The new iOS 18 update hit. Allowing you to pick which contacts you want to share, instead of dumping all of your contacts. This new feature is said by Apple to provide “more privacy and security.” It helps from sharing some sensitive contacts. Android still doesn’t have that feature but soon we will probably see it in a new software update.

App developers are saying that this update is killing apps. Smaller apps are struggling to succeed. Big apps such as Facebook or Instagram don’t have to ask you to keep collecting your contacts. Facebook had discovered that if they added at least 7 friends during their first ten days, they’re more likely to stick around. Small apps have been seeing a drop in usage after the update. 

This update does not apply to iMessage, as they don’t have to ask to access all of your contacts. Before, apps such as Instagram and Whatsapp were able to gain millions of users when they were starting out. They give you plenty of people that you know and then recommend people you might want to connect with.

App developers are considering new friend-based apps “dead on arrival” now. Apple didn’t plan that this update would hurt app developers. They believed that if you had a choice of picking which contacts to share with the app it would help. Instead you just wanted to keep some contacts personal and not share anything.

Cites  – 

https://www.nytimes.com