Apple removes Android app searches from Chomp

Just over two months after Apple acquired the app discovery service Chomp, the company has removed features that allowed users to search for Android apps in addition to iOS apps. Chomp is a search tool that lets users to search for an app based on what it can do, instead of by the name alone. The service works using specific algorithms that sort through and compile what an app does based on its description, user reviews, and capabilities.

Apple bought Chomp in February for US$50 million. It is assumed that Chomp was not just a talent acquisition, but was also purchased so that Apple can use Chomp's technology in future versions of the App Store. During Apple's financial earnings call last week, the company announced the App Store now has more than 600,000 apps and the Mac App Store has over 10,000 apps. One of the biggest complaints from developers and users alike is that it's hard to discover new and interesting apps with the existing App Store search function.