App Store News This Week: Russian Monopoly Watchdogs & Facebook is the New TikTok

July 22nd, 2022

App Store News This Week: Russian Monopoly Watchdogs & Facebook is the New TikTok
David Quinn

by David Quinn

VP of Strategy & Partnerships at Gummicube, Inc.

Welcome to this week’s ASO Weekly – Gummicube’s recurring segment where we discuss some of the biggest events in the mobile app industry, app store developments, and how they may affect your App Store Optimization (ASO) strategy.

This week, we’ll be exploring:

  • Facebook makes UI/UX adjustments to mimic TikTok
  • Russia preps a hefty fine over App Store Claim

The Social Media App Battles Continue – Facebook Makes The Switch to a TikTok Look

Facebook might be looking very different very soon. As the social media wars rage on, TikTok still seems to be outshining even the most notable competitors in the space. Just a few weeks ago, Instagram sent us a test UI change that very closely resembles TikTok’s scroll feature.

Now, it looks like Facebook might be following suit soon, for good. Facebook announced two feeds that apply the titles “Home” and “Feeds”. The Feeds tab will house all the users’ most immediate connections while the Home tab will have recommendations, relevant group posts, favorites and largely algorithmic content suggestions.

The split seems to come after thousands of requests from users asking Facebook to make their friends’ posts more visible to them. However, the Facebook app has seen plenty of success with its new, Tik-Tok-like experience. Improving app features is a fundamental part of ASO and app advertising. This exchange between developers and users is what helps apps see continued success.

Russia Anti-Monoloply Watchdogs Continue to Hunt the App Store

Not again. This isn’t the first time Apple appeared to be caught in the crosshairs of global antitrust watchdogs. In 2021, Apple faced similar charges in the United States on a federal and state level – now it’s gone global, again.

In a report from 9 to 5 Mac, we are seeing increased tension between Russian anti-monopoly watchdogs and The App Store. Although Russia isn’t the first country to sue Apple over app store monopoly concerns, Apple has limited several functions for Russian iPhone users since the start of the war with Ukraine. In-country production and sales completely stopped, and many Russian citizens felt the squeeze of the company’s leave.

Our ASO company has been keeping a close eye on the developments we’re seeing unfold in Russia. The anti-monopoly crackdowns are heightening worldwide. The technology we use continues to be a part of our daily lives, the app stores come under scrutiny worldwide. The massive influence they hold appears to be encroaching on what many consider to be fundamental consumer freedoms.

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Want to learn more about App Store Optimization? Contact Gummicube and we’ll help get your strategy started.

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