Apple Signals Plans to Boost Services Revenue Through Third-Party AI Apps

Apple hinted during its November 2026 earnings call that it may look to generate new revenue through third-party AI apps and partnerships, though the company offered few specifics on how it plans to do so.

Chief Financial Officer Kevan Parekh raised the possibility while discussing how AI could contribute to revenue growth over time. “We also feel there’s opportunities across third-party apps and partnerships as well as first-party opportunities,” Parekh said on the Monday night call. He did not elaborate on what those opportunities might look like in practice.

Reuters reported that investors are considering whether Apple could profit by distributing third-party AI agents through the App Store and taking a cut of the revenue they generate — though Apple has not confirmed this as its intention.

The comments come as Apple’s App Store faces mounting pressure from regulators and courts. Legal challenges, including a lawsuit by Epic Games that forced Apple to allow apps to redirect users to outside payment systems, have eroded the commission revenue Apple traditionally collects on App Store transactions. Third-party estimates from August suggested Apple saw an 18% drop in U.S. commission revenue, with additional declines in Brazil and Japan following new regulations in those markets.

Mobile gaming has added further strain. Parekh noted that App Store performance during the September quarter was similar to the prior year, and that gaming headwinds are expected to continue into the summer quarter. Apple reported a record number of paid subscriptions with double-digit growth for third-party apps, but that has not been enough to fully offset other pressures.

Looking ahead, Parekh said Apple expects services growth of 8 to 9% in the December quarter, citing headwinds from third-party licensing and foreign exchange as factors in that outlook.

TechCrunch has reached out to Apple for further comment.