Phil Schiller Reportedly Steps Back From App Store Role Over Apple’s Future Strategy

Phil Schiller is stepping back from his role overseeing Apple’s App Store, with the longtime executive reportedly concerned about the company’s future approach to the platform.

Schiller will continue working with Apple as an Apple Fellow on unspecified projects. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the decision was influenced by personal priorities, including spending more time with family and focusing on philanthropy.

Gurman reported that another factor was Apple’s future strategy for the App Store. New CEO John Ternus and services chief Eddy Cue are reportedly looking to improve App Store margins and increase recurring revenue from the company’s services business.

Apple’s App Store policies have faced ongoing criticism from developers, particularly around payment rules and the company’s commission structure. The platform has also been involved in major legal disputes, including challenges from developers over Apple’s App Store practices.

According to Gurman’s report, Schiller and Apple leadership did not have a major dispute over the direction of the business. However, Schiller reportedly believed that increasing efforts to extract more profit from the App Store could create additional tensions with developers and regulators.

Rather than remain directly involved in those changes, Schiller decided to step away from his leadership position while continuing to contribute to Apple in another capacity.