Anti-Steering Impact on App Store Revenue Beginning to Appear
Hello everyone. Today’s article will address news on the App Store anti-steering front in the U.S. In addition, we will cover recent reports of declining U.S. App Store revenue. Let’s jump in.
Anti-Steering Impact on App Store Revenue Beginning to Appear
U.S. App Store anti-steering needs a (legal) resolution.
In April 2025, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers gave the App Store a gut punch with one of the more insane legal rulings in the modern digital era. Apple was forced to completely dismantle its anti-steering apparatus and allow iOS developers in the U.S. to include as many link-outs within their apps as desired. Apple was then unable to charge developers for transactions that occur outside apps via link-outs. Apple had been charging 27%, a rate that seemed to be obtained by Apple simply taking its regular 30% revenue share percentage and removing a 3% payment processing fee. (The lack of evidence for how Apple settled on 27% played a role in the Court coming down hard on Apple in its injunction ruling.)
The Court’s ruling had the effect of allowing companies to rent space in the world’s busiest brick-and-mortar retailer for free.
The injunction ruling from Judge Gonzalez Rogers was so extreme (and unexpected) that Apple may have withheld Services revenue guidance at the time given the possibility of a sudden drop in App Store revenue. (Apple never confirmed in exact terms the reason for withholding Services revenue guidance, but there was no obvious reason for doing so other than the unknown surrounding the injunction ruling.)
In December 2025, a U.S. appellate court ruled that Judge Gonzalez Rogers’ ruling was right, just too harsh and broad.
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