What you need to know
- Apple announced iOS 15 at WWDC 2021 on Monday.
- The new iOS 15 beta is available and already revealing new hidden changes.
- One user has discovered that the App Store now hides screenshots of apps you've already downloaded, bringing a big boost to visibility.
A new feature spotted in iOS 15 has revealed a big new change to the way apps can be discovered on the App Store.
The change was noted on Twitter by user @ilyakuh, and revolves around the way apps are found on the App Store. It seems that beginning with iOS 15 Apple will hide promo screenshots of App listings for apps you've already downloaded. As you can see from the screenshot, where an app can be opened because it's already on the device, the listing for an app is much neater than before, displaying only the app's name and icon, category, and rating.
⚡️⚡️⚡️HUGE ASO UPDATE IN iOS 15: NO SCREENSHOTS FOR THE INSTALLED APPS — MORE VISIBILITY TO NEW APPS pic.twitter.com/9k2GSOwkzb⚡️⚡️⚡️HUGE ASO UPDATE IN iOS 15: NO SCREENSHOTS FOR THE INSTALLED APPS — MORE VISIBILITY TO NEW APPS pic.twitter.com/9k2GSOwkzb— ilia kukharev (@ilyakuh) June 8, 2021June 8, 2021
This change is important because it means users will have a much easier time discovering apps they don't have installed, as it will make room for more search results on the App Store's search page. Not only that, the move will be a welcome improvement for developers who have raised concerns about how it can sometimes be hard to get noticed in the App Store, given the sheer volume of content and Apple's App Store search ads.
Earlier this year Apple rolled out search suggestions on the App Store, letting users select or deselect multiple suggestions to refine their search. The feature is already available in the USA, Canada, the UK, and Australia.
You can read our full guide to iOS 15 here as well as our guide to downloading the new iOS 15 beta on devices like the iPhone 12 and beyond.
