- Apple unveils a new Mini Apps Partner Program
- It drops mini app commission fees to 15%
- And applies some super app rules to the web-based mini apps
iPhone mini apps, those tiny applications that live inside big apps to give you more features, content, fun, and buying options, are like a world unto themselves and do not automatically follow the same rules as the big, official apps that host them. However, fresh changes from Apple will, provided developers adopt them, make living, working, and playing in these apps as knowable and safe as using a regular app.
Perhaps you’re unfamiliar with mini apps, even if you’ve been using them for a while. These are usually web-based HTML 5 or JavaScript environments that you enter through traditional iOS apps like Roblox, Facebook, Discord, WeChat, and even ChatGPT. They can feature special store-like experiences, games, or content, and, unlike a traditional app, can change almost on the fly. There are no definite numbers on how many mini apps are out there, but Apple reports that there are now nearly two million apps in the App Store.
Traditional iPhone apps go through a rigorous vetting process, and any major changes to the apps could result in them being blocked or removed from the App Store. Mini apps have, in the past, kind of gone around some of those rules, so Apple finally implemented some guidelines in 2017 to manage, vet (devs provide metadata and URLs for the mini apps), and accept them. Those rules have been updated at least once in 2024 (supporting in-mini-app purchases for the first time), and now there are some bigger changes coming as part of Apple’s App Store Mini Apps Partner Program.
The first is that app developers who sign up will only be charged a 15% commission for transactions that happen inside the mini app (while potentially still paying as much as 30% for those done in the host or super app). The reduction could lead to lower costs for you, the consumer, if the developer passes along the savings. They could also use the funds to build more mini app experiences, which is also a plus.
The new rate in some ways mirrors what Google Play already offers for mini apps, where mini app experiences hosted within Android super apps can be charged commission fees as low as 15%.
A safer space
There will now be better safety controls in these apps. Developers who have age-range information in their apps will see that information adopted within the mini app, meaning that the same age-range rules that apply on the host app now apply in mini app experiences as well. And if the mini app has age-range requirements that differ from the host app, those who are banned from certain apps would not be able to access the mini app if it falls outside their age range.
Finally, consumers will see more details about their transaction activities in mini apps both during and after purchase. So instead of mini app purchases just shown as applying generically to the host app, the payment details will name the mini app and exactly what was purchased within.
So if there’s a little store in Roblox called “Joe’s GoBlox” and that sells a particular digital tool, those details, including the mini app store name and what tool you bought, will be listed.
These new rules will apply to both iOS (iPhone) and iPadOS (iPad) app stores (in fact, apps not made available across both platforms will not apply). To join the program, developers must support Apple’s Advanced Commerce API, the Declared Age Rating API, Apple’s In-App Purchase system, and the Send Consumption Information.
That’s a fair amount for app developers to do. But for consumers, they may now rest easy in the knowledge that their experience inside this ever-growing list of mini apps won’t feel like a disconnect. Furthermore, if devs save money on the purchases, perhaps consumers will benefit too.
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