App Store VP Departs as Apple Prepares for Organizational Changes - MacRumors
Skip to Content

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

rave app

Apple Sued for Pulling Co-Viewing App Rave From the App Store

Thursday May 7, 2026 10:41 am PDT by
Rave, a cross-platform service that lets users watch movies and TV shows together, today filed a series of antitrust lawsuits against Apple after Apple removed the Rave app from the App Store in August 2025. According to Rave, Apple cited "unspecified allegations of fraud and vague concerns about content moderation" when pulling the app. Rave alleges Apple targeted the service because Rave...
Liquid Glass App Store Feature

Apple Working on Plan to Allow AI Agent Apps on the App Store

Wednesday May 13, 2026 11:02 am PDT by
Apple is looking into ways to better support apps that include AI agents and AI coding capabilities in the App Store, reports The Information. Apple is designing a system that would maintain its security and privacy standards while allowing for AI app features, but details on how the system will work are unavailable. Apple started blocking updates for some popular vibe coding apps in March...
apple india

India Refuses to Let Apple Pause App Store Antitrust Case

Tuesday May 19, 2026 4:52 am PDT by
An Indian court has ruled that Apple must cooperate with a government investigation into its App Store practices, rejecting the company's attempt to put the case on hold (via Reuters). The Delhi High Court ruling keeps a probe by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) alive, which found in 2024 that Apple had abused its dominant position in the iPhone apps market. The CCI wants Apple's...

Top Rated Comments

Abazigal Avatar
23 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
23 months ago
people come, people go. Wish him luck in his new endeavor, whatever they might be
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppliedMicro Avatar
23 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)
uacd Avatar
23 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)
Mrkevinfinnerty Avatar
23 months ago
Phil announcing the layoffs on the same day as his raise

Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
23 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)