Apple has updated its App Store Preview pages for its App Store Today Stories content to allow users to view the full content from inside their desktop web browser. Previously, the stories have been sharable as links, but went to a web version with a title and a link to open the story in the App Store.
First noticed by 9to5Mac, which believes this happened between August 9th and August 1th, the upgraded experience now includes full editorial content with full imagery. The offers the same content online that is found in the native App Store experience.
When a user opens the App Store on their iOS device or Mac, they can open a story article in the Today view and then scroll to the bottom of the article. They can then tap the “Share Story” button at the bottom of the article to copy the URL or send it on using the Share Sheet.
When you open the link on an iOS device, the link will open in the App Store. In the past if you opened the same link in a desktop browser, you’d see the editorial’s title, the hero image, and possible a one-line description, with instructions to view the full experience in the App Store.
Now, as seen below, the entire editorial content of the story will open in the desktop browser, including screenshots with captions and the full text of the article.
The move is likely part of recent efforts to upgrade its web offering, which have included more user-friendly domain names (apps.apple.com, podcasts.apple.com, and more).
