Developers can now see data on Mac app usage via App Store Connect

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The Mac App Store
The Mac App Store (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

  • Developers can now see data on how their apps are performing after being installed via the Mac App Store.
  • Information on app usage and stability is now available via App Store Connect.

Apple has told developers that they can now see more information about how their Mac apps are performing after being installed via the Mac App Store. The new information is available via App Store Connect – just like apps downloaded from the iOS App Store.

Apple says that developers can access data such as whether or not their app was uninstalled as well as information on crashes. General usage data is also available including user sessions and more.

However, the privacy-conscious will be pleased to know that Apple will only make this data available to developers if a user has opted to allow Apple to share its diagnostics and usage information with app developers.

App Analytics now provides usage metrics for Mac apps, including data on installations, sessions, active devices, crashes, and deletions. And now you can measure user retention to see how often users return to your app after downloading it. Data is only available from users who have agreed to share their diagnostics and usage information with app developers.

All of this is good news for developers of Mac apps who have not had access to the same kinds of data that iPhone and iPad app developers have enjoyed.

If Apple is working on making Mac app development better and easier for developers, can I humbly suggest that it's time for a Mac version of TestFlight, please?

C'mon Apple, make it so. And developers, maybe it's time to upgrade to the best Mac Apple makes – anything with an M1 chip to make those Xcode builds even faster!

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.