Apple TV App Store adds Categories for better app discovery
On Thursday, Apple TV owners noticed it’s easier to browse through apps on the tvOS App Store with the addition of Categories. Well, just two categories to be exact, Games and Entertainment. Earlier this week, the App Store introduced Top Charts featuring top paid, top free, and top grossing apps.
It makes sense that the only two categories right now are Games and Entertainment. Games are a new addition to the Apple TV so there are a lot of interest from developers about getting an Apple TV game just right. And of course, entertainment streaming apps from HBO, CBS, and Netflix are a natural fit on Apple TV.
We wouldn’t be surprised if more categories appeared soon. Besides gaming and entertainment, the Apple TV has been touted as a new interactive way to shop using your TV. Gilt and QVC already have tvOS apps, and more e-commerce apps could make for a robust Shopping category.
Why this matters: When the new Apple TV first arrived last week, one of our biggest gripes was how difficult it was to discover new apps. The only sections then were Features, Search, and Purchased. So you either had to know the name of the app you were looking for, or see something on the Featured section, or read our guide to our favorite tvOS apps. Now Apple has introduced Top Charts and Categories to make it the tvOS App Store more closely resemble the wildly popular iOS App Store.