
Agree completely! Apple is trying to make it much harder for us to enjoy all the Free Apps that are offered.
They're doing their best to make us to browse the paid apps wether we want to or not! :(
"All Free Apps" MUST RETURN!!!!!!!
Scott said 10:42PM on 9-29-2008
Right side, in Quick Links, Power Search (has a check box to look for free apps).
Not as convenient as the link that was, but the searchability is not completely gone.
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YodaMac said 11:00AM on 9-30-2008
Unfortunately the list you end up viewing is not sortable by release date, popularity, name or ANYTHING! :(