History of the App Store

Hey guys it’s Greg with Apple Explained, and as you can see from the title, History of the App Store won this week’s voting poll. Now I’m glad this topic won because 2018 is the ten year anniversary of the App Store and that means if you’re in middle school right now, you probably don’t remember what life was like before the app era. So let’s travel back to 2007, the year of the original iPhone, and explore how people used their smartphones without an app store.
Back then, when you purchased a smartphone, whether it was a Blackberry, iPhone, or Nokia, you were stuck with the software included on the phone. If you wanted to use Facebook, you had to go through the smartphone’s web browser and get on Facebooks website. And because you were accessing the site on a mobile device, you were served the mobile site version. And the problem with this was most mobile sites were half-baked versions of the full website. So you typically didn’t have access to all its features and functionality, and if you did manage to access the full desktop site from a mobile device, it was slow, clumsy to navigate, and hard on your battery.
So right away you can see the need for an app store. But things always appear more obvious in retrospect.

[@AppleExplained]

What topics would you guys like to see on the next voting poll?

[@nadeemshaikh7863]

Apple Explained didn't Android market came first?

[@annehoward5336]

Maybe the games app which is default on iOS?

[@Jeromeromesheltonrecords]

Apple Explained the history of iPod Touch

[@lolgod1695]

History of SSDs

[@lolgod1695]

Bottle he already did that

[@fuelvolts]

Google Play was called "Android Market" from 2008 until March 2012 when it was renamed Google Play.

[@MarioLuigi0404]

I actually have a kobo that goes back to market every time I reset it to factory. I do this a lot because I have to every time I change my google passcode. It sucks, but I get to use the KZbin app from like 2009

[@AppleExplained]

That’s true, thanks for the info!

[@ChillydontCap]

Actually it was Android Market, Play Store, then Google Play.

[@Stick_official1]

James Helgason It Was

[@jonneysings2938]

MarioLuigi0404 what’s so good about youtube 2009 app?

[@Windows98R]

Remember when “Lite” was still a thing...

[@babyboycutie5965]

[] still is

[@Lizuma]

There are still games with lite versions out there. I tend to download those instead of the full game to see if the full game is worth it.

[@Windows98R]

I mean when they were the norm, with virtually all apps from MCPE to Calculator apps having them.

[@viperdvrkmxtter6498]

[] yeah it’s still a thing

[@Windows98R]

Greedo I tried it but iOS 11 decided it wants to kill my nostalgia

[@over00lordunknown12]

2:06 Doodle Jump 2:06 Tap Tap Revenge 2 4:05 Enigmo 4:07 Labyrinth 4:51 "If you were around for the release of the App Store, you were probably just hit with nostalgia." Yes. Indeed I was.

[@crabosity]

I miss when they gave a paid app for free every week :(

[@cal4720]

Wait what?

[@OscarRamirez-jx6ko]

They still do. Like 7 at a time in fact. I sometimes catch it browsing the News app. It’s how I got Multi Translate, a $11.99 app, for free.

[@QuadiePoo]

They still do sometimes. Just not every week

[@_.emberrr]

Welp, if minecraft pe goes for free, then i wasted 9.99 dollars

[@angelzx7961]

Psy the Guy its only like 7 dollars for me

[@BryanLankston]

I remember when the App Store kicked you out every time you downloaded something. I’m so happy they fixed that, it was so stupid!

[@brett9044]

Oh that annoyed the hell outta me... but nostalgia is tryna make it not that bad! *Sniff*

[@Alecexo]

Ikr and then it would take eons to reload

[@murkvictim]

0

[@angelzx7961]

Thought you meant you got kicked out for downloading something on a iphone at the apple store lmao

[@JSTPPodcast]

Tbh I prefer when it kicked you out when you download an app, cause then you can see the app in your home screen downloading

[@nadeemshaikh7863]

Google play was initially known as 'Android market'. I loved that name though

[@ajddavid452]

yeah I remember android market, I only used it on a ebook reader I had called a Pandigital Novel, ironically it was more of a regular tablet than an ebook reader, but I wasn't able to root it hothardware.com/reviews/pandigital-multimedia-novel-7inch-androidmultimedia-tablet--color-ereader-review

[@Sean-D78]

I actually miss the old app download bar from the Steve Jobs era of iOS. I dont know why but it looks nice. Now I want them to add skins to iOS.

