why am i getting irrelavent search results in the app store

[andreak]

when i search for an app, in this case "fresh direct" a food ordering app here in nyc, i not only get the wrong result, "drama school direct", but the sub categories have all changed. i have tried narrowing the search to specific categories to an avail. no matter what i do i fail to find the app. changing the category doesn't help because the "related: sub categories" redirect back to the same wrong results. app store keeps looping me back to the wrong result.

this is not only for this particular search, but all searches in general of obscure apps.

 

[scifan57]

when i search for an app, in this case "fresh direct" a food ordering app here in nyc, i not only get the wrong result, "drama school direct", but the sub categories have all changed. i have tried narrowing the search to specific categories to an avail. no matter what i do i fail to find the app. changing the category doesn't help because the "related: sub categories" redirect back to the same wrong results. app store keeps looping me back to the wrong result.

this is not only for this particular search, but all searches in general of obscure apps.

Did you try looking under iphone apps for FreshDirect? If this doesn't help, you can go to the FreshDirect website and get the App Store link from there.

 

[twerppoet]

Yep, it's an iPhone app. It was the first hit when I search for it on the iPhone.

 

[andreak]

when i search for an app, in this case "fresh direct" a food ordering app here in nyc, i not only get the wrong result, "drama school direct", but the sub categories have all changed. i have tried narrowing the search to specific categories to an avail. no matter what i do i fail to find the app. changing the category doesn't help because the "related: sub categories" redirect back to the same wrong results. app store keeps looping me back to the wrong result.

this is not only for this particular search, but all searches in general of obscure apps.

 

[andreak]

haha. come to think of it, makes total sense

 

[andreak]

ok...here's another ..."whatsapp" i cannot find it. i get results like background texts. and that "related:" subcategory thingy on top is a total mess of "related" items. i looked under ipad and iphone

 

[Mickey330]

You won't find Whatsapp by searching in the AppStore on an iPad. As you cannot put it on a [stock] iPad, it will not show up in a search.

I figure it's the developer's way of ensuring people don't load something that will not work on an iPad...

Marilyn

 

[andreak]

You won't find Whatsapp by searching in the AppStore on an iPad. As you cannot put it on a [stock] iPad, it will not show up in a search.

I figure it's the developer's way of ensuring people don't load something that will not work on an iPad...

Marilyn

but here's the thing ,,,whatsapp was featured as a "10 best ipad app" when i was doing a search. it seems like the app store has gone wanky . when i do a search, the "related:" sub categories are all wrong for the "type" of app i want. anywho's, i like the old app store better

 

[Blue92]

I just searched for "Whatsapp" in the App Store via iTunes and Whatsapp Messenger is the first one listed. Is that a different app?

 

[Mickey330]

No, it's probably the app we're talking of, here. However, finding in iTunes, on the computer, is not the same thing as finding it on the AppStore on the iPad.

If you were to try to install it from iTunes onto the iPad, you will find it cannot be installed.

Bottom line: Whatsapp cannot be installed on a stock iPad.

Marilyn

 

[Blue92]

That is really strange that it's in the App store and will download to iTunes and then not install.

The online store does have the tag line: "NOTE: WhatsApp is a telephony application and as such iPod or iPad are NOT supported devices."

 

[twerppoet]

Any app that exists will download into iTunes on the computer and be shown in your app library, because it has no idea what device you're going to install the app on. Sure, it knows you have an iPad, because you've synced it before, but it's not going to assume you don't have (or plan on having) a new iPhone to use the app on.

By default the App Store on the iPad will only show you apps made for the iPad. You can see apps for the iPhone that will also work on the iPad, if you change the search criteria to iPhone Only, but even then it won't show you iPhone apps that the developer did not explicitly say would work on the iPad.

On the iPhone, you can not see iPad apps at all, because they won't work on the iPhone, at all.

The four types of apps:

1. iPad only apps. They work nowhere else.

2. iPhone apps that will work on the iPad, but show an iPhone interface. If you read the Information section in the App Store it will say it will work with the iPad, but there are no iPad screens shots; and it won't show up in the iPad's App Store unless you search for iPhone Only.

3. iPhone apps that for one reason or another won't work on the iPad. Usually they need a phone number or other hardware specific feature. These don't work on the iPod Touch either, for pretty much the same reasons.

4. Universal apps. Denoted by a + sign in the purchase button. These work on both devices, switching the the best interface for the device you're using. They show up on both devices, and in both the iPhone Only and iPad Only search modes.

 

[Blue92]

Thanks.

Seemed a bit strange.

 

[twerppoet]

No problem.