What was rumored in 2011
In March 2011, Gadget Daily News reported a rumor that Apple was building a magazine template into Xcode, its developer toolkit. The idea was a consistent reading interface, built-in subscriptions and back-issue sales, so anyone could put a “garage magazine” on the iPad and sell it through iTunes.
The problem it aimed to fix was real. Early iPad magazines like Wired and The Economist each had their own interface, and readers had to relearn navigation for every title.
What Apple actually shipped
Apple’s answer arrived seven months later, and it was a storefront rather than a template. Newsstand launched on October 12, 2011 with iOS 5. It was a special folder on the home screen that held magazine and newspaper apps, showed the latest covers, and downloaded new issues in the background (Wikipedia).
Developers didn’t get a design template. They set a flag in their app (UINewsstandApp) and still built the reading interface themselves. That kept the inconsistency the rumor promised to remove.
Newsstand lasted four years. Apple removed it in iOS 9 in 2015 and replaced it with Apple News.
| Year | What Apple launched | Who could publish | How readers paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Newsstand (iOS 5) | Anyone with a magazine app in the App Store | In-app subscriptions per title |
| 2015 | Apple News (iOS 9) | Professional news publications | Free, ad-supported |
| 2019 | Apple News+ | Selected magazines and newspapers | $9.99/month at launch, US |
| 2026 | Apple News+ today | Selected publishers, 500+ titles | $12.99/month, or in Apple One Premier at $39.95 |
Prices for 2026 are from Apple’s Apple News page, checked October 2026.
Who can publish on Apple News now
Apple News is open to professional publications, not hobby projects. Apple describes it as “a platform for professional news publications” on its developer site.
Publishers format articles in Apple News Format. They can send them from their content management system through the Apple News API, or write and upload them in News Publisher, Apple’s web-based editor.
The money works like this, per Apple’s developer page:
- Ads you sell yourself: you keep 100% of the revenue.
- Ads Apple sells for you: you keep 70%.
- Subscriptions: members of the News Partner Program may pay a 15% commission on eligible in-app subscriptions from day one.
Apple News+ is a separate, curated tier. At launch in March 2019 it carried over 300 titles, including The Atlantic, National Geographic, The New Yorker and WIRED (Apple Newsroom). Apple picks the publications, so it isn’t a self-serve route for a new title.
Where the “garage magazine” ended up
The comic-book creator in the 2011 rumor would publish on Apple Books today, not in a magazine app. Apple Books for Authors lets anyone publish an ebook, with no developer account and no programmer needed.
The terms on Apple’s authors page:
- 70% royalties on every ebook, whatever the price.
- No file delivery fees.
- No limits on offering books free.
- You can submit an EPUB through a web portal, or publish from a Word document.
You need an iTunes Connect account to publish directly. A recurring publication works as a series of ebooks, one per issue, which is close to the back-issue model the rumor described.
The trade-off is discovery. A book on Apple Books doesn’t land in anyone’s Apple News feed, so readers have to find it through search, Apple Books charts or your own promotion.
Which route fits you
The right route depends on whether you’re a news outlet or an independent creator.
| You are | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A news site or established magazine | Apple News with News Publisher | Reaches the News app; ad and subscription revenue |
| A magazine wanting curated placement | Apply to Apple News+ | Apple chooses titles; not guaranteed |
| An independent writer, artist or comic creator | Apple Books for Authors | Self-serve, 70% royalty, no programmer needed |
| A publisher wanting full control of the reading app | Your own App Store app | Your interface and paywall, App Store rules apply |
What to do next
- Decide whether you’re a news publication or a creator selling individual issues. That choice picks Apple News or Apple Books.
- For Apple Books, create an iTunes Connect account and export your first issue as an EPUB.
- For Apple News, read Apple’s News Publisher documentation and check you meet its standard for a professional publication.
- Price one issue first, then use Apple Books’ daily sales reports before you commit to a schedule.
Sources
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