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An app store is an online store where users can purchase applications for mobile devices. The original app store was operated by Apple, but other companies have created their own. Apps range in cost and can include personal planners, games, and more. Users can access the store from their device, search for apps, and download them securely. However, users should be cautious of third-party stores that may not be safe.
An app store is an online store where people can purchase applications for mobile devices. The original app store was the App Store operated by Apple to provide applications for its iPhone® and iPod Touch® users, and other companies have revived the concept so they can create and sell applications to their own users as well. Applications in an app store can range in cost, from free to quite expensive downloads, depending on who developed the application and its purpose. Most of the paid downloads are relatively low priced.
Many manufacturers design apps themselves while responding to user feedback from the public using their devices. The app store may also include apps from other developers, with the manufacturer reviewing applications to confirm that they are functional, secure, and perform as intended. Staff members can also rate apps to address concerns about young children accessing adult content and to help people concerned about offensive content avoid apps that might upset them.
Apps are designed to expand the functionality of a mobile device. They can include things like personal planners, games, joke programs, and a wide variety of other types of applications. To be included in a manufacturer-managed app store, applications generally need to be coded to conform to a very specific standard; many manufacturers release their own standards and specifications so that programmers can design apps for their own devices. Privately run app stores may not have such strict standards.
Users typically access an app store from their mobile device, with some manufacturers providing a hotkey that users can use to directly access the store. Once there, users can search for an application by name or browse by type. Often, many competing applications perform more or less the same function, with users choosing based on price, design, reputation or style.
When people download from an app store, they may be asked for a username and password that are linked to financial information stored by the store itself, or they may be asked for a credit card number. People should pay attention to their download, confirming that their information is being stored securely and used responsibly, and that they are downloading the applications they intend to download. They should also be aware that offers in a third-party store may not be checked for safety, which means they could potentially download something malicious, such as an application with an embedded virus or an application that collects personal information.
