The update is primarily aimed at stopping its users from accidentally purchasing apps that they did not want to buy. This was a surprisingly common complaint lodged with the Amazon AppStore and the company came under fire from tech bloggers around the globe, who failed to see why Amazon could not implement the simple fix required to stop the problem arising in the first place.
Amazon have now been forced to follow in the footsteps of rivals iTunes, who have a safeguard measure in place on their iTunes Store, preventing users from accidentally purchasing an app that they had no intention of buying. In order to purchase apps from the iTunes Store, a password is required.
However, this too has come under fire from some critics, who highlight the fact that no password is required to purchase subsequent apps during the same browsing session after the initial app has been purchased. This has also led to accidental purchases from their users – a particular problem considering Apple operate a 'no refund' policy on any purchases made from the iTunes Store