Phil Schiller on App Store Knockoffs in 2012: ‘Is No One Reviewing These Apps?’

Phil Schiller in 2012, after a rip-off app struck # 1: “What the hell is this?????
… Is no one evaluating these Apps? Is nobody minding the shop?” pic.twitter.com/pNaozl6hv1
— Patrick McGee (@PatrickMcGee_) May 3, 2021
Since that 2012 tirade, App Store reviewers have continued to fight with knockoff apps that simulate real apps. A 2nd document highlighted Minecraft knockoffs that had made it into the App Store not once, however two times, and was eating up Minecraft sales, and in a third 2015 file, Schiller remarks that he “cant believe” that Apple does not have automated tools to kick and discover out scam apps.

At the time, Temple Run was a super popular iOS special title, and in February 2012, a phony version of Temple Run hit the App Store charts. Schiller sent out an email to Eddy Cue, Greg Joswiak, Ron Okamoto, Phillip Shoemaker, Matt Fischer, Kevin Saul, and others on the App Store group. “How does an obvious rip off of the incredibly popular Temple Run, with no screenshots, trash marketing text, and practically all 1-star scores become the # 1 free app on the store?”
Phil Schiller in 2012, after a rip-off app struck # 1: “What the hell is this?????
… Is no one reviewing examining Apps?

Phil Schiller, 2015:
” [this rip-off app] is an excellent example of the stuff we ought to have automated tools to find and kick out of the store. I cant think we still dont.” …” and PLEASE establish a system to instantly discover low ranked apps and purge them !!” pic.twitter.com/fhFvja7vXs
— Jacob Terry (@jerkob) May 5, 2021
Fraud iOS apps that defraud users and simulate real apps continue to be an issue to this day. In current months, designer Kosta Eleftheriou has taken to speaking up versus scam apps and highlighting notable frauds in the App Store, bringing extra attention to the issue.

Knockoff apps have actually long been a problem in the App Store, with fraud apps slipping past customers to take on real apps and steal sales, and back in 2012, Apples Phil Schiller was absolutely furious when a phony app made it to the top of the App Store rankings, according to documents shared in the Epic v. Apple trial.
At the time, Temple Run was an incredibly popular iOS special title, and in February 2012, a fake version of Temple Run hit the App Store charts. Schiller sent out an email to Eddy Cue, Greg Joswiak, Ron Okamoto, Phillip Shoemaker, Matt Fischer, Kevin Saul, and others on the App Store team. “What the hell is this????” he asked. “How does an apparent swindle of the incredibly popular Temple Run, without any screenshots, garbage marketing text, and practically all 1-star scores end up being the # 1 free app on the shop?”
” Is no one reviewing these apps? Is nobody minding the shop?” he ranted on, prior to asking whether individuals kept in mind a speak about becoming the “Nordstrom” of App Stores in quality of service.