For years, Apple’s mobile app store has only been available through its mobile app, but now the marketplace is finally available on the web, 9to5Mac reports.
The change provides anyone, including Android users, with an easy way to visit the App Store through a browser. Before, the apps.apple.com domain would simply trigger Apple devices to open the app. But today, it’ll load up the web version.
The site replicates what’s found on the app. But it also includes a drop-down menu in the left-hand corner, separating the apps for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch, Apple TV, and even the company’s Vision Pro headset. In addition, the site contains a helpful search function.
(Credit: Apple)
Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. So it’s unclear why the company released the web version, and why it took so long.
For now, the new site seems to lack some capabilities, suggesting it’s a work in progress. For example, there’s no way for existing Apple users to log into the site. Nor is there a way to use the site to install apps remotely on your Apple devices, similar to the Google Play Store, which has long been available on the web.
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(Credit: Apple)
If you do want to install some software, it’ll simply trigger your device to open the dedicated App Store app. For other cases, like viewing an iOS app on a Mac laptop, the web-based version of the store just lets you share a link to the app through a “share” button.
Last year, Apple also launched web versions of Apple Maps and its Podcasts app.
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I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
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