Apple Search Ads Closes In On Google’s User Acquisition Rate on iOS

App marketing is a massive industry, and it has experienced some significant shakeups as of late. Much of this is due to Apple enacting an app tracking transparency policy that made it a great deal harder for developers to obtain access to user data than might have been the case otherwise.

What’s more, Apple might’ve intentionally hamstrung their competitors because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up benefiting their own ad business. This can clearly be seen with Apple Search Ads now being second only to Google itself in terms of user acquisition on iOS.

Back in January of 2022, about 36% of ad dollars were going to Apple’s search ads. This has now jumped by 11 points to reach 47% with all things having been considered and taken into account. Apple now controls a 22% share of the global market, but in spite of the fact that this is the case it still hasn’t been able to surpass Google when it comes to user acquisition.

One potential impact this could have is that it could disrupt the Google-Meta duopoly over ad spending and the overall app marketing industry. However, there are several newer and smaller services that are making a great deal of headway as well. These services include TikTok for Business which has been growing at a rapid rate, and it could pose the single biggest threat to the duopoly that has held unassailable control over the industry up until right now.

iOS users tend to be very important since they spend more on average than Android users. As the provider of this OS, Apple is well poised to become a major player, but it will face stiff competition from TikTok as well as a number of other companies.

Twitter and Snapchat could also see some growth, and it will be interesting to see if they become major players as well. This just goes to show that a duopoly or monopoly usually isn’t all that sustainable in the long run since it stifles innovation and makes companies fall behind.

H/T: Singular ROI Index

Read next: Gaming Apps Earned $267 Billion in 2022 Alone
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

AhnLabs Tops the List of Best Android Antiviruses for Home Users

Using an antivirus just isn’t optional these days because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up protecting you from all sorts of malicious attacks. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that not all antiviruses are created equal. Some are better than others, and the folks over at AV-TEST recently conducted some assessments to provide an overview on which are the best of the best.

These antiviruses were tested based on the level of protection they provided, their performance as well as how easy they were to use. The tests were supposed to determine which antiviruses were most suitable for homer users with all things having been considered and taken into account.

It turns out that most antiviruses showed top notch performance in all metrics. AhnLab and Avast both received the maximum six points in all three areas for a grand total of eighteen. AVG, Avira and Bitdefender were also included at the top of the list, along with F-Secure, Kaspersky, McAfee and many more.

In spite of the fact that this is the case, some antiviruses ended up performing noticeably poorly. Case in point is Google’s Play Protect. The antivirus got the full 6 points in performance, but lost a point in the usability category. What’s more, the service scored a paltry 3.5 points in the protection tests which suggests that the antivirus might not do a lot to make your systems more secure than might have been the case otherwise.

Another conspicuously poor performer was Ikarus, with 15.5 out of 18. This is notably a whole point more than Google managed to get. Such a poor showing can be detrimental since it could make users lose trust in Google’s ability to keep them safe from various online threats.

All in all, users will likely see that virtually any antivirus can work quite well for them except for the ones provided by Google and Ikarus. This just goes to show how strong this industry truly is based on these tests.

Read next: Gaming Apps Earned $267 Billion in 2022 Alone
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Google Keep Brings Note Widgets to Android Devices

Google has announced the arrival of note widgets via Keep for Android devices, bringing convenience and productivity to its popular note-taking app.

Google Keep has released an exciting new widget for its users that run on Android devices. With it, you can pin a note or list of tasks directly to the home screen, so checking off tasks and toggling settings no longer requires opening the Keep app. The single note widget is designed to make multitasking on Android devices easier and more efficient than ever before.

The Keep widget lets users access their notes directly from their home screen with just one tap. It makes multitasking much more seamless and efficient. Whether a quick grocery list or an important reminder, the Keep widget lets users easily view and edit their notes. The Keep widget works great with Android features like quick settings and a notification center. This feature allows users to view their notes quickly. It's a great way to stay organized and keep track of tasks, no matter where you are.

