App Store Ethics, Dark Patterns, and Rule-Breakers — Steve P. Young, App Masters

On the podcast: “Black hat” app optimization, the benefits and drawbacks of hard paywalls, and why, despite Apple and Google’s best efforts, so many apps still use dark patterns and even blatantly break the rules.

Top Takeaways

🎩 Lots of (even the top) apps continue to deliberately break app store rules — even if you don’t break them too, you need to know what black hat strategies you’re up against. (3:46, 13:25)

🔍 Running “keyword install campaigns” mobilizes a large number of people to search for a particular keyword and download the app, tricking the app store algorithms by increasing app relevancy — and rankings — against that keyword. (7:21)

🔐 Don’t be afraid to lock down more content, use a hard paywall, or get more “aggressive” with paywall visibility. If people can use an app for free, they will. (18:59-37:09)

📊 Opinions don’t matter — data does. There are contrasting approaches to onboarding and monetization, so test what’s right for your app and look at the data. (40:01)

✅ Fully optimize your onboarding and your paywall through tinkering, then stabilize to drive revenue via the top of the funnel. (45:46)

About Steve P. Young

👨‍💻 Founder and CEO of App Masters, an app marketing agency that helps grow apps faster, better, and cheaper.

💪 Steve has spent over a decade growth hacking millions of app downloads, and knows the black hat strategies many top apps use to game the system.

💡 “My opinion does not matter. Everything is based on data.”
🎅 Steve also runs Indie App Santa, an effortless way to promote your app and boost downloads quickly.

👋  LinkedIn | X

Links & Resources

‣ Check out App Masters

‣ App Masters on YouTube

‣ Connect with Steve at LinkedIn

‣ Steve on X

‣ App Masters on Facebook

‣ Steve on Instagram

Episode Highlights

[1:40] Knife to a gunfight: App Store ethics aren’t cleancut. How can you play by the rules when so many apps are using dark patterns to get ahead?

[5:03] Do what you gotta do: Black hat strategies like review-buying are just too tempting not to use in the journey from zero to one.

[8:31] Relevant hacking: Keyword install or boost — similar to ASO — campaigns are still possible to get higher in keyword rankings — as long as you have the right keywords.

[13:25] Legal disclaimer: Even if you don’t like cheating, knowing what competitors are doing is crucial to planning your own strategies.

[14:43] Very edgy: Steve dives into his top “edgy things” for increasing visibility and revenue.

[18:59] No hard paywall: When a growth hacking tactic yields thousands of organic downloads, why put in the X? Data talks, until Apple comes around.

[26:16] AI wall: Given the costs of running AI models, you’re giving away value if you don’t have a hard paywall.

[29:48] Scammy territory: There’s a fine line between bannable black hat strategies and gaming the system.

[34:52] Lock it up: Steve suggests locking as much as you can behind a paywall: Beware giving away value for free, and always look at the data.

[40:01] Your opinion does not matter: Keywords tell us which apps to build.