iOS 14.5 has gradually turned out to be a huge update with various new features like Apple Maps improvements, new emojis, Music and Reminder app updates, and quality of life enhancements like the ability to download security patches without complete software updates, detailed subscription information, default music streaming service change, and much more.
As such, according to various sightings by a small number of users, it may seem like Apple is testing a brand new feature to improve popular search results.
Apple could roll out tags for App Store to help refine popular search results
A small number of iPhone users have reported in recent weeks that they have started to see tags in the App Store upon searching for a popular term like wallpaper or photos. The search results will be narrowed down to apps that can be utilized to create photo collages. A second tag may be selected to further narrow down the search results.
A few users have claimed to see the tags on iOS 14.4.2. It might be slightly possible that the tags are a server-side change that will be expanded to more users on various iOS versions gradually. For now, it seems that the tags are functioning for those iPhone users who are running iOS 14.5 beta.
According to the Cupertino tech giant, 70% of App Store visitors use search to discover and find apps, meaning the search tags will be of major benefit to users. Back in 2016, the tech giant introduced Search Ads, enabling developers to pay the company to have their app listing shown at the top of the search results based on the app’s relevance to the user’s search query.
Beta testing has been in progress since February for iOS 14.5. The seventh beta for the software was released this week. The tech giant says that the software shall be released in early spring. As per a recent interview of CEO Tim Cook, he said that the update will be released in “a few weeks”.
Read More:
- U.S. iPhone users spent an average of $138 on the App Store in 2020, number expected to grow to $180 in 2021
- Senior Apple engineer compares App Store defenses against malicious actors to bringing a ‘butter knife in gunfight
- Apple is rejecting App Store updates that do not follow App Tracking Transparency rules
