There is big news today for app developers. Apple has announced a significant update to its App Store Connect service, where developers publish, manage, and track their apps’ performance. The changes introduce more than 100 new metrics to track across areas like monetization and subscription data. These metrics are designed to help developers better understand their in-app purchase performance and how well their offers are converting.
While third-party services already offer app performance insights, the advantage of Apple’s new metrics is that they are the only ones based on Apple’s own direct data, not estimates. Among the new features are subscription reports that can be exported via an API. This allows developers to analyze performance offline or import Apple’s data into their own systems.
Developers will gain deeper insights into user behavior by analyzing data around download dates, sources, and offer start dates. This enables the examination of how specific cohorts of users engaged with an app over time, allowing for comparisons like one regional expansion against another.
New peer group benchmarks let developers see how they compare to their competition in areas like download-to-paid conversions and proceeds per download. Apple notes it uses aggregated cohort data and differential privacy techniques to protect both user privacy and individual developer performance.
As developers view their metrics in App Store Connect, they can use new filters to drill down further into the data, applying up to seven filters at once. Apple has also published a new App Store Analytics Guide in the Help section to assist developers in forming data-driven strategies and understanding the available tools.
The timing of this rollout is notable. As AI becomes more capable, particularly with agents that can act on behalf of users, some speculate the traditional app store model may fade. For instance, it has been suggested that smartphone apps could eventually disappear as the web fills with AI agents.
Apple, however, appears to be carving a path where AI elevates its App Store ecosystem rather than destroying it. Reports indicate the company plans to announce an AI-powered Siri at its upcoming developer conference in June, one that can complete tasks inside apps.