Apple to launch 'universal purchase' for its app stores in March

Farther, the visitor will unify the categories across all its app stores

App Store on iPhone XS

In a news update posted to its Developer website, Apple announced information technology volition soon enable 'universal purchase' on the App Shop, letting users purchase an app in one case across all of the company's platforms.

This means that if you buy an app on iOS, y'all can admission it on iPadOS, macOS and tvOS, where applicable. The alter will come into event starting March 2020.

However, app developers will have to designate apps as universal purchase first. Apple says developers tin can exercise this in one of two ways. The first would be to create a new app with a 'single app record' in App Store Connect. Alternatively, developers can add platforms to their existing app record, finer making them universal purchase.

Universal purchase applies to in-app purchases equally well, meaning that whether y'all buy an app or you buy something within an app, y'all'll exist able to enjoy it across Apple's platforms.

Further, to brand apps easier to discover, Apple plans to unify app categories across the App Shop and Mac App Shop. The Cupertino, California-based company plans the following changes:

Developers will exist able to select 'Developer Tools' and 'Graphics & Blueprint' categories for iOS apps.
macOS app can now be added to the following categories: 'Books', 'Food & Drink,' 'Magazines & Newspapers,' 'Navigation' and 'Shopping.'
Mac App Store'due south 'Photography' and 'Video' categories volition be combined into 'Photograph & Video.' Apps with those categories selected will automatically move to the new combined category.
The 'Kids' category will no longer be a subset of the 'Games' category on the Mac App Store.

Finally, Apple tree says that developers tin modify their app's categories at any time with an app update.

Source: Apple tree