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

Knockoff apps have actually long been a problem in the App Store, with fraud apps slipping previous customers to contend with 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 a very popular iOS special title, and in February 2012, a fake variation 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.
” Is nobody examining these apps? Is no one minding the shop?” he ranted on, prior to asking whether individuals kept in mind a speak about ending up being the “Nordstrom” of App Stores in quality of service.

Phil Schiller in 2012, after a rip-off app hit # 1: “What the hell is this?????
… Is no one evaluating these Apps? Is no one minding the shop?” pic.twitter.com/pNaozl6hv1
— Patrick McGee (@PatrickMcGee_) May 3, 2021
Because that 2012 tirade, App Store reviewers have continued to fight with knockoff apps that imitate genuine apps. A 2nd document highlighted Minecraft knockoffs that had made it into the App Store not as soon as, but two times, and was consuming Minecraft sales, and in a 3rd 2015 document, Schiller remarks that he “cant think” that Apple does not have automated tools to discover and kick out scam apps.

At the time, Temple Run was an incredibly popular iOS unique title, and in February 2012, a fake version of Temple Run struck the App Store charts. Schiller sent out an e-mail 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, garbage marketing text, and almost all 1-star ratings end up being the # 1 free app on the store?”
Phil Schiller in 2012, after a rip-off app hit # 1: “What the hell is this?????
… Is no one reviewing these Apps?

Phil Schiller, 2015:
” [this rip-off app] is an excellent example of the things we should have automated tools to kick and find out of the shop. I cant think we still do not.” …” and PLEASE establish a system to immediately find low ranked apps and purge them !!” pic.twitter.com/fhFvja7vXs
— Jacob Terry (@jerkob) May 5, 2021
Scam iOS apps that defraud users and mimic real apps continue to be a problem to this day. In current months, designer Kosta Eleftheriou has actually taken to speaking out versus scam apps and highlighting noteworthy scams in the App Store, bringing additional attention to the problem.