Apple has published the number of recipients each of its services commands in Europe, revealing that its iPhone platform has 101 million iOS App Store users.
As required by new EU laws, online platforms with more than 45 million monthly active users now have to disclose exactly how many customers they have, which means we now know exactly just how many people use Apple's key services in Europe.
The figures reveal Apple has 101 million iOS App Store users across its iPhone customer base.
The iPadOS App Store has 23 million customers, and the macOS App Store has 6 million users. This is indicative of the popularity of Apple's best iPhones versus its less popular but still very successful iPad and Mac products.
The stragglers
Interestingly, Apple has some services that aren't at all popular in Europe. The tvOS App Store, used on devices like the Apple TV 4K, has just 1 million users, while the watchOS App Store has fewer than 1 million users. The same goes for Apple Books and Apple's paid Podcasts subscription services.
In the filing, Apple has also revealed that it only considers its iOS App Store to be a "very large online platform" as defined by the rules of the Digital Services Act but says that "Apple intends, on an entirely voluntary basis, to align each of the existing versions of the App Store (including those that do not currently meet the VLOP designation threshold) with the existing DSA requirements for VLOPs because the goals of the DSA align with Apple’s goals to protect consumers from illegal content."
This is a very rare official insight into Apple's customer base figures. The company is notoriously secretive about how many people buy its products and use its devices, only ever announcing major milestones such as its 1 billionth iPhone sold or huge App Store milestones.
Apple will unveil iOS 17 at WWDC 2023, and the company is expected to bring quiet support for third-party App Stores in Europe to comply further with new EU rules.
