Apple’s App Store is getting a new web interface

Apple has redesigned the web interface for its App Store, making it actually usable for people who don’t view the store on Apple devices.

Before this update, users could see individual pages of apps on the web — which they may have found via a search engine — but there was no way to browse within the App Store. On a MacBook, going to an app’s iOS Store page in the browser launches the native App Store program. But on non-Apple devices, this would lead you to a dead end.

The new interface allows users to browse apps by category and by platform, with separate sections for apps on iPhone, iPad, Watch and other devices. Although users cannot currently download applications from the web, this functionality may be added later.

Admittedly, the subset of people trying to learn more about iOS apps from a Microsoft device, for example, is likely to be a small group — perhaps useful for app developers or researchers working on products in both the iOS and Google ecosystems.

This redesign also signals Apple’s ongoing quest to portray itself as a more open ecosystem. For years, governments around the world have filed complaints against Apple, accusing the company of acting as a monopoly to discourage competition — and any step Apple takes to make its products more accessible beyond its own ecosystem is relevant to those ongoing legal battles.