[@narla805]

When Tim Cook First Owned Apple He Didn’t Change Anything Until Scott Forestall So It Was The Scott Forestalls Time

[@olivergreen2662]

Love these history things

[@barnacles1352]

You mean videos

[@Higamers2007]

History of Germany

[@olivergreen2662]

@@Higamers2007 I wrote that comment in 2018 omg

[@bernielomax4702]

Me too. It’s to the point and informative.

[@coloraturip]

It’s sad to see the wishlist feature is gone on the iOS 11 version of the App Store :/

[@zain2x]

Emanuel Romano me too

[@iustinianconstantinescu5498]

Emanuel Romano Why? What's the point???

[@coloraturip]

Iustinian Constantinescu sometimes you just want to save things to see them later...

[@kevinm.5951]

Emanuel Romano Well thats stupid. C’mon apple

[@samtauri]

You can use share the app feature and save it to your reminders :)

[@alexarmitage4951]

When Steve Jobs wanted web apps, this shows that he didn't always make the right decision.

[@migueld7916]

Web Apps (PWAs and such) are coming back tho, he was just ahead of his time...

[@lemon_boy577]

Well nobody is allways right

[@johngotti4286]

Miguel D sure they are...

[@ittsnota]

No Steve jobs is too cheap

[@eca3101]

@@migueld7916 but Steve Jobs wasn't CEO of apple during 2018, he was the CEO during the early 2000s. Doesn't matter how ahead of his time he was, he was wrong

[@MangoChannel]

Why I love this channel even If I have android?

[@emfernandez73]

You secretly want an IPhone

[@Randomguy-zv3tv]

Same here... Lol

[@Randomguy-zv3tv]

@@emfernandez73 seriously not... The only is reason is that I love Woz, jobs and Ive...

[@suchirghuwalewala]

@@emfernandez73 I really want to get the performance of iphones but i am stuck with some high end androids and not iphone 😕😕😕

[@emfernandez73]

@@suchirghuwalewala damn throw those raggedy ass phones out and get an iphone xx

[@Jack-hx8yz]

Why can’t you just add the poll in the sidebar of a video

[@cocutou]

Jack Because Subscribers my dude.

[@eca3101]

He might not have the topics ready by the time these videos drop

[@Alecexo]

ECA you can add them after they’re uploaded

[@oliviateta]

Jack her needs subs

[@DOYAKNOWYT]

You cant

[@WynneSikorski]

I'm only 13 and got my first iPod in 2010... I remember thinking I was a bad ass downloading "iBeer"... and I remember downloading an ouja board app so my dad could talk to my grandpa... yeah... I loved my iPod! I beat it too! haha!

[@Rullino32]

Tommy Scott No, It's An iPod Touch

[@Alecexo]

Alpha32 _-Channel-_ duh he said his friends THOUGHT it was an iphone

[@IoriKana]

Xans _you are correct...._ -lol- *HAHAHAHA*

[@elenagibbons4719]

I got my first iPod in 2013 that I actually still have-although I forgot the password and the charger was damaged so I can’t log in.

[@hinkel8142]

i remember playing minecraft lite😂

[@erratic3370]

Hinkel same

[@Alecexo]

Same then my mom got me the full version

[@TotosSword]

I played Minecraft lite 2015-2016

[@TrigramThunder]

I don't know about Apple, but at least on Android, they recently released a new "Demo" free version of Minecraft, after more than 6 years since the last one. I remember playing the old one (the same one you're talking about; that was both on Apple and Android), around 2012, and then they took it off the stores, so I bought the full version for $4.99, which many years later rose to $6.99. Now it sucks, because since Microsoft bought it, they've made the desktop version $30 instead of $20 (at least in the Windows 10 store, albeit it comes with bonuses), and made it so that all thing that were prebviously free and user-created (skins, maps, tesxture packs, PVP servers, seeds, etc), is now paid and Microsoft-creared, and you need to buy so-called "MineCoins" to use them. It sucks, it's not the same anymroe. Minecraft's dead.

[@barnacles1352]

Same I remember hearing zombies and getting scared af

[@MarkusAT]

Java apps were sold by third parties before Nokia made their own “App Store” so Apple didn’t invent the App Store but they finally made a phone that could use many apps without slowing of use or too small memory

[@DocTime56]

I'd discard the too small memory. If you're talking about RAM, that's relatively true, but if you mean flash, I have horrible memories about the 4 Gigabyte iPhone 4

[@MarkusAT]

Tonatiuh Valenzuela better than 120mb Nokia N97

[@Ben-gy6uu]

Your videos are amazing. I always look forward to your vids. Keep it up dude :) 👌

[@solorzanofelipe]

Love the channel. All these videos take me back to past and I remember most of this stuff, just that after so many updates on forgets what the pitch was for new features and what disappeared after updates without a warning.

