Why is the App Store application search process so horrible? I agree, "Signal" and "Whisper" are bad things to have to search for, but there's basically no way to enter a simple memorable text string in the store and get the right app.
I ended up using a browser on the phone to go to the HN article to go to the right app store link.
It's really horrible on the iOS store, less so on Google play.
I am like ranked 100+ on a certain low volume, extremely specific keyword that has approximately 20 actual apps related to that keyword in the store. This keyword is in my apps name. The other 80 are just random games and apps that happen to be more popular and Apple has somehow correlated to my keyword.
It's a free app and I don't advertise. It sucks that people looking for my solution specifically will never even find it. I'm amazed it ever gets downloaded to be honest...
On Google play, they at least take the name of the app vs. search term into account pretty heavily. So if I name an app "Widget Doodad" I will be ranked amongst all of the other apps related to Widget, before non widget related apps show up.
Perhaps the idea is to encourage browsing? Like how stores like Target and Walmart move things around all the time with the goal of forcing you to explore the store.
Regardless I agree trying to find apps through any of the built in app stores is a nightmare, ios, android, and windows alike.
It seems worth giving iOS apps "distinctive" names just to win the type-in traffic, if it doesn't work better; or at least having a weird company name with a boring product name so people can at least search on product.
Maybe kids these days do EVERYTHING on mobile, including web browsing to find new apps; my problem is I browse on one platform without iTunes, but want the app on my iPhone.
>Perhaps the idea is to encourage browsing? Like how stores like Target and Walmart move things around all the time with the goal of forcing you to explore the store.
It's a different situation though. In a physical store, you won't leave the store on a whim. In the app store, you can easily exit if distracted by a text, twitter, etc.
Got to it on the company website, but on a desktop browser (can't find it using my phone browser). So I emailed the URL to myself to click on it in my phone mail client :-)
I ended up using a browser on the phone to go to the HN article to go to the right app store link.
I can't believe this hasn't been solved.