They used to be all over the web; now they’re almost extinct.
What buttons?
Not too long ago, every website that tried to get its users to download an app to their phone had these buttons: “Download on the App Store” for Apple iPhones and “Get it on Google Play” for Android devices.
These buttons (or “badges”) were supplied by Apple and Google and were standardized both in visual design (graphics that came straight from the OS makers) and also in functionality.
It was the de facto way to get an app from a website through the 2010s, it was so ingrained in our culture that it wasn’t uncommon to see them printed out on brochures and magazine ads.
You can also buy stickers of these buttons to this day on eBay (see link here) to make your own printed materials feel more legit.
But suddenly I noticed they were disappearing; most websites I visit nowadays don’t show them anymore, instead they show a branded button with similar call-to-action text—but no longer the Apple- and Google-branded buttons—and I wanted to find out why and who I can blame for this.
What happened to them?
They’re disappearing, and I don’t mean it in a dramatic way; most websites that get you to download an app still have them, but they look different.
The look of Apple’s and Google’s buttons is disappearing and is being replaced with brand-safe options, buttons that look more in line with the website they’re implemented into.
Oftentimes, these buttons look like the Primary Buttons, or CTA, for these websites, which is logical because they’re calling the user to download the app.
A lot of it changed because Apple’s “Marketing Resources and Identity Guidelines” have changed significantly since 2013, when the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c came out, for context.
Apple of 2013 used to require approval for all marketing materials before they went live (they specify a 5-business-day review window), which includes any print material, TV spots, and, of course, marketing websites.
They also used to require only the iOS “Download on the App Store” buttons, while today we have badges for the Mac App Store, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and Vision OS.
These changes made Apple rules looser, they don’t need to review every website, they don’t need separate buttons for iOS/ iPad OS etc.
By changing those rules, developers and designers realized they can just use their own buttons, and so they did, this is primarily why we hardly see the older buttons these days.
Why does it matter?
This matters in a few ways. First of all, it’s a visible sign of how the big mobile platforms, Apple and Google, are loosening their grip on app developers.
What used to be mandatory 13 years ago is now much more flexible. Developers can still use the official App Store buttons, but they can also choose to design their own buttons if that works better for their product. And many do just that.
Other than that, it shows a move away from system design in general, and towards more emphasis on design that inspires delight. We all understand how App Store buttons work, even when they are designed differently. The visual language is no longer necessarily needed because the underlying idea has become familiar.
It also shows a larger trend on the internet as a whole: every website tries to impose its own brand. The internet is moving away from shared assets like these App Store buttons and, in doing so, becomes once again a place where any developer can do what they want.
App Stores in particular, and every large platform in general, social media included, will impose their own rules and guidelines for how things should be designed, both technically and visually. The open web has always emerged as the one place where you can do whatever you want, without needing permission, and App Store buttons are just a recent example.
App Store buttons served their purpose when they were new. Both users and developers needed an easy-to-use standard that everyone could recognize quickly.
Today, we don’t really need that standard anymore.
The buttons are still everywhere. They just don’t look like they used to.
Closing words
I like these App Store buttons, I didn’t realize how much I missed them until I saw them by chance when I tried to learn about Diablo Immortal, because Diablo in your pocket sounds intriguing.
When I saw them on the website (see image above), I both realized I didn’t see them in a while and I also immediately realized why.
Diablo Immortal is made by Activision/ Blizzard and this isn’t a knock on their designers, but these buttons immediately take me out of the game world (capital H — Hell) and brings me back to the digital world.
These buttons are great for a browser, a todo-list app or a mail app, but it does feel odd when the website is overly designed like in the case of many mobile games.
Sometimes an app, like Telegram, won’t even need a “button” at all; in this example, users can just tap on the devices, already running the Telegram app. These devices change between Android and iOS devices depending on the user’s own device (see image below).
This increases the user’s direct manipulation feel with the app itself and will probably work to excite the users before the app is even theirs.
After inspecting options like Telegram and Diablo Immortal, I miss these buttons less because I understand they aren’t needed anymore.
Modern mobile users are smarter and more educated about online design trends. Take skeuomorphic design, for example: we needed it for a while, but as design trends changed, users became more sophisticated and eventually grew out of it.
Still, it was a part of our shared culture for a while, and I guess I’ll always feel nostalgic when I see them.
Sources:
Marketing Resources and Identity Guidelines / Apple
Play Store Lockups, icons, and badges / Google
A design language is more than a visual theme / Yesenia Perez-Cruz
Apple Just Killed the App Store (And UI/UX Designers Are Panicking) / Oz
Whatever happened to “Download on the App Store” buttons? was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
