An app store is an online store where people can buy apps for mobile devices. The original app store was the App Store run by Apple to offer apps to its iPhone® and iPod Touch® users, and other companies adopted the concept so they could create and sell apps for their users as well. Apps in an app store can range in cost from free to quite expensive downloads, depending on who developed the app and its purpose. Most of the paid downloads have relatively low prices.
Many apps sold in the Apple App Store were designed specifically for iPad.
Many manufacturers design apps on their own as they respond to user feedback from the public using their devices. The app store may also list apps from third-party developers, and the app is reviewed by the manufacturer to confirm that it is functional, secure, and works as intended. Employees can also review apps to address issues around young children accessing adult content and to help people concerned about offensive content avoid apps that may upset them.
Applications can be downloaded to the iPod Touch.
Apps are designed to expand the functionality of a mobile device. They can include things like personal planners, games, prank programs, and a wide variety of other types of applications. To be included in a manufacturer-managed app store, apps typically need to be coded to conform to a very specific standard; many manufacturers release their standards and specifications so that developers can create applications for their devices. Privately run app stores may not have these strict standards.
Apple developed the original App Store as an app market for its iPhone.
Users can usually access an app store from their mobile device, and some manufacturers provide a hotkey that users can use to go directly to the store. Once there, users can search for an app by name or browse by type. Often many competing apps serve more or less the same function, with users choosing based on price, design, reputation, or style.
When people download from an app store, they may be asked to enter a username and password linked to financial information stored by the store itself, or a credit card number. People should be careful about downloads, confirm that their information is stored securely and used responsibly, and that they are downloading the apps they intend to download. They should also be aware that offerings in a third-party store may not be verified for security, which means they could download something potentially dangerous, such as an app with an embedded virus or an app that collects personal information.
The App Store managed by Apple allows users to download applications to their iPhone®.
