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Multiple iPhone apps have received puzzling App Store update notices labeled “This update from Apple,” despite unchanged version numbers and no detectable code changes. Titles affected include Candy Crush Soda Saga, VLC, Mortal Kombat, Duet Display, Catan Universe, Bluetti and Sentry Mobile. Developers and reporters found Apple-inserted release notes and metadata alterations with no public explanation, prompting questions about App Store transparency, developer control, and the platform’s ability to modify app packages or metadata after release. The episode amplifies ongoing scrutiny of Apple’s App Store policies as the company prepares another Supreme Court appeal in its long-running dispute with Epic Games.
Apple asked the U.S. Supreme Court on May 4 to stay a Ninth Circuit order that overturned a prior ruling allowing Apple to keep its App Store commission regime while appealing. The Ninth Circuit’s reversal requires Apple to return to lower court to renegotiate how much it can charge developers who steer users to third‑party payment options. Apple argues the contempt finding against it is improper because the 2021 injunction did not address App Store fees, and says the Ninth Circuit’s approach conflicts with other courts by inferring contempt from the injunction’s “spirit.” Apple seeks a stay while appealing and contends the Supreme Court could narrow the injunction to apply only to Epic Games, not all U.S. developers.
Apple has begun appending mysterious update notes labeled as coming "from Apple" to several App Store apps, including Candy Crush Soda Saga, Mortal Kombat, VLC, Duet Display, Catan Universe, Bluetti and Sentry Mobile. The notes state the update "will improve the functionality" with "no new features," and in at least one case were inserted without any change to the app binary or version number. MacRumors and developers probing app packages found no obvious code changes, and the pattern affects both recently updated and long-dormant apps. The cause and scope remain unclear, raising questions about App Store update processes, transparency around platform-level changes, and potential impacts on developer control and app auditing.
Apple has quietly pushed update notices for a range of iPhone apps that list the source as “This update from Apple,” leaving developers and users puzzled. Apps affected include Candy Crush Soda Saga, Sentry Mobile, Catan Universe, Bluetti, Mortal Kombat, Duet Display, VLC and others; some updates show identical version numbers and no visible code changes. Developers flagged Apple-inserted copy in release notes on Reddit, and MacRumors’ code checks on at least one app found no detectable modifications. The incident matters because it suggests Apple can modify App Store metadata or app packages post-release, raising questions about App Store transparency, developer control, and potential implications for app behavior, security auditing, and update provenance. Apple has not publicly explained the changes.
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