Apple Looking to Increase Exposure for Free App Store and iBookstore Content? - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Looking to Increase Exposure for Free App Store and iBookstore Content?

Late last month, Apple launched a new "Free App of the Week" promotion on the App Store, featuring a single app on each of the iPhone and iPad platforms and offering the normally-paid titles for free. Apple's digital content stores have of course offered free apps for years, but the new promotion seeks to bring greater visibility to content being temporarily discounted from paid to free.

great free apps banner
In another sign that Apple may be looking to increase exposure for free content, the company earlier this week registered two new domains: freeonappstore.com and freeonibookstore.com. There is currently no content located at either of the sites, but it seems that Apple may be interested in either creating specific websites featuring free content or using them as redirects to point to existing features.

freeonappstore com whois
The two domains were registered the day after Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, but they do not appear to have any direct relationship to announcements made during the event. Consequently, Apple's intentions for the domains remains unknown.

Outside of the digital stores themselves, Apple has a number of other venues for promoting free and discounted content, including a partnership with Starbucks for free "Pick of the Week" offerings such as apps and book samples. The current Free App of the Week promotion also began as a Facebook promotion on Apple's App Store page, but has since migrated directly into the App Store.

Popular Stories

iOS 28 AI

Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28

Sunday November 8, 2026 7:42 am PST by
Apple has made a change to its development process for iOS 28, macOS 28, and corresponding software updates, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, he said Apple separates development of each year's new operating systems into three major stages. Typically, he said each stage consists of four weeks of coding followed by a four-week "convergence" period where...
apple pro tell logo

Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday

Monday November 9, 2026 4:22 am PST by
The Apple launches keep coming! The company is set to release two new products on Friday, November 13: the all-new Apple HomeView and the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, both of which have been available to pre-order since mid-October. Apple HomeView: Apple's new smart home display, powered by Apple Intelligence with Siri AI, for entertainment and managing the home. Available in tabletop and...
Apple Store Downtown Detroit

Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed

Sunday November 8, 2026 7:28 pm PST by
In a series of YouTube videos shared over the past two weeks, electronics technician and consumer rights advocate Louis Rossmann has exposed a controversy in which some Apple Store employees have allegedly signed up customers for auto-renewing subscription trials for Apple One and other services without their informed consent. Here is how the process works at Apple Stores in the United...

Top Rated Comments

Moonjumper Avatar
188 months ago
Promoting paid apps that are temporarily free helps devalue the paid apps. Such promotions are a large part of the reason for the move towards freemium and ad-supported models.

I would rather Apple promotes normally free games, and choses games that have quality, but are unknown, rather than games that are already successful.

A problem for developers is that the downloads are concentrated onto a few massive hits, while other great apps go unnoticed. Apple promotions should be widening the circle of success, not narrowing it.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
188 months ago
I'd rather have trial apps than a random free app apple
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
188 months ago
They should have free trials that last for 10 full hours of usage. there is no way I would download a $10 or $20 app without trying it out first... They would sell a lot more paid apps ( to me at least:)).
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Piggie Avatar
188 months ago
I would like to add that I also hate with a passion Freemium apps.

Never heard that term before I like it.

There should be 3 types of apps.

1: Paid for apps
2: Free apps that only give you say a few levels/and or require payment to advance or do much with the product
3: Free apps

Jeez, we are even getting full paid for apps now that try and get you to buy things in-game.
It's a nasty trend that's growing and I've never experienced it before I bought an iPad.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Moonjumper Avatar
188 months ago
Hope they limit it to truly free aps. i.e. no freemiums. Nothing more annoying than seeing a "free" app only to discover it's freemium.

Freemium is applied in many different ways, not all bad. I have played Jetpack Joyride for many hours, yet never felt pressurised to use in-app purchases. While some others are in your face as soon as you launch the app and have little value before paying out.

Freemium is not inherently bad, but it is applied badly far too often, giving it a bad name. Don't write off the potential because of some applications of it.

----------

Does anyone know what fraction of the original price (0-100%) apple pays the developers for the downloaded free copies?

