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The ASO News Digest is our commitment to keeping up with the latest updates in the mobile app market. Any change in app store policies can impact ASO strategies and tactics. Here, you'll find the key updates from February 2025 for both the App Store and Google Play.
ASO News February 2025 from the App Store
Applications for the Swift Student Challenge 2025 were open until February 23. You had time to create, test, and submit your app playground to be one of the 350 winners.
Key details:
- Participation is free—you only need an iPad or Mac with Swift Playgrounds or Xcode
- Choose an idea that reflects your passion
- No programming experience required—open to all skill levels
- The app must run for no more than 3 minutes
- New Licensing Requirements for Games in Vietnam
The Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) now requires all games in the Vietnamese App Store to have a license. Please review the new regulations and apply for a permit.
Once licensed:
- Log in to App Store Connect
- Add your license number and link in the game's description (Vietnamese version only)
- Submit an app update for review
Contact the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information (ABEI) for compliance inquiries.
Starting February 6:
- Azerbaijan & Peru: 18% VAT introduced
- Slovakia: Standard VAT increased from 20% to 23%, while e-books now have a 5% VAT
- Estonia: VAT on periodicals increased from 5% to 9%
- Finland: VAT on e-books increased from 10% to 14%
Starting February 24:
- Prices in Azerbaijan & Peru will be adjusted unless these regions are set as base pricing territories
- Auto-renewing subscriptions and manually set prices remain unchanged
Starting April 1:
- Japan: 10% JCT tax will apply to paid apps and in-app purchases for non-Japanese developers
- Prepaid items (coins, credits, etc.) purchased before April 1 are not affected
New rules for auto-renewable subscriptions will apply starting February 14, 2025. Users must give additional consent after the first transaction if your app offers free trials or discounts.
Who’s affected?
- Free trial users transitioning to paid plans
- Users receive discounts before switching to standard pricing
Apple will assist in obtaining consent via email, push notifications, and in-app pop-ups. Users must confirm within 30 days. If a subscription starts at full price, these rules do not apply.
New security measures are available for Apple Push Notification Service (APNs) tokens.
What’s new?
- Team-scoped keys – restrict token usage to development or production
- Topic-specific keys – assign keys to specific bundle IDs for better management
Existing keys remain functional, but updating is recommended for improved security.
Starting February 18, 2025, apps without a verified seller status will be removed from the EU App Store until Apple confirms the status.
To stay compliant:
- The account owner or admin in the Apple Developer Program must declare the seller status in App Store Connect (as per the Digital Services Act requirements).
Beta versions of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, macOS 15.4, tvOS 18.4, visionOS 2.4, and watchOS 11.4 are now available. Test your apps using Xcode 16.3.
What’s new?
- iOS 18.4 & iPadOS 18.4 allow users to set default apps for translation (all users) and navigation (EU only)
- Starting April 24, 2025, all new App Store submissions must use Xcode 16 and SDKs for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, tvOS 18, visionOS 2, or watchOS 11
ASO News February 2025 from Google Play
Google I/O is back! Join the event online to explore the future of Android, AI, web technologies, and cloud solutions.
What to expect?
- AI-powered tools for app development
- New enhancements for Android and web technologies
- Live keynote streaming on May 20 at 10:00 AM PT
Google has launched the TrustedTime API, providing secure, tamper-proof timestamps.
Why does it matter?
- Prevents device time manipulation
- Ensures accurate timestamps for transactions, security, and scheduling
- Optimized for lower data and power consumption compared to NTP
Use cases:
- Finance apps (transaction security)
- Games (prevent cheating with time manipulation)
- E-commerce (accurate delivery estimates)
- Content licensing & IoT
The API is integrated with Google Play Services for seamless Android adoption.
Camera & Graphics:
- Hybrid Auto-Exposure – manual ISO & shutter speed with auto-exposure
- Fine-tuned white balance & tint control for pro-level video recording
- Motion Photo Capture – new standard Intents for moving images
- UltraHDR support – enhanced HEIC format with ISO 21496-1 compliance
- New RuntimeColorFilter & RuntimeXfermode for custom visual effects
Behavior Changes:
- Edge-to-Edge design – mandatory for all apps in Android 16
- Health data permissions – BODY_SENSORS replaced with android.permissions.health
- Stricter background task management – new JobScheduler termination reasons
- Updated Intent Redirect Protection – can be disabled via removeLaunchSecurityProtection
Security & Performance:
- 16KB memory page compatibility mode – optimized for next-gen devices
- SystemHealthManager API – CPU/GPU resource monitoring
- Standardized audio & video quality settings for Android TV
Accessibility & Localization:
- Enhanced UI semantics API for TalkBack support
- Custom measurement systems based on regional settings
- Three-state checkboxes & improved progress indicators
Android 2025 Release Timeline
- Q2 2025 – Major update with API & behavioral changes
- Q4 2025 – Minor update with stability improvements
Developers should test for compatibility, update UI for Edge-to-Edge, and integrate the latest APIs to stay ahead.
Stay tuned for more ASO updates💙