The Keep widget also allows for quick access to notes from the lock screen. Users can open their recently created notes with just one swipe and quickly jot down thoughts or ideas. It makes it easy to record moments of inspiration swiftly. Now any colors or reminders set up for associated lists will also appear in this new widget. The collaborator indicator is more convenient at the bottom of each note, enabling easy access and constant awareness of who is currently collaborating on one project.

To help increase productivity amongst users everywhere, Google rolled out this new widget feature across all their Workspace, G Suite Basic, Business, and Personal Google accounts. Depending upon which type of account the user has attached to the app, wait times may be allotted from 5-15 days before the feature available appears.

Overall, Google Keep's new single note widget is a great addition and adds tremendous value to the application. It enables users to collaborate more efficiently with team members and helps them keep track of everyone involved in each project. Furthermore, it offers a better way for teams to manage their notes, tasks, and other items without going through tedious manual steps like emailing or messaging each other whenever they need an update.

With its new widgets, Google Keep makes taking notes easier than ever on Android devices - no matter what task you need help with, you can be sure that your notes will be just one tap away! In addition, the widget allows users to quickly find notes and tasks related to any ongoing project, making it even easier for teams to stay organized. Overall, Google Keep’s new widget is an amazing tool that makes managing notes, tasks, and other items a breeze for teams.

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Chrome Just Made it Way Easier to Control Autofill

There’s a lot that Google has done to make Chrome one of the best browsers out there. Integrating it into the Android OS did quite a bit to make it even more useful than might have been the case otherwise. For example, if you were to type something out in a given field, Chrome could store that data and use its autofill feature to fill in other fields that are of a similar nature on Android.

In spite of the fact that this is the case, sometimes Autofill can be a bit too effective at what it is trying to do. That is why Google has just made it way easier for users to delete anything that they don’t want included in Autofill with all things having been considered and taken into account.

Previously, deleting data from Autofill could be a fairly frustrating type of endeavor. Users were forced to go into Chrome’s settings where they had to enter the submenu dedicated to Autofill. However, even taking these painstaking steps would only allow users to modify some types of data, such as deleting credit card information and the like.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that users will now have the ability to delete anything from Autofill with just one click. Before this update, you might have noticed autofill suggestions being given whenever you clicked on a particular field. Deleting them required a couple of keystrokes, and even then it wouldn’t be permanent. To get this feature, be sure to enable this experimental flag in Chrome: chrome://flags/#autofill-show-autocomplete-delete-button

H/T: Leopeva64
Now, users will be able to see a trashcan logo next to the suggestion. Clicking on this logo will get rid of the suggestion once and for all. Such an update could prove useful because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up making users more likely to utilize Autofill. Unnecessary autofilling can be a real nuisance to have to deal with, so it’s great that Google has played its part in trying to optimize the user experience and make it the best that it can be.

Read next: The Most Popular Color of the iPhone Isn’t What You’d Expect
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

YouTube Shorts Creators Share Their Results From The App’s New Monetization Program

YouTube stars are sharing their results from the platform’s new monetization program, just a month after it was launched.

Top creators like Zach King managed to generate 196.4 million views through Shorts clips on the app during the initial 30 days. But he managed to only take back $2900 in terms of revenue share.

The star’s results are out and it’s $0.02 RPM. But don’t get too happy as creators are talking about $0.04. And that’s not amazing but it is a tad bit bitter. Moreover, as noted by King, it is definitely so much better than the creator fund on offer by TikTok. In the same way, we’re seeing it be better than Instagram’s current offerings linked to Reels.

It was further mentioned how there are some great benefits for Shorts makers as they’re getting plenty of exposure and great brand-creating opportunities. This is in stark comparison to just simple money creation.

But stars realize that and understand how getting 197 million views each month does not mean they’re getting a payout that’s equivalent to that. What they do end up seeing is exposure and the expenses linked to such views. For now, it’s quite low when exposure is witnessed. And that makes you realize that building the brand up is one of the top goals.

