Last week, Apple added a new section to its website that features its first party apps. There was no press release. The company didn’t email members of the press to let them know it was there. It just pressed “publish” and there it was.
On the new page, called “Apps by Apple,” you’ll find everything from Messages, to Mail, to Safari, to Final Cut Pro. It really is beautifully done, but it’s curious that Apple put a lot of effort into a web page that it isn’t making any kind of big deal about. It does beg the question as to why?
On the one hand, all of this information was available in different places across Apple’s website. Apple has a page for Safari and one for Final Cut Pro. Those pages go deep into the features of their respective apps. This is something different.
Look, the whole thing beautifully put together. The page is broken into seven categories, each representing a different type of app. Those sections include:
Communication: Phone, Messages, FaceTime, Mail, and Contacts. Creativity: Photos, Camera, GarageBand, iMovie, Final Cut Pro, and Logic Pro. Productivity: Notes, Reminders, Calendar, Freeform, and Pages. Exploration: Safari, Maps, Weather, Find My, and Wallet. Entertainment and Home: Apple TV, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Music Classical, and Podcasts. Health and Fitness: Apple Health, Fitness, Workout, Sleep, and Cycle Tracking. Features: Siri, iCloud, CarPlay, Continuity, and Family Sharing.
Each app is represented on a card, and each card lists the platforms where the software is available. You can also filter by device. So, if you wanted to see all the apps for the iPhone or Watch, you can just tap one link. There’s also a very nice touch that when you tap “open” on an app that you have on whatever device you’re using, it will–as you expect–open that app.
Again, the whole thing is beautiful. But, it’s also the first time Apple has really created a brand around “Apps by Apple.” Most people understand that Apple makes a lot of software. Much of it comes on your devices by default. Apple seems to be trying to increase the overall brand perception of its first party software as an entire ecosystem.
And, of course, there at the bottom is the App Store.
“Apps you love. From a place you can trust. The App Store has millions of apps that bring you amazing experiences. And every one of them meets Apple’s standards for privacy, security, and content.”
Of course, there is plenty of speculation that Apple’s move comes in preparation for a day that it had hoped would never come. On Wednesday, the European Union declared that Apple–and the App Store, specifically–are considered gatekeepers under the Digital Markets App.
There’s a lot of speculation that this page comes as the company is preparing to open iOS to third-party app stores. Its designation as a gatekeeper means Apple will be forced to build interoperability into its products. It means it will almost certainly be forced to open the iPhone to third-party app stores, and could be restricted from including certain first-party apps.
I actually think that last part is a bigger deal. Obviously, Apple wants you to use its apps because it doesn’t build them for nothing. In some cases the company makes money when you buy or subscribe to its apps or services, but even in a world where that wasn’t the case, I think it’s fair to say it makes things because its wants to put them out in the world for people to use.
I don’t think Apple is just preparing for a day when you can get apps from other App Stores. Realistically, most people are just going to keep getting them the way they’ve always gotten them. It’s easier and, in a lot of cases, probably safer.
And, maybe more importantly, it wants to position them as the premium, trusted brand for apps on the Mac, iPad, Watch, and iPhone. Apple makes a point of highlighting its security and accessibility features, things that–in some cases–other apps can’t match.
“Connect, create, and get things done with powerful and intuitive apps designed to be accessible, private, and secure,” the website says. That’s probably as good a description of what Apple is trying to do as any–convince users that the best apps to use are made by Apple. And, of course, the best place to get them is from the App Store.