Policy changes, technique guides, and release-ops essays from the team building Stora.
iOS 26.2 opens Japan to alternative app marketplaces and outside payments. Here's how distribution, notarization, and the new fees work for indies.
At I/O, Google Play added Gemini-powered listing localization — upload a CSV, get every language. Here's the part it doesn't translate.
Google's new Migration Assistant turns an iOS app into native Kotlin in hours. The hard part — getting it onto Google Play — didn't get any easier.
A section-by-section guide to Google Play's Data Safety form in 2026 — the declarations that trigger rejections and how to avoid them.
Gemini Spark turns your App Actions into agent-callable building blocks. Here's how to declare, test, and ship them before Android 17's stable launch.
Google announced Gemini Spark at I/O today. The agent gets the demos — but the skill system underneath is what indie devs need to plan around.
Google I/O on May 19 brings hands-on Android XR glasses demos and SDK Preview 3. The honest indie playbook is mostly to wait — except for one thing.
External purchase links are finally allowed in US App Store apps. Here's how to implement them, what Apple still charges, and whether it's worth it.
A report says Apple is wiring AI agents into the App Store. The real story is what it does to App Review — and the new compliance surface it hands indies.
Jetpack Compose 1.11 ships Grid, Flexbox, and MediaQuery for adaptive UI. Here's how indie devs build one app that works on phones, foldables, and TVs.
At The Android Show on May 12, Google called Android an 'intelligence system.' For indie devs, that quietly rewrites where installs come from.
App Store Connect's API now covers build uploads, webhooks, TestFlight feedback, and background assets — here's how indie devs automate the release pipeline.
Apple's post-iOS 27 algorithm is volatile this month. Paramount+ jumped +45 spots with no marketing push. Here's how indies should read the swings — and what not to do.
Apple doubled the CPP limit to 70 and made them appear in organic search. Here's the complete indie playbook for using Custom Product Pages as a real acquisition channel.
Gemini Intelligence's 'Create My Widget' lets users generate widgets from text. The widget-as-acquisition channel just shifted. Here's the play.
Every Android developer must verify identity with Google by September 2026 — even for sideloaded apps. Here's the complete playbook for indie devs.
Android 17 unifies phones, tablets, Chromebooks, and XR into one adaptive target. Here's the practical migration playbook for indie devs before I/O and the stable cut.
iOS 26.5 went public today with RCS encryption, the 12-month subscription type live, and Apple Maps ads groundwork. 28 days until WWDC — here's the punch list.
Apple is now indexing the text inside your screenshots. Indie devs who treat screenshots as conversion-only just lost a discovery surface.
Apple is replacing Core ML with Core AI at WWDC 2026. Here's the framework migration plan and a 29-day pre-WWDC checklist for indie iOS developers.
App submissions are up 60% YoY in 2026. Here's how indie iOS and Android devs can win discovery when the App Store and Play Store are flooded with AI-built apps.
Apple is opening Apple Intelligence to Claude and Gemini in iOS 27. Indie devs have a 30-day window to ship the right update before the keynote.
App Store Connect 2.0 ships a refreshed UI, a marketing asset generator, and 11 new promotional languages. Here's what indie developers actually need to know.
Apple now lets developers send additional items to App Review without bundling them into an existing submission. It's a small UI change with big workflow implications.
Apple's Mini Apps Partner Program halves the App Store commission to 15% for qualifying mini apps. Here's how it works, who qualifies, and how to ship one in 2026.
Google Play removes news and magazine apps without a Play Console self-declaration on May 27, 2026. The category is broader than the name implies — here's the indie dev read.
Apple's App Review Guideline 5.1.2(i) requires explicit consent before sharing user data with third-party AI. Here's a practical 2026 implementation guide for indie devs.
iOS 26.5 quietly adds the groundwork for ads in Apple Maps. For indie developers banking on local discovery, this is a new channel and a new fight for attention.
Apple expanded 12-month commitment monthly subscriptions globally in May 2026. Here's how the model works, when it pays off, and how to ship it cleanly.
Apple's WWDC 2026 promo graphic teases a redesigned Siri in the Dynamic Island and a third-party AI extensions system. Here's what that means for your app, 35 days out.
Google I/O lands May 19. Android 17 ships in June. Here's what an indie dev should actually do in the next two weeks instead of doomscrolling preview leaks.
Google Play decoupled platform and billing fees in 2026. Here's the real math on the 20% IAP rate, the 5% billing option, and when switching pays off.
App Review times have stretched from 24 hours to weeks. Here's how to design your release schedule, hotfix plan, and feature branches around the new reality.
Apple is pulling vibe-coding apps under Guideline 2.5.2. The rule hasn't changed — what changed is that AI runtimes finally make it obvious which apps were always violating it.
A practical, end-to-end guide to A/B testing screenshots in App Store Connect — designing tests, reading results, and avoiding the traps that waste 90 days.
Swift 6.3 shipped an official Android SDK. Here's the realistic version — what it does, what it doesn't, and where the new bottleneck lands.
Android 17 hit Beta 4 — APIs are locked. Here's a practical readiness guide covering orientation, large screens, post-quantum, and what to test before stable.
April 28 is here. Apple's iOS 26 SDK requirement is now live in App Store Connect, and the first-day rejection pattern is exactly what you'd expect.
Apple's April 28 SDK cutoff is two days away. If you haven't uploaded a build to App Store Connect yet, here's the triage list.
