I love apps. I think I've made that pretty clear over the years both on iMore and elsewhere. I love apps of all shapes and sizes, but there's one thing I can't stand. It's something that I'm far from the first person to complain about, too. And it's something Apple needs to get tough on.
Bug fixes and performance improvements.
Call me old-fashioned, but I remember when an app's release notes included useful information about what the update had to offer. Those notes told us of new features and, if there were bugs that were squashed, it told us what they were as well. I enjoy reading release notes because it means there's something new to look forward to. Something new about an app that I already use.
Unfortunately, some developers seem to think that release notes are nothing more than another box to tick when working their way through App Store Connect.
Bug fixes and performance improvements.
Now, don't get me wrong. I enjoy a bug fix and an improvement as much as the next appaholic. But they don't mean anything unless release note readers know what they are.
Instead, we get a vague acknowledgment that something changed. Someone, somewhere, did something. Cool. But tell us why we should care and, more importantly, why we should download the update at all.
Bug fixes and performance improvements.
It isn't all about users, either. I'd argue that developers benefit from a good release note, too. When I'm downloading a new app or game the first thing I do is look to see how often and how recently it was updated. If all I see is the familiar bug fixes and improvements, it doesn't make me think fondly about the app or the people behind it. It makes me think they couldn't be bothered to write something meaningful. So what other corners are they cutting?
Bug fixes and performance improvements.
It isn't a lack of resources thing, either. Google, one of the worst offenders, isn't short of a developer or two. And yet.
Come on now. Give us a clue, Google! It's time Apple started to ban apps that have updates like this.