[@fyrewatermelons]

I remember being there when Android market became the Google Play Store. It was a magnificent time to be an early adopter.

[@villehussosno.1fan]

Yeah. I remember when the App Store changed its loo from the Pencils and stuff to just the lines :(

[@unknownbattlegrounds1996]

BUT! Android had Android market even before apple had AppStore. Later google renamed it to google play.

[@matej8434]

maybe thats why they did the appstore

[@charlesispi]

4:06 look at pennies with its icon "4.20" lol

[@rickgrimes9530]

Used to have an iPod touch in 2011-2013 with the old AppStore…. So nostalgic, made my whole childhood. God bless those times.

[@NorwayDuck]

I love how the link for this video ends with "Aww" xD

[@CoteaGeorgeC]

You forgot Nokias Ovi Store that came before the AppStore

[@arixmoonlight485]

Cotea George yap Apple didn’t invent the App Store thingy but Apple was the first company who made modern App Store and gave SDK to third party developers if I’m not mistaken.

[@orion2089]

No one care ,no one install app from that things ,I prefer search .jar on internet

[@CoteaGeorgeC]

ɐɹʇnd pɐɯɥɔɐ Nokia Belle / Symbian S60V3 and newer QTSDK. Again 2007 Nokia N95

[@hidde1626]

Cartoon Nearby I bet you're an Apple fanboy, maybe it wasn't good, but it was earlier.

[@rager5600]

@@hidde1626 so was the iPhone before Android phones, what's your point? Who cares? Honestly

[@mikeli57]

Thank you for giving an opportunity to vote for what is most wanted topic 😊 I want you to know I appreciate it ! Good work

[@johnnguyen8172]

Apple’s App Stores today are filled with terrible simple graphical games while the past had good graphics and better coding than today. Game developers, what happened?

[@Wcthllboy]

John Nguyen cheaping out and just praying on ads and cosmetic payments

[@heroninja1125]

The cheap simple graphic p2w games are more profitable. Apple and google allow the stores to be rigged and flooded with these trashy games because it makes them money. They couldn't care less about the fake reviews, copypasted games or outright extortion that occurs within these apps. Not to mention the users are pretty stupid as well (considering the only people that actually "game" on their phones are gullible 80 year olds or 10 year old children). The fault is not on the developers, developers would be more than happy to make good games for mobile. But the app store is not like a proper game store such as steam. Nobody wants to pay for a fleshed out and well made campaign game that has unique gameplay mechanics. I found this out back in the day when I played Alpha zero (the game by funkoi) It still has better visual fidelity and has an innovative style of gameplay that I have never seen replicated even to this day. But the game costed $2, and nobody wants to pay money for a game on an app store. If you want good games get a PC and play games on steam, it is the ONLY place in the entire planet where you can get games that are actually GOOD, and find genuine reviews that were not rigged by corporations. Developers make good games to put on steam because they KNOW it is the most profitable option for them if they want to make a real game, because if you want to profit off of mobile games, then the game cannot be good in any measure and HAS to be a p2w grindfest following a casino-like formula.

[@juansolo9166]

Well of course he has to agree with Chinese policy, that’s their way to stay in their market and also remember that Apple build some of it’s parts for iPhones, iPads, etc in China. In my opinion I don’t see nothing wrong with Apple in trying to stay within the Chinese market, they are a company, not a left hand to Oppose the current government. That’s political stuff man.

[@handyman4250]

The thumbnail made me shocked in side and I went to see that logo and I was like omg

[@annehoward5336]

These are great, informative videos Apple Explained! Really interesting and cool to see where things started and their evolution! Keep it up!

[@danielturner4624]

I love these in depth videos you make on apple history! I would love it if you could do the next one about there laptops-ibooks-macbooks, that would be great!! :) 👍

[@burgerbattle]

i remember ibeer

[@jnsdotgg]

bruh

[@matejchudy2913]

On other devices (like Nokia, Blackberry or Sony Ericsson) you were not stuck with preinstalled apps. You was able to download Java and in case of Symbian S60 devices also Symbian apps from the internet.

[@gmae244]

i still remember when youtube was a TV

[@-throat-]

I like the old App Store logo better, it's not just a bunch of lines

[@ThePC007]

They simplified it to the point where you cannot even tell what it is meant to represent. The old one was indeed much better.