Considering the developers have to pay to be on some other free app promotions (I know, it sounds daft to pay to give stuff way for free), I suspect Apple won't have to pay anything.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
188 months ago
Hope they limit it to truly free aps. i.e. no freemiums. Nothing more annoying than seeing a "free" app only to discover it's freemium.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
iCloud Mail, Calendar, Contacts and More Experiencing Outage
iCloud Mail, Calendar, Contacts and More Experiencing Outage
37 minutes ago
Apple's Claris Testing 'Harbor' App for Local AI on Macs
Apple's Claris Testing 'Harbor' App for Local AI on Macs
55 minutes ago
iFixit's PROLED MacBook Pro Teardown Reveals Logo LEDs
iFixit's PROLED MacBook Pro Teardown Reveals Logo LEDs
2 hours ago
10 Free iPhone Duo Apps Worth Downloading
10 Free iPhone Duo Apps Worth Downloading
4 hours ago
Apple Releases New AirPods Firmware
Apple Releases New AirPods Firmware
4 hours ago
Amazon Begins Early Black Friday Sale, Featuring Sitewide Discounts on Tech and Decor
Amazon Begins Early Black Friday Sale, Featuring Sitewide Discounts on Tech and Decor
7 hours ago
Apple Announces Swift Student Challenge Ahead of WWDC 2027
Apple Announces Swift Student Challenge Ahead of WWDC 2027
7 hours ago
Next iPad Air Likely to Have These 10 New Features
Next iPad Air Likely to Have These 10 New Features
7 hours ago
iPad Mini 2021 vs. 2026 Buyer's Guide: Is It Worth Upgrading?
iPad Mini 2021 vs. 2026 Buyer's Guide: Is It Worth Upgrading?
7 hours ago
New Apple TV Sign Language Feature Announced
New Apple TV Sign Language Feature Announced
8 hours ago
Disable Touch on MacBook Pro PROLED XDR and When Using Sidecar
Disable Touch on MacBook Pro PROLED XDR and When Using Sidecar
8 hours ago
Anker's Early Black Friday Sale Surprises With Mystery Boxes and Big Discounts
Anker's Early Black Friday Sale Surprises With Mystery Boxes and Big Discounts
9 hours ago
Apple Arcade Adding These Four Games in December
Apple Arcade Adding These Four Games in December
9 hours ago
OLED iPad Air Rumored to Launch in Two Sizes in Early 2027
OLED iPad Air Rumored to Launch in Two Sizes in Early 2027
11 hours ago
The Original iPod Went on Sale 25 Years Ago Today
The Original iPod Went on Sale 25 Years Ago Today
12 hours ago
Apple Maps Could Factor Parking Into Your Arrival Time
Apple Maps Could Factor Parking Into Your Arrival Time
12 hours ago
Waze Now Alerts Drivers to Nearby Cyclists Using Garmin LiveTrack
Waze Now Alerts Drivers to Nearby Cyclists Using Garmin LiveTrack
13 hours ago
iPhone 20 Pro: Ten Big Changes That Could Redefine Apple's Flagship
iPhone 20 Pro: Ten Big Changes That Could Redefine Apple's Flagship
13 hours ago
Here's What Apple Fixed in iOS 27.2.1 and macOS 27.2.1
Here's What Apple Fixed in iOS 27.2.1 and macOS 27.2.1
1 day ago
Webex Gets iPhone Duo Support
Webex Gets iPhone Duo Support
1 day ago
Meta's Muse AI Agent Comes to Apple Watch
Meta's Muse AI Agent Comes to Apple Watch
1 day ago
Anker Launches Eufy Security Cam With Auto-Tracking Light
Anker Launches Eufy Security Cam With Auto-Tracking Light
1 day ago
macOS 27.2.1 Fixes eMudhra Certificate Flaw in Command-Line Tools
macOS 27.2.1 Fixes eMudhra Certificate Flaw in Command-Line Tools
1 day ago
Anthropic Launches Claude Fable 5.2 and Mythos 5.2
Anthropic Launches Claude Fable 5.2 and Mythos 5.2
1 day ago
Apple Releases macOS Golden Gate 27.2.1
Apple Releases macOS Golden Gate 27.2.1
1 day ago
Apple Releases iOS 27.2.1 With Bug Fixes
Apple Releases iOS 27.2.1 With Bug Fixes
1 day ago
Apple Releases watchOS 27.2.1 and visionOS 27.2.1 With Security Fixes
Apple Releases watchOS 27.2.1 and visionOS 27.2.1 With Security Fixes
1 day ago
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Gets $99 Amazon Discounts, Starting at $699.99
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Gets $99 Amazon Discounts, Starting at $699.99
1 day ago
Apple Pay Ad Features Martial Arts Convenience Store Food Fight
Apple Pay Ad Features Martial Arts Convenience Store Food Fight
1 day ago
Apple Continues to Say Some AI Features Will Have Fees for Extra Usage
Apple Continues to Say Some AI Features Will Have Fees for Extra Usage
1 day ago