Apple requires 64-bit watchOS apps from April 28, 2026. Google requires the same for Wear OS from September 15. Here's how to ship before both deadlines.
App releases are up 104% year over year. AI is building apps faster than ever — but reviewers, listings, and rejections still scale at human speed.
Android 17 introduces per-app memory caps based on device RAM. Here's how the limits work, how to detect when you hit one, and how to fix the patterns that trip them.
Apple's biggest App Store Connect Analytics update since launch adds 100+ metrics, cohorts, and peer benchmarks. Here's what to use and what to ignore.
Google's April 15 Play policy update changes how Android apps request contacts, location, and account transfers. Here's what indie devs need to do now.
Apple overhauled App Store Connect Analytics with 100+ new metrics, cohorts, peer benchmarks, and 7-filter drilldowns. Here's how indie devs should actually use it.
Play Store v51.0 added a feedback mechanism on AI review summaries. For indie devs, this is a new conversion signal you don't control — and need to start watching.
The iOS 26 SDK deadline lands April 28. Review queues are already slow. Here's why your real deadline is this Friday, not next Tuesday.
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected in September. iOS 27 lands at WWDC in 47 days. Here's how indie devs should prepare — adaptive layouts, screenshots, testing.
A practical guide to adding on-device Apple Intelligence to your iOS 26 app using the Foundation Models framework — architecture, code, privacy, submission.
Google Play's new contacts permissions policy kicks in May 15, 2026. If you still request READ_CONTACTS, you're about to get flagged. Here's what to do.
App Store releases are up 104% year-over-year this month. Reviewers are pushing back. Here's what's actually getting rejected — and how indie devs should adapt.
Android 17 Beta 4 is the last beta before stable. The new large-screen requirements are a hard cutover. Here's exactly what changes and how to prepare.
India, Brazil, and Indonesia now drive 45% of Google Play downloads. Here's the practical playbook for setting up regional pricing and localized listings that actually convert.
Apple released official iOS and iPadOS 26 UI design kits for Figma and Sketch. Here's why that matters more for your store listing than your actual app.
Google Play's rolling API level policy means apps that miss the Android 16 (API 36) deadline become invisible to new users on newer devices. Here's what that actually means.
Swift 6.2's approachable concurrency makes migrating to the iOS 26 SDK far less painful. Here's a step-by-step guide for indie developers facing the April 28 deadline.
Gemma 4 is live in the AICore Developer Preview. On-device AI on Android just crossed a line that should change how indie devs think about what's possible.
A practical guide to integrating on-device AI into Android apps using Gemini Nano, AICore, and Gemma 4 — without a backend, API key, or cloud dependency.
A practical, end-to-end guide for indie developers on surviving WWDC, navigating OS betas, and shipping an update that's ready for day-one iOS adopters.
Apple just confirmed WWDC26 for June 8–12. Here's what indie developers should actually be doing right now — not two weeks before the keynote.
Google's Epic settlement drops Play Store commissions to 20% and unlocks alternative billing. Here's what Android developers need to do before June 30, 2026.
Apple's new webhook API means App Store Connect can push build status events to your server in real time. Here's what that actually changes for indie devs.
Utah's deadline hits May 7. Louisiana's is July 1. California's in January 2027. Here's what mobile developers need to implement before each cutoff.
A new SparkCat malware variant slipped through both the App Store and Google Play by hiding inside SDK dependencies. What indie devs should know.
Nearly 40% of iOS submissions get delayed or rejected. This practical guide covers the most common pitfalls and how to fix them before you hit submit.
41% of consumers report subscription fatigue. Here's why indie mobile devs should rethink their monetization model before users rethink their spending.
A practical guide to Flutter's GenUI SDK — how it works, when to use it, and how to ship adaptive AI-powered UI from a single codebase.
Xcode 26.3 ships agentic coding with the Claude Agent SDK baked in. What this means for indie iOS developers and their daily workflow.
A practical guide to designing App Store and Play Store screenshots in 2026 — sizing, messaging, layout, and the mistakes that tank conversion.
Apple rejected 12% of App Store submissions last quarter for privacy manifest issues. Most of them were avoidable — if you know where SDKs hide.
Japan's MSCA and Google's Registered App Stores program signal a new era for mobile app distribution. Here's what indie devs should be thinking about.
A practical comparison of the three leading cross-platform mobile frameworks in 2026, with real adoption data, performance benchmarks, and decision criteria for indie devs and small teams.
Google is deploying Android Developer Verifier to devices this month. Indie devs have a window to prepare before sideloading changes hit in August.
A practical guide to building AI-powered features into iOS and Android apps using on-device models, hybrid architectures, and task-specific agents.
Apple's new SDK requirement hits in four weeks. Your app will get Liquid Glass whether you want it or not — here's how to prepare.
Swift 6.3 shipped an official Android SDK. Here's what it actually supports, how it works, and whether it makes sense for your app.
Apple retired In-App Purchase promo codes on March 26. Here's why offer codes are a straight upgrade for indie developers.
Google slashed Play Store commissions to 20%, introduced alternative billing, and launched registered app stores. A practical breakdown for mobile developers.
ASO has changed. Keyword stuffing is dead, screenshots are your biggest conversion lever, and AI tools are table stakes. Here's what actually works in 2026.
Apple overhauled App Store Connect with 100+ new metrics this week. More data is only useful if your listing is worth optimizing. Here's how to think about it.
Deploying a website takes minutes. Shipping a mobile app to the App Store still takes days. We built Stora to close that gap.