[@abellau4105]

So much nostalgia ! I can still see those first top 10 apps in my purchase history! Whoa, I’m old lol

[@picklerick814]

top paid apps: - iBeer DAFUQ? :D

[@ninjya_bakon]

Yeah, if you're old enough you should remember that period of mankind history loool! I remember being 9 or 10 when the iPod 2 came out and my cousin downloaded iBeer and The Gun App and thinking he was so cool

[@tiffprendergast]

Pickle Rick it’s free now

[@Dcwest0616-the-best-on-youtube]

hold my iBeer

[@IruzzArcana]

Yeah I remember that app, back then when I was 7 I was trying to drink my phone thinking it would actually spill beer, damn I was stupid back then.

[@QuadiePoo]

Makes me feel old to see this. I remember a long time before this lol

[@iicreviews8620]

I thought Google Play / market Was first Released For Android 1.0

[@zenithaeon2272]

My first phone was a 4s when I was 10

[@thesims2university]

my first smartphone was an iphone 2G when i was 16 haha

[@simonfoster967]

Can you Please do a History of the Mac App Story

[@MasterBluspark]

Really good video. It’s just shame I wasn’t old enough to make apps back then. The apps back - several years ago were so good back then

[@josephpeed2002]

I remember the lite games lol

[@lvh5538]

oh the memories of the beer drinking app are beginning to hit

[@MasterBluspark]

11:37 I think he was drunk, high or tired when he said that. Just look at ios11 and iTunes 12.7 for a start

[@archanadodderi4442]

Your voice makes the video so much better, love your videos

[@jish8681]

At about 7 minutes in, an image of a bunch of lite edition apps appeared and I got a mega wave of nostalgia because one of them was angry birds. When the whole “lite” trend was a thing I was like 7. I played that game like all day on my iPad 1!

[@koseki_stuff]

I LIKE HOW YOU JUST PICK WHICH ONE WILL WIN

[@mileshahn4135]

What was that one game they kept showing with the little guy fighting the giant with little green balls of energy 😂

[@joshuaamaral5855]

i remember tap tap revenge, loved it sad you cant have the og one anymore

[@gochiestrella]

I think jailbreak was a big step in the first iPhone that made Apple see the potential that the iPhone had. Most of the games that made their first appearance on the AppStore. They were available on jailbreak iPhones before

[@yekevin]

I don't see a problem with China restricting or asking to remove some apps. I'm sure other countries are doing the same thing with other apps as well.

[@nhico935]

I think I always watch history things but I like your channel 👍

[@yasin6904]

Nokia and other smart phones already had apps that you could purchase and download before the iPhone was launched. Symbian and UIQ and Windows Mobile all had app stores.

[@uthmanbaksh3530]

The iBeer app brings back a lot of memories!

[@disispeter]

U kno a lot i been keeping up on ur old videos I appreciate it

[@Pidpie]

I still have Minecraft Lite on my iPad even though I already have the full mobile version and the PC version.

[@matthewsjardine]

If a company wants to operate and sell a product or service in a country, it needs to adhere to local laws. Apple’s willingness to play ball is one of the reasons they are one of the very short list of non-Chinese tech companies that operate profitably in China. Google pulled out, Uber pulled out, and so have many more.

[@punk_taco]

Matthew Jardine I'm pretty sure Uber pulled out because China basically copied their business model and made their own version of Uber which was state owned and made it virtually impossible for Uber to operate positively. But yeah I tend to agree, if you're in the money making business, you're not going to worry about being the social justice measuring stick

[@gizmotronn2410]

Almost up to 200,000 subscribers gr8 job Greg!

[@GeoffreySantos]

I think Tim Cook is correct. Contradictory to what the senator said. An international company should always adhere to local laws. If they venture business to that country. Besides before you do business on other country you will sign contracts and will be bind to local laws.

[@qiqoo]

I was born in 2003 and I remember my dad buying the first iPhone and I remember playing jet pack joyride it was the best game back then

[@kensukedeluxe]

Fun Fact: Play Store in 2008 was called Android Market!

[@odysseyguy8702]

I remember the old logo, nostalgia!

[@HuseynMemmedov]

Wait! I had that Crash game on my iPhone 3GS Running iOS 4 and it was not jailbroken. Just How?

[@Stupranos]

I was a senior in high school when the first iPhone came out. Meaning there was just the bare bone Os 1 experience. And that’s if you were the very small percentage lucky enough to be able to have one. You basically had settle for the original iPod Touch. I was one who had to. The struggle finding decent WiFi and a decent web game was something else. Today’s students have no idea how lucky they are.

[@CyanideLucifer]

This whole timeline is Nostalgic 😂😭

[@MIRAJ_ULLAH]

I miss the old App Store:( I was 9 year old

[@theiangupta]

Web Browsers: c’mon, Steve! Apps: this is a milestone Users: Um… what should I use?