It's been a great month on Youtube, and I feel there's still much room to grow. I would love that YT Shorts revenue becomes higher over time ngl

Currently the RPM is around $0.04 since shorts monetization began pic.twitter.com/ohQOn9CG6v

— SpaceGod 👑 III (@SpaceDeGod) February 23, 2023

With time, stars hope it gets bigger and better and the gap is covered to favor creators. However, exposure and figures such as these would be hard to achieve.

• Related: New Data Shows TikTok’s IAP Earned It $205 Million More Than Snap, Facebook, Instagram, And Twitter Combined

This is YouTube’s integral proposition as it already gives its biggest stars payments in billions via its regular partner program. So as you may imagine, Shorts is just an addition to that as it garners more interest in the main platform.

As you can see, the app’s ability to make money is much greater than any other app’s offerings.

During the start, YouTube has been called out for enhancing models for the sake of monetization as it hopes to create an edge over archrival platforms. But when you don’t have such enhancements, the chances for monetization on the forum become so much more. And it would take on huge changes for other tech giants to actually come head-to-head with YouTube.

For now, there is no direct way to generate millions through such clips.

Read next: This Study Shows How Screen Time Might Increase Suicidal Thoughts Among Preteens
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

The Most Popular Color of the iPhone Isn’t What You’d Expect

There’s a lot that contribute to the level of popularity that iPhone have enjoyed over the past decade and a half, but Apple has also done a lot to diversify the color options that people can choose from. While original iPhones were only available in white or black, with space gray eventually becoming an additional option, the iPhone 14 lineup is full of colorful variants that consumers are getting pretty enthusiastic about.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that this has created a number of preferences that customers might have regarding which iPhone they want to buy. According to data collected by CIRP, it seems like neither white nor black are the most popular options of all.

Around 42% of the people that bought the iPhone Pro as well as the iPhone Pro Max over the holiday season ended up going for the purple model. 24% decided to buy the gold version, with 23% buying the traditional black. Just 11% bought the white version, which is interesting because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up indicating that the white iPhone is no longer considered to be as luxurious as it used to be.

If we were to move on to the standard iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Plus, things become a lot more diversified. The addition of the blue option gave customers a more versatile range than might have been the case otherwise. Blue actually ended up being the most popular color of the lot, with 27% of customers saying that this is what they went for.

22% bought the deep purple iPhone 14, 26% went for black, 14% decided to purchase the red version and just 12% bought the white one with all things having been considered and taken into account. In spite of the fact that this is the case, black seems to be way more preferable for those buying earlier models, likely due to the lack of quality in other colors that were on offer.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

This Study Shows How Screen Time Might Increase Suicidal Thoughts Among Preteens

It is no secret that smartphones are having an unpredictable effect on the mental health of children, but in spite of the fact that this is the case it can be difficult to prevent them from looking at screens. Countless activities have to be done through screens, and that can make it more challenging to keep kids away from them than might have been the case otherwise.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that limiting screen time is important regardless of such factors. Too much screen time can be dangerous because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up leading to an increase in suicidal thoughts for children between the ages of nine and eleven.

This comes from a study conducted by researchers which looked into the type of impact that such behavior could have. According to the findings published in this study, it appears that every additional hour of screen time can result in an equal increase in the chances that the child will experience thoughts of suicide at some point in the future.

This study didn’t just focus on social media, either. Any type of screen time whether it involved video games, text messaging or streaming content could lead to an uptick in suicidal thoughts. This reveals just how important it is for parents to keep an eye on their kids and prevent them from overdoing it with their phones.

Interestingly, the findings from this study seem to suggest that it’s not just information overload that is causing these thoughts. If that were the case, only social media would be contributing to a higher likelihood of suicidal thoughts.

However, it can clearly be seen that screen time is generally not all that healthy for children with all things having been considered and taken into account. The type of activity that the screen time involves is not quite as relevant as the fact that they are looking at screens that are on their phones.

Read next: Overusing Social Media Could Lead to Reduced Brain Activity Among Teens
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World