Apple is overhauling its platform for app developers with 100 new metrics and more tools

There’s big news today for app developers. No, it’s not Reducing App Store commissions. Instead, Apple on Wednesday Announce An important update to the App Store Connect service, where developers publish, manage, and track the performance of their applications across the company’s platforms.

The changes bring more than 100 new metrics to track across areas like monetization and subscription data, as well as other tools designed to help developers better understand in-app purchase performance and how well their offerings are driving results.

There are already a number of third-party services that provide insights into app performance, including broader app intelligence platforms, such as data.ai and Sensor Tower, as well as those specifically for subscription app developers, such as RevenueCat. However, the advantage of the new App Store Connect metrics is that they’re the only ones based on Apple’s own data — not estimates.

Among the added features are new subscription reports that can also be exported via the Application Programming Interface (API), allowing developers to analyze the performance of their apps when they are offline, or import Apple data into their own systems.

Developers will also be able to learn more about their users by analyzing their behavior around things like download history, source, viewing start date, and more. Through this, developers will be able to see how a specific group of users interacted with the app over a period of time, such as how one regional expansion compared to another, for example.

There are also new cloud metrics that allow developers to see how they compare to their competitors in download-to-pay conversions and revenue per download.

Apple notes that it uses aggregated crowdsourced data to protect users’ privacy, and leverages other differential privacy techniques to protect the performance of individual developers.

When developers view their specific metrics in App Store Connect, they can take advantage of new filters to dig deeper into their data. Apple says developers can apply up to seven filters at the same time.

In addition, the company has published a new App Store Analytics Guide In the Help section of App Store Connect to help developers come up with data-driven strategies and better understand App Store tools and features.

Although App Store Connect was scheduled for an overhaul, the timing of this rollout is noteworthy. As AI quickly becomes capable of doing more — especially among AI agents that can take actions on behalf of users — there is some talk that the traditional App Store model will become a thing of the past. The CEO of the smartphone maker hasn’t theorized any recently Smartphone apps will eventually disappearFor example, when the web becomes full of AI agents.

However, Apple is trying to forge a path where AI elevates the lucrative App Store ecosystem, rather than destroying it. per BloombergThe company plans to announce Siri powered by artificial intelligence at the upcoming developer conference next June, which can complete tasks within applications.