App Store VP Departs as Apple Prepares for Organizational Changes

App Store vice president Matt Fischer is set to leave the company as Apple prepares for an ‌App Store‌ reorganization to deal with regulatory changes, reports Bloomberg.

iOS App Store General Feature JoeBlue
Apple plans to split its ‌App Store‌ group into two teams, one that handles the ‌App Store‌ and a second team that oversees alternative app distribution. As of earlier this year, Apple has supported iOS app downloads from alternative app stores and from websites in the European Union, a change that the company had to make to comply with the Digital Markets Act.

To handle ongoing compliance with EU regulations for app distribution and alternative payment methods, ‌App Store‌ chief Phil Schiller is changing the ‌App Store‌'s hierarchy.

Fischer joined Apple in 2003 to oversee iTunes marketing, but he has served as the vice president of the ‌App Store‌ since 2010. In an email to Apple employees today, Fischer said that he had been thinking about leaving Apple for some time, and the reorganization provided the right opportunity.

With Fischer leaving, ‌App Store‌ senior director Carson Oliver will oversee the ‌App Store‌, and Ann Thai, a director who oversees ‌App Store‌ features, will head up the team that handles alternative app distribution.

Popular Stories

ios 19 messages app

Apple Sues Jon Prosser Over iOS 26 Leaks

Thursday July 17, 2025 8:40 pm PDT by
Earlier this year, YouTuber Jon Prosser shared multiple videos showing off what he claimed to be re-created renderings of what was then presumed to be called iOS 19 and which was eventually unveiled by Apple as iOS 26 at WWDC in June. In his first video back in January, Prosser showed off a Camera app redesign with a simpler set of buttons for moving between photo and video modes, and he...
iPhone 17 Colors

All 15 New iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Colors Revealed in Latest Leak

Wednesday July 16, 2025 6:50 am PDT by
We may finally have a definitive list of all color options for the iPhone 17 series, ahead of the devices launching in September. MacRumors concept In a report for Macworld today, Filipe Espósito said he obtained an "internal document" that allegedly reveals all of the color options for the upcoming iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models. The report includes ...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Here's When to Expect the iOS 26 Public Beta

Tuesday July 15, 2025 11:07 am PDT by
Apple previously announced that a public beta of iOS 26 would be available in July, and now a more specific timeframe has surfaced. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that Apple's public betas should be released on or around Wednesday, July 23. In other words, expect the public betas of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, and more to be available at some point next week. Apple will be releasing...
iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

Ranked: The Best Features Rumored for the iPhone 17 Lineup

Wednesday July 16, 2025 4:17 pm PDT by
We have just under two months to go until the debut of Apple's iPhone 17 models, and rumors have been ramping up in recent weeks. We went through everything we know so far, pulling out the most exciting rumors and highlighting some other changes that aren't going to be so great. Top Tier Ultra Thin iPhone 17 Air - The iPhone 17 Air is 2025's most exciting iPhone rumor, because it's the...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Foldable iPhone's Thickness and Price Range Detailed in New Reports

Wednesday July 16, 2025 11:31 am PDT by
Apple's long-rumored foldable iPhone will likely have a starting price between $1,800 and $2,000 in the U.S., analysts at investment banking firm UBS said this week. If so, the foldable iPhone would cost more than a MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,599. With a starting price of at least $1,800, the foldable iPhone would be the most expensive iPhone model ever released, topping the Pro Max at...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...

Top Rated Comments

Abazigal Avatar
12 months ago

Instead of the App Store, Schiller should be in charge of retail stores.

Move Apple Store employees to hourly + commission pay, headed by a former VP of marketing and sales.

$50 per MacBook Pro. $25 per MacBook Air. 5% payout of gross accessory profit. $15 per iPhone. Suddenly you'll have workers that are paid well.

I don't understand why Apple doesn't do it. It would increase profits even more.
Apple stores work precisely because retail staff aren’t driven by commissions and are not constantly trying to push customers to buy more stuff.

You really don’t understand, or you are deliberately being sarcastic / obtuse here?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
12 months ago
people come, people go. Wish him luck in his new endeavor, whatever they might be
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppliedMicro Avatar
12 months ago

Ann Thai, a director that oversees App Store features, will head up the team that handles alternative app distribution
Elsewhere: "Ann Thai, a director in charge of App Store features like search and discovery, will run the new team responsible for alternative distribution"

? Given how well those features work on Apple's App Store today, what could go wrong on alternative app distribution?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarAnalogy Avatar
12 months ago
As long as Phil Schiller is still ultimately in charge, nothing will change.

They will still bend over backwards to minimally comply with regulation, and continue to purposely miss the point of why so many people are criticizing the App Store in the first place.

I don't understand how it was easier or better in any way to split the App Store like this. They need a fundamental re-analysis of what they're doing with software distribution, and it's not going to happen with Schiller in charge.

I thought they promoted him out of the App Store by making him a technical fellow and semi-retiring him. But since then he's still been writing whiskey-fueled public letters and making executive decisions.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mrkevinfinnerty Avatar
12 months ago
Phil announcing the layoffs on the same day as his raise

Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
uacd Avatar
12 months ago
Maybe turning it into this huge pile of ? wasn’t a really good idea?



Press-releases, ads, so-cal “now trendy” etc. I miss AppStore from iOS 6 which was as simple as turning on the TV

Attachment Image
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)