Tag: in-app
Twitter could launch in-app ‘coins’ to help creators make money
It seems Elon Musk’s Twitter is working on a new scheme to make money from the platform. The service appears to be experimenting with an in-app currency called “coins” meant to help creators earn money from the platform, according to screenshots shared by two app researchers.
The feature has been spotted in recent days by Jane Manchun Wong and Nima Owji, app researchers who often publish images of unreleased features. According to their posts, coins appear to be an extension of Twitter’s existing tipping feature. “Coins allow you to support creators who Tweet great content,” reads a screenshot shared by Wong and Owji. An image shared by Owji back in December showed a new “Coins” tab in the same section where users can keep track of their tips.
For now, it’s unclear exactly what Twitter’s plans are for coins or when the feature could launch. The company, which no longer employs communications staff, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But the screenshots suggest Twitter is at least considering featuring coins prominently in its app as both Wong and Owji spotted it in the main sidebar.
Here’s the list of Twitter Awards: https://t.co/PpgHebBWD6pic.twitter.com/BePDVAkzhy
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) January 5, 2023
But coins may not be just for tipping. Wong also spotted an “Awards” feature, which allows people to use coins to buy in-app gifts for others. According to the image shared by Wong, users would be able to buy gifts for as little as one coin (called “Mind Blown”) or as much as 5000 (called “Gold”). It’s not clear how much coins will cost, though Twitter would presumably get a cut of revenue generated from coin purchases.
So far, Elon Musk doesn’t seem to have publicly weighed in on coins or awards, but he has spoken broadly about wanting more ways for creators to be rewarded. He’s said that Twitter Blue revenue would potentially “give Twitter a revenue stream to reward content creators” and that “creator monetization for all forms of content” is also in the works.
It’s also worth noting that despite the “coins’ moniker, the feature doesn’t seem to have any cryptocurrency tie-ins, at least for now. “Twitter Coin is still under development and we don’t even have any evidence that it’s something related to crypto,” Owji noted. “Don’t let the scammers fool you.”
Data.ai: consumers spent $129B on in-app purchases in 2022
Apple Blocks Coinbase Wallet App From Sending NFTs Because of In-App Purchase Dispute
Coinbase Wallet says that Apple would not approve an app update until the NFT-sending feature was disabled, and the removal of the functionality will make it more difficult for iPhone users who have an NFT to transfer the NFT to other wallets or gift an NFT to friends or family. The developers behind the app say that Apple has introduced profit-protecting policies that come at the expense of “developer innovation across the crypto ecosystem.” Coinbase Wallet is hoping that this is a mistake and has tweeted an invitation to Apple to discuss the matter.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
TikTok Silently Prepares to Launch In-App Shopping
I hope you’re in the mood for more people trying to sell you stuff while browsing social media, because that’s exactly what you’re getting this Christmas. Semafor first reported that select businesses in the U.S. are being asked to participate in the TikTok’s new shopping experience just as the world tilts ever more…
Google Play Store Now Letting Spotify Use Alternative Billing for In-App Purchases
Spotify is Google’s first partner for “User Choice Billing,” a feature that allows Android users to make purchases using the payment option they prefer. User Choice Billing is essentially an alternative billing option for in-app purchases, and it comes with a reduced fee.
Spotify will be able to collect payments directly from users, and Google will charge Spotify four percent less than normal. Spotify and other developers who eventually adopt User Choice Billing will still need to give Google a cut of their app sales and purchases, but at the reduced rate. Google normally collects between 15 and 30 percent of in-app purchases, much like Apple.
In a blog post, Spotify said that Google has taken a “bold step to help level the playing field,” and that “fair and open platforms” bring “frictionless consumer experiences.”
Spotify has been publicly advocating for platform fairness and expanded payment options for years. We believe that fair and open platforms enable better, frictionless consumer experiences that also empower developers to imagine, innovate, and thrive.
Spotify is rolling out an initial test implementation of user choice billing to users in select countries starting this week. Google today also announced a partnership with Bumble, with Bumble adding support in the coming months.
User Choice Billing from Google is an option in 35 countries, including the United States, much of Europe, Australia, Japan, and more, and it is a pilot program that other developers are also able to join.
With User Choice Billing, Google has distinguished the Play Store from the App Store, as Apple does not let apps use alternative billing at this time. There are two exceptions, however, including South Korea and the Netherlands. Regulators in these countries have forced Apple to allow some apps to use third-party payment providers.
In the Netherlands, Apple collects a 27 percent commission instead of a 30 percent commission, and in South Korea, Apple collects a 26 percent commission. Both reduced commissions are similar to what Google has done for its User Choice Billing System. With Google adopting options for alternative billing and continued regulatory pressure, it is possible that Apple will also fold and expand the Dutch and South Korea processes to other countries and app types, but Apple is continuing to fight for in-app purchase to remain the only payment method in the App Store at the current time.
This article, “Google Play Store Now Letting Spotify Use Alternative Billing for In-App Purchases” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Daily Crunch: After buying Twitter, will Musk bite back at Apple’s in-app purchase fees?
Hello, friends, and welcome to Daily Crunch, bringing you the most important startup, tech and venture capital news in a single package.
Daily Crunch: After buying Twitter, will Musk bite back at Apple’s in-app purchase fees? by Christine Hall originally published on TechCrunch
Snapchat brings parental controls to India through in-app tool ‘Family Center’
Snapchat is bringing an initial set of parental controls to users in India — a couple of months after its debut in the U.S. and some other markets — to deliver parents and guardians in the key oversea market insights on how their teens are using the social networking app. The in-app tool, called Family […]
Snapchat brings parental controls to India through in-app tool ‘Family Center’ by Jagmeet Singh originally published on TechCrunch
iOS 16.1 Beta 3 Lets You Preload In-App Content After Installing Apps So They’re Ready to Go
“Automatically run apps in the background to download content before you first launch them,” the description of the toggle says. With the new option enabled, after a user installs an app from the App Store, it’ll automatically begin running in the background to download their in-app content so that when the user opens the app for the first time, it’s ready to go.
The new toggle was added in iOS 16.1 beta 3 and macOS Ventura beta 9. Also, in the latest macOS Ventura beta, Apple has a new dynamic version of its Ventura marketing wallpaper.
This article, “iOS 16.1 Beta 3 Lets You Preload In-App Content After Installing Apps So They’re Ready to Go” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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