[@GBrayJ]

Hey! I saw enigmo in the original app store I have it on my IPad!!!

[@Nickstrtube]

These videos are amazing. thanks for the quality content

[@windsonma8209]

That is a tough quest to answer in my opinion, in short they are/ were facing the same Problems of what Film Makers are facing now when it comes to China

[@hellol1634]

your videos are informative and really nice

[@Gokuthor9071]

I was in middle school when it was made but I’m not in school anymore

[@AidenGibson1]

I remember iAD and there is a similar version of it today.

[@eddieprince5511]

Apple Play Store 2% Android Market 12% App Store 122%

[@spencermacca]

Very of the interest. Recommended the of the watch.

[@michaelwillever3522]

Very interesting video. I’m a subscriber and I truly appreciate your insightful content. Thanks for all your hard work. Keep it up!!

[@vovical]

Man that smurfs thing hit me with nostalgia

[@solelgammal]

I remember it :( nostalgia

[@Bonetrousle]

I remember when Angry Birds was #1 on the Top Paid Games

[@LankDank]

I would love to see the history of Smart watches. That would be interested

[@stefananderson6180]

3:39 Steve Jobs is thinking : Okay, Okay I've given u guys App store already! Stop arguying !

[@Meatnyancat22Gaming]

Love this nostalgic video

[@AlvinBalvin321]

you can really see the evolution of of the app fron this to that to thez then to thob which will be just a triangle

[@danielturner4624]

Please do the history of the MacBook Pro:) please!!

[@mikecraftbro]

Can you do a history video on game centre

[@heresbutler]

I LOVED the lightsaber app

[@jnsdotgg]

here's Butler, what is that?

[@violanettling2117]

iBeer? What is that for an app? And for what is ot needed?

[@RedMarcus14]

The third icon looks like popsicle sticks

[@platinumt3425]

Appstore logo look like it went back in time but it actually went forward in time

[@aetvrna]

Haha he included South Park in the video. Good Job

[@smpark12]

I remember going to the facebook website and pinning the thing to home screen because my device was too old for the app :P EDIT: I also remember iBeer and Lightsaber unlease. Those were the days...

[@alexthegrape1000]

The iOS 7 app store icon is so much better than the current one

[@srivatsasa1]

2:20 Lol I used to play dizzy bee on my dad’s 4s

[@wolflaflamegaming7709]

Me in.middle school:wait what so how did yall use face book-

[@LMacNeill]

Of *course* Tim Cook is bending to pressure from the Chinese government in order to keep access to the lucrative Chinese market. And the shareholders of Apple wouldn't have it any other way -- they want him to maintain maximum profitability; that is, after all, his main job. And Apple could *easily* rein in developers that use the "fremium" model to force users to keep paying in order to keep playing. Apple sets the rules, and they could change them easily. However -- again -- the shareholders of Apple wouldn't want this to happen. Apple gets 30% of every penny spent on the App Store -- including money spent on in-app purchases. But you (the user) are totally free *not* to pay for the in-app purchases. You don't *have* to play these games. You *choose* to. And as long as you continue to choose to do this, nothing will change. Want it to change? Don't buy any more in-app stuff. Very simple solution.

[@michaelwillever3522]

LMacNeill *reign* in...

[@donkey7921]

LMacNeill yeah Apple needs the US gov to protect them!

[@colinsmith407]

Protect them from what?

[@jeffthevomitguy1178]

In order to attain world Peace we need to STOP fighting. In order to stop drug abuse just STOP using drugs It truly is that simple

[@pm5206]

Now Apple is fully censoring American apps because of political views. Apple is guilty of playing politics and has tarnished themselves for controlling the app world. Although no company is innocent. Conservatives for example are being silenced and Apple promoting their leftist agenda along with other tech giants.

[@nickmoseley5968]

I miss the old apps like ipoo and all these app were you can socialize and even dumb app we’re you just walk around a building

[@yetch2473]

Who else remembers the App Store logo was a crayon paintbrush and a line?

[@2ndrooff]

What about the "Apple" app at 3:45?

[@TrigramThunder]

My best guess is it's a Safari web shortcut that when tapped goes to "apple.com" in the Safari browser, seeing as other surrounding icons are also obviously web links (NO WAY back in 2008 there would be a native Google app)

[@skate1]

😍iBeer was so cool. I was a kid but believe me I loved it

[@Luigi64real]

You didn't mention that web apps are comming back in safari threw PWA