Apple now lets users report App Store scams

Apple has reinstated the “Report a Problem” button on its App Store to enable users to report dodgy and fraudulent uploads.

The news comes an investigation earlier in 2021 revealed 18 of the top 1,000 highest grossing apps on Apple’s App Store are guilty of scamming iOS users.

Reporting on the news of the feature, first spotted by Apple developer Richard Mazkewich, and scam hunter Kosta Eleftheriou, The Verge says the button, which has resurfaced after an absence of several years, offers pertinent options, and a much smoother workflow.

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For instance, the button now includes a dedicated “Report a scam or fraud” option in its drop-down menu, which also lists separate options for requesting refunds, pointing out quality issues, and reporting offensive, and abusive content.

The Verge points out that in earlier iOS releases, the button only existed at the end of the App Store, but it now very helpfully appears for individual apps.

Winds of change?

Off late, Apple has had to reportedly make a slew of changes to the App Store. Some, such as enabling users to rate Apple’s default, home-brewed apps, have come about as the result of regulatory oversight.

Unlike some of the recent changes though, this new ability to report scammy apps appears to be of a lot more use, considering that it’s been implemented properly this time around.

Comparing the latest incarnation of the feature with its previous version, The Verge notes that previously the button offered limited options, and lacked the ability to directly report a fraudulent app.

While the process has now clearly been refined, The Verge notes that Apple’s lack of adequate app reviewers, as compared to its industry peers, could be the bottleneck when it comes to processing and taking action on the incoming reports.