App Store download buttons change from 'Free' to 'Get' as in-app purchases dominate revenue

With many "free" applications carrying hidden costs in the form of in-app purchases, Apple has stopped labeling free-to-download iOS apps as "Free" on the App Store, instead requiring users to tap a button that reads "Get" in order to install the software.

The small change to the App Store was instituted Wednesday in an apparent acknowledgement that many so-called "free" iOS applications are not.

For example, as of Tuesday afternoon, the 38 "top grossing" applications listed on the App Store are all free downloads with in-app purchases. The first paid app on the list is No. 39, Minecraft - Pocket Edition, which costs $6.99 to download.

Most of the top grossing apps for iPhone are free-to-play games, which users can download for free but encourage — or sometimes require — in-app purchases to advance.

So-called "freemium" titles have been a source of controversy, as they can be downloaded by children who can rack up charges on their parents' App Store account. That prompted Apple to add a notice in 2013 highlighting when a free application includes in-app purchases.

Apple was even sued in 2011 and was accused of collecting "millions of dollars" from unauthorized in-app purchases made by children. Apple settled the case last year and offered $5 iTunes credits to the complainants.

48 Comments

rogifan 10667 comments · 13 Years

About 10 years ago

GET?? WTF Apple. Nothing intuitive about that. If you can't use Free because of IAP then how about something like Download? GET sounds stupid and looks fugly.

wdowell 234 comments · 15 Years

The EU and various EU national state consumer protection boards/associations forced this. It's a good chance.

zroger73 787 comments · 13 Years

"GET"? That's horrible. It's wonky. Cheesy. Too "different". How about...

"FREE" for apps that are truly free or ad-supported.

"$.$$" for one-time paid apps.

"$.$$+" for apps that have in-app purchases.

I realize we humans dislike change and will adapt, but this comes across as horribly un-Apple-like and poorly planned. It's these little things in the post-Jobs era that keep adding up.

solipsismy 5099 comments · 10 Years

[quote name="Rogifan" url="/t/183509/app-store-download-buttons-change-from-free-to-get-as-in-app-purchases-dominate-revenue#post_2641934"]GET?? WTF Apple. Nothing intuitive about that. If you can't use Free because of IAP then how about something like Download? GET sounds stupid and looks fugly.[/quote] It seems clear that it's to avoid confusion over the charges of in-app purchases. I welcome the addition, but I would like free apps that have no in-app purchase (or all free of charge in-app purchases) to still be listed as Free to further facilitate this effort for clarity.

[LIST] [*] "Get at last, get at last." [*] [*] "The best things in life are get." [*] [*] "I'm get to be what I want." [*] [*] "Get your mind and the rest will follow." [/LIST] [quote name="zroger73" url="/t/183509/app-store-download-buttons-change-from-free-to-get-as-in-app-purchases-dominate-revenue#post_2641944"]"GET"? That's horrible. It's wonky. Cheesy. [I]Too[/I] "different". How about... "FREE" for apps that are truly free or ad-supported. "$.$$" for one-time paid apps. "$.$$+" for apps that have in-app purchases. I realize we humans dislike change and will adapt, but this comes across as horribly un-Apple-like and poorly planned. It's these little things in the post-Jobs era that keep adding up. [/quote] 1) You want free apps that have in-app purchases to show up as $0.00+? 2) The plus symbol is already used to denote Universal apps for iOS for iPhone and iOS for iPad.