Apple to make App Store discovery easier with new ways to find apps

SAN FRANCISCO — With 1.2 million active apps in the App Store, finding the right app has become a chore.

Tim Cook, the chief executive of Apple, said at the company’s Worldwide Developer Conference that Apple is adding new features to the App Store that make it easier to find things.

One new feature is “explore,” which you can tap on the screen. It takes you to apps that are similar to what you already like.

Apple is also adding “related searches,” which suggest apps similar to ones you have searched for. Apple is also adding a new “editor’s choice” category to the App Store so you can find things that Apple recommends to you in different categories.

Cook said Apple also listened to developers and is making available something they requested: app bundles. With these, you can buy all of the apps from a particular developer with a single tap on the screen. Those apps in a bundle can be made available at a discounted price. Cook said that developers can also create app previews, or short videos that enable developers to promote their apps.

Finally, Cook said that Apple is relaunching TestFlight, a beta-testing service that enables developers to try out versions of their apps with people.

Cook said that 300 million people visit the App Store every week, and downloads have exceeded 75 billion.