This Week in Apps: Apple, Google, Instagram Updates

The Ever-Evolving App Landscape: A Weekly Recap

Welcome back to This Week in Apps, your regular source for the latest developments in mobile operating systems, applications, and the broader app economy.

The mobile app industry demonstrates continued expansion, achieving record download numbers and consumer expenditure across both the iOS and Google Play stores throughout 2021, as indicated by recent year-end reports.

Industry Growth and Investment

App Annie reported that global spending on iOS and Google Play reached $135 billion in 2021, a figure projected to increase with the release of their annual report, which will incorporate data from third-party app stores in China. Furthermore, consumers downloaded nearly 140 billion new apps this year, a rise of 10 billion compared to 2020.

Apps are no longer simply a means of entertainment; they represent a significant business opportunity. Companies prioritizing mobile platforms held a combined valuation of $544 billion in 2019, a substantial 6.5x increase over those without a mobile focus.

Investor confidence in the mobile sector is also evident, with $73 billion in capital invested into mobile companies in 2020 – a 27% year-over-year increase.

This Week in Apps provides a centralized resource to stay informed about this rapidly changing industry, delivering the latest news, updates, funding announcements, mergers and acquisitions, and recommendations for new apps and games.

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Top Stories

Apple’s Enhanced App Privacy Report

Concerns have long existed regarding apps discreetly collecting and sharing user data with advertisers and third parties, often without explicit consent. Apple addresses this with its new App Privacy Report feature, available in iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2.

This feature empowers users to monitor their apps’ activities, revealing which apps access data and device sensors, and with whom that data is shared. The report details communication between apps and third-party websites, identifying potential analytics or adtech connections.

To utilize this feature, navigate to Settings > Privacy > App Privacy Report and enable it. Over time, the report will display app data access over the past seven days, including timestamps for each action.

While Apple’s initiative towards transparency is commendable, some question whether the report will truly empower users. Identifying a connection to an unfamiliar domain doesn’t clarify the specific data shared or whether the user would approve of it. Without clear explanations, users may be left unsure how to prevent unwanted data sharing beyond uninstalling the app.

Apple anticipates that increased transparency will encourage the app industry to adopt more privacy-respectful practices. However, the extent to which mainstream users will actively engage with this feature remains uncertain, mirroring the tendency to skip lengthy user agreements.

Google Details Android 12 Go Edition

Google recently provided further details regarding the new features and updates available in Android 12 (Go Edition), slated for release on low-end smartphones in 2022.

Apps on Go Edition are expected to launch up to 30% faster and with smoother animations, thanks to the new SplashScreen API, which ensures a consistent, fluid experience when launching applications.

The updated OS also optimizes battery life and storage by hibernating infrequently used apps. The Files Go app allows users to recover deleted files within 30 days, providing a safety net when freeing up storage space.

• New features include guest profiles on the lock screen.
• Offline sharing with nearby devices via Nearby Share.
• A privacy dashboard displaying app activity, permissions, and sensor access.
• A privacy indicator alerting users when apps are using the microphone or camera.
• The option to share approximate location instead of precise location.
• Access to news and on-screen translation features.

While some features are carried over from the standard Android 12 OS, others are specifically designed for the needs of low-end smartphone users – a substantial market segment. Google reports that over 200 million people actively use an Android (Go Edition) phone.

Weekly News

Platforms: Apple

• iOS 15.2 Release: Apple publicly released iOS 15.2, the second major update to its iOS 15 operating system. This update includes the App Privacy Report, Emergency SOS updates, the Apple Music Voice Plan, Legacy Contacts, Hide My Email, and Communication Safety for Messages.
• Xcode Investigation: Apple is investigating an issue with the latest Xcode release impacting developers using Swift packages, potentially causing failures during package resolution.

Platforms: Google

Jetpack Glance Alpha: Google launched Jetpack Glance Alpha for app widgets, simplifying and accelerating the development of app widgets for Android homescreens.

Pixel 6 Update: Google rolled out an update for the Pixel 6 addressing camera and fingerprint sensor issues.

Notes from Google Play: Google announced “Notes from Google Play,” a series sharing insights and best practices for app developers, highlighting their creativity.

Augmented Reality

• AR OS Hiring: Google is reportedly hiring for a role focused on an “Augmented Reality OS” for a new AR device, potentially hinting at a return to augmented reality hardware.

Fintech/Crypto

• Crypto Gifting: Cash App and Robinhood introduced new crypto gifting features in time for the holidays, with Cash App also enabling stock gifting.

Social

Instagram’s Growth: Instagram has surpassed 2 billion monthly active users (MAUs) worldwide, demonstrating continued growth despite recent scrutiny.

