Apple Cuts App Store Fees for Mini Apps and Tightens Data Rules for AI Integrations

Apple’s first move centers on a new program called the Mini Apps Partner Program^[1]. It halves the App Store fee from 30 percent to 15 percent for developers who host mini apps and choose to tie their work more closely to Apple’s technology. The lower fee does not come for free. Apps must hook into tools like Apple’s purchase history system, its age verification API and its own flow for in-app payments. Apple calls these tools essential for consistent user experience, and the fee cut is tied directly to their adoption.

Mini apps sit inside bigger apps and run as small web-based experiences built with HTML5 or JavaScript. They already play a major role in China through platforms like WeChat, where millions of them let people track parcels, check transit routes or buy products. Mini apps have also started to appear inside AI chatbots as lightweight utilities. Apple has been warming up to them. Last year it allowed them to charge for digital goods through Apple’s in-app purchase setup. The new partner program pushes that door a bit wider.

Regulatory pressure has been pushing Apple in this direction for some time. The Digital Markets Act in Europe forces Apple to allow developers to communicate external offers without restriction. Courts in the United States have also pushed the company to loosen control. Apple still reviews every app with human checks, and the review process will extend into each mini app experience a developer submits under the new program.

Developers who join gain a lower commission but give Apple deeper visibility into how their app structures ages, purchases and user flows. Apple has shared versions of this approach before with programs for video apps, news apps and small developers. The message has stayed the same. If you adopt Apple’s preferred technologies, you pay less.

Alongside the fee change, Apple released^[2] a separate update to its App Review Guidelines^[3], and this one goes straight into the growing tension around AI. The revised rules state that any app sharing personal data with a third-party AI service must disclose that data sharing and must ask users for clear permission first. Apple already required consent for data transfers, but the new wording calls out AI partners by name and removes any grey area for apps that feed user details into AI systems for analysis or personalization.

This adjustment arrives ahead of Apple’s own AI upgrades coming in 2026. Siri will gain the ability to perform actions across apps and will rely in part on Google’s Gemini. With that change on the horizon, Apple appears intent on stopping other apps from funneling data to external AI firms without strong user oversight.

The updated guidelines include a handful of smaller but notable revisions. Creator apps now need age-based limits for sensitive content. HTML5 and JavaScript mini apps are confirmed to be fully within app review scope. Loan apps face clearer restrictions tied to maximum APR and repayment timelines. Crypto exchanges now sit on Apple’s list of heavily regulated categories.

None of these updates change Apple’s overall posture. The company continues to protect its platform rules while adjusting its model under legal and competitive pressure. The new fee structure offers developers a chance to lower costs, but only if they bring their mini apps in line with Apple’s preferred technology path. And as AI becomes more deeply embedded across mobile platforms, Apple has staked out a clear line regarding user data. If an app plans to hand personal information to an AI service, users must know and must approve it first.

Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools. Image: Unsplash

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