Mac App Store

The Mac App Store (also known as the App Store) is a digital distribution platform for macOS apps, often called Mac apps, created and maintained by Apple. It helps people find and download programs for computers that use the macOS operating system.

The platform was announced on October 20, 2010, during Apple's "Back to the Mac" event. Apple began accepting apps from registered developers on November 3, 2010, to get ready for its launch.

The Mac App Store officially opened on January 6, 2011. It was part of a free update for users of Mac OS X 10.6.6, called Snow Leopard. Just 24 hours after it launched, Apple said that over one million people had downloaded apps from the store.

Regulations

Like the App Store on iOS and iPadOS, the Mac App Store has rules set by Apple.

Developers need to pay to join the Apple Developer Program. Apple checks apps to make sure they follow the rules. Some apps are not allowed, such as those that change how a Mac normally works or include harmful content. Apple also decides what age groups each app is suitable for, and parents can block certain apps if needed.

Usage by Apple

Since the Mac App Store opened, Apple has used it to share its own software. Instead of selling software boxes in stores, Apple began offering its products through the Mac App Store. This change started with the release of OS X Lion in July 2011, which was the first version of the operating system not sold on DVD. From OS X Mountain Lion onward, Apple's operating systems could only be downloaded from the Mac App Store.

This shift also changed how Apple's website worked. The Downloads gallery was removed in July 2011 and replaced with links to the Mac App Store. However, some parts like the Dashboard widget gallery and Safari Extensions gallery stayed online. In Safari 12, older extensions were replaced with newer ones available only on the Mac App Store. The Apple Support Download section remains online to provide security updates for older software.

Counterfeit apps

After the independent game developer Wolfire Games put its game, Lugaru, on the Mac App Store as Lugaru HD for $9.99, they found a fake copy being sold for just US$0.99. The developer told Apple about this, and Apple removed the fake game from the store a little later.

Many news sites talked about how, even though Apple checks apps very carefully, a fake copy of a real game should not have gotten through. Some developers were worried about the time it took for Apple to remove the fake game.

History

The Mac App Store started on January 6, 2011, with over 1,000 apps. Some of these apps were made by Apple, like iWork '09 and iLife '11. Others were popular games from iOS, such as Angry Birds.

Later, Apple made changes to the Mac App Store. In 2018, they introduced a new design with different categories to help users find apps more easily.