Apple's New App Store Leadership Aims to Boost Revenue from Developers

Apple's newly appointed App Store boss Eddy Cue and CEO John Ternus are pursuing an aggressive revenue expansion strategy for the platform, according to a Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter. The report indicates leadership wants to "make even more money from the App Store" and is working to "figure out ways to raise margins and squeeze additional recurring revenue from the platform."

The strategic pivot represents a departure from longtime executive Phil Schiller's tenure running the App Store. According to the report, Schiller stepped back partly because he believed more aggressive monetization would further strain relationships with both developers and regulators. Schiller's successor and the new Apple CEO disagree on this approach and are moving forward with expansion plans.

Phillip Shoemaker, Apple's former head of app review, has offered insight into the philosophical differences between leadership eras. Shoemaker characterized Schiller's view of developers as "applicants, supplicants, on the other side of a counter, asking permission," noting that Schiller saw App Store rules as "Apple's to write and the developers' to follow, full stop." Shoemaker suggested Cue brings different experience, having spent his career managing relationships with music labels, studios, publishers, and sports leagues where negotiation rather than unilateral decision-making is standard practice. Shoemaker argued this represents "exactly the muscle this store needs right now" amid increased regulatory scrutiny across multiple continents.