Twitter Auto-Captions: Twitter added an auto-captions feature to enhance video accessibility.

TikTok Jump Partnerships: Rotten Tomatoes joined TikTok Jump, allowing creators to link to movie and TV information.

LinkedIn’s InCareer: LinkedIn launched InCareer in China, a new app for job searching and talent acquisition.

TikTok Algorithm Changes: TikTok announced algorithm changes to reduce exposure to potentially harmful content.

Instagram Story Videos: Instagram is testing 60-second videos in Stories.

Snapchat Spotlight Payouts: Snap paid over $250 million to over 12,000 creators on Snapchat Spotlight in 2021.

Video Replies: Pinterest and Instagram now allow users to reply to comments with videos.

Photo/Video

• Story Studio: Snap launched Story Studio, an app for creating professional content for Spotlight.

Messaging

• Messenger & Heads Up!: Messenger partnered with Ellen Degeneres to bring the game Heads Up! to Messenger and Instagram via AR video calls.

Streaming & Entertainment

Disney+ & SharePlay: Disney+ added support for Apple’s SharePlay, enabling co-watching with friends and family over FaceTime.

Spotify Podcast Ratings: Spotify is introducing Apple-like podcast ratings.

Apple Music Voice Plan: Apple launched its Siri-only Voice Plan for Apple Music at $4.99 per month.

Gaming

• Record Revenue: Eight mobile games exceeded $1 billion in player spending in 2021, including PUBG Mobile, Honor of Kings, Genshin Impact, Roblox, Coin Master, Pokémon GO, Candy Crush Saga, and Garena Free Fire.
• Wildlife Studios Allegations: Brazilian gaming company Wildlife Studios, valued at $3 billion, faces allegations of gender discrimination and unequal pay.

Government & Policy

• U.K. Antitrust Review: U.K. antitrust regulators provisionally found that Apple and Google have leveraged their market power to create closed ecosystems.
• Poland’s Investigation: Poland is investigating Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature for potential anti-competitive practices.
• Grindr Fine: Norway fined Grindr ~$7.1 million for sharing user data without consent.

Security & Privacy

• Tracker Detect App: Apple released Tracker Detect for Android users to scan for nearby AirTags.
• CSAM Detection Tech: Apple removed references to its CSAM detection technology from its website due to privacy concerns.

Funding and M&A

💰 Supergreat Funding: Beauty-focused livestreaming app Supergreat raised $20 million led by Greenoaks, with participation from Shopify.

📈 Reddit IPO Filing: Reddit confidentially filed for an initial public offering (IPO).

💰 Honeycomb Seed Funding: Private social networking app Honeycomb raised $4 million in seed funding.

💰 ShareChat Funding: Indian social networking app ShareChat raised $266 million from U.S.-based Alkeon Capital.

💰 Stocktwits Funding: Social media app Stocktwits raised $30 million led by Alameda Research Ventures.

💰 Found Series B: Weight care management app Found raised $100 million in Series B funding.

💰 The List Seed Funding: E-commerce marketplace The List raised $3.5 million in seed funding.

💰 Qonversion Seed Funding: Subscription data platform Qonversion raised $2 million in seed funding.

💰 Medal.tv Funding: Game streaming site Medal.tv raised $60 million in funding.

💰 Wisdom Seed Funding: U.K.-based social audio app Wisdom raised ~$2 million in seed funding.

💰 Papaya Series B: Bill payment app Papaya raised $50 million in Series B funding.

💰 Tagg Seed Funding: Social branding app Tagg raised $2 million in seed funding.

💰 HungryPanda Funding: Food and grocery delivery app HungryPanda raised $130 million.

💰 CreditBook Funding: Bookkeeping app CreditBook raised $11 million in pre-Series A funding.

🤝 Spotify Acquisition: Spotify acquired podcast tech company Whooshkaa.

New App Releases

Pixelmator Photo

Pixelmator Photo, the popular photo-editing app, is now available for iPhone, bringing desktop-class color adjustment tools and support for over 600 RAW formats, including Apple’s ProRAW. The app is currently 50% off at $3.99.

Swift Playgrounds 4

Apple released Swift Playgrounds 4, enabling users to build iPhone and iPad apps with SwiftUI directly on their iPad (requires iPadOS 15.2 or later). The update includes features like App Preview, App Store Connect integration, and improved code suggestions.

Adobe Creative Cloud Express

Adobe launched Creative Cloud Express, a new web and mobile app combining features from Creative Cloud and Acrobat PDF tools. The app simplifies content creation with templates, stock assets, and is available with a free tier and a $9.99/month premium subscription.