'Appy Birthday! Apple celebrates 10 years of the App Store

It is the go-to place for Apple customers to explore and download new apps , and now the App Store is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

Apple launched the App Store on July 10, 2008 with just 500 apps.

And in the 10 years since, the App Store has grown from strength to strength, now boasting over two million apps.

In a blog about the anniversary, a spokesperson for Apple, said: “Over the past decade, the App Store has created a safe place for users of all ages to get the very best apps and a vibrant app economy for developers of all sizes, from all over the world, to thrive.

“Today, customers in 155 countries are visiting the App Store more often, staying longer and downloading and using more apps than ever before.”

To celebrate the milestone, App Annie has created a report including some of the highlights of the App Store.

The report reveals that since 2008, a staggering 4.5 million cumulative apps have been released on the App Store - 77 per cent of which are games.

And while it might sound like a lot, the average iPhone user now has over 100 apps installed, and uses over 40 apps each month.

Of those apps, games were some of the most popular options, accounting for 31 per cent of all downloads.

Unsurprisingly, in the UK, the most popular game was Candy Crush Saga, closely followed by Clash of Clans.

Meanwhile, the most popular non-game apps were WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Facebook.

And when it comes to spending, customers were most willing to produce their wallet for Spotify , Netflix and Tinder .

Speaking about the milestone, Phil Schiller, senior vice president, Worldwide Marketing at Apple, said: “In its first decade, the App Store has surpassed all of our wildest expectations - from the innovative apps that developers have dreamed up, to the way customers have made apps part of their daily lives - and this is just the beginning.

“We could not be more proud of what developers have created and what the next 10 years have in store.”