A surprise from Apple for developers: developers who create an application that is available for various Apple devices can, from now on, combine them under one overarching category. Users will then be able to purchase for all available platforms, in a single purchase.
The update will be rolled out in March 2020, but Apple is now announcing its arrival. Because an app for another device can be placed under the same page, it will be easier for devs and users to offer the versions. As a result, cross-platform apps can be sold at once for all available platforms. These include iOS, iPadOS, macOS and tvOS. Devs can already start using the Single Bundle ID in the Xcode 11.4 beta to see if their apps are working properly.
Category changes
In addition to the advent of combining different OS apps, the categories in the Apple App Store will also be changed to allow for the upcoming changes. iOS apps will be added in two categories (Developer Tools and Graphics & Design), macOS apps can be grouped under the new categories Books, Food & Drink, Magazines & Newspapers, Navigation, and Shopping, and developers will be able to switch categories with each new update.
With the arrival of new categories also comes the disappearance of the Kids subsection under Video Games in the Mac App Store. Photography and Video will also disappear, to make way for the combined Photo & Video. Apps that are in one of the two separate sections will automatically be placed under the new denominator.
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