Topic: in-app purchases
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Microsoft Adds Direct Purchase Buttons to Copilot
Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant now features in-chat purchasing, allowing users to buy recommended products directly within the conversation without navigating to external websites. The new functionality includes a "Buy" button that triggers a secure checkout screen within the chat, where users ...
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FTC: Sendit app tricked kids and illegally harvested their data
The FTC alleges Sendit engaged in deceptive practices by creating fake messages to trick young users into purchasing subscriptions and misrepresenting a $9.99 weekly charge as a one-time fee. Sendit is accused of violating child privacy laws (COPPA) by collecting personal data from users under 13...
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2025: The Year Legal Battles Reshaped Gaming
The video game industry in 2025 is being reshaped by major legal and regulatory changes, particularly in mobile ecosystems where new rules are forcing open app stores and enabling alternative payment systems, leading to a fragmented global market. Monetization practices, especially in free-to-pla...
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Supercell Shuts Down Squad Busters After 18 Months
Supercell is ending development of Squad Busters and will shut down its servers in 2026, reflecting its strategy to keep only top-performing games in its portfolio. In-app purchases have been suspended, with players eligible to transfer their 2025 spending value to other Supercell titles like Cla...
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Apple Slashes App Store Fees for Developers
Apple has launched a Mini Apps Partner Program, reducing the commission rate to 15% for in-app purchases within mini apps to support developers of these lightweight, web-based experiences. Eligibility requires developers to use Apple's in-app purchase system, adhere to specific APIs, and follow A...
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Apple Mandates Patreon to Shift Creator Subscriptions to In-App Purchases by November
Apple has mandated Patreon to migrate all remaining creator subscriptions to its in-app purchase system by November 2026, targeting older billing models and compelling compliance despite Patreon's frustration over policy instability. The conflict originated from a 2024 Apple directive requiring t...
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Apple Loses Epic Games Court Appeal
A federal appeals court largely upheld a ruling that Apple violated a 2021 injunction by effectively prohibiting developers from using external payment links through restrictive conditions and a 27% fee. The court found the lower court overstepped by completely banning Apple from collecting commi...
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India's Creative Twist on Google's Nano Banana Leads the Way
India has become the leading user of Google's Nano Banana AI image-generation tool, driving the Gemini app to the top of app store rankings in the country. Indian users are creatively applying the tool to generate culturally resonant content, such as retro Bollywood portraits, vintage saree image...
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iFixit's FixBot: Your AI Repair Assistant for Expert-Level Fixes
The iFixit app provides a mobile toolkit with step-by-step repair guides, direct parts purchasing, and a unique AI assistant called FixBot for conversational troubleshooting. FixBot, a free AI helper, diagnoses issues by asking questions and drawing from iFixit's repair database, with a future su...
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Apple, Google Forced to Adopt Texas Age Checks
Starting in 2026, Texas, Utah, and Louisiana will require age verification for app downloads from major platforms like Apple's App Store and Google Play to protect minors online. Apple and Google are implementing these systems under state laws but have raised privacy concerns, as the measures nec...
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Spotify Teams Up With Bookshop.org to Sell Physical Books
Spotify is partnering with Bookshop.org to allow users in the US and UK to purchase physical copies of audiobooks directly from the app, expanding into the tangible book market. A new "get a copy for your bookshelf" button in the app will seamlessly redirect listeners to Bookshop.org's checkout, ...
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Apple Locks Down iPhones to Comply With Texas Age Law
Starting January 2026, Apple will enforce age verification for new Apple Account creations in Texas, requiring users to confirm they are at least 18 years old, with minors needing parental consent via Family Sharing for app downloads and transactions. Apple is updating its Declared Age Range API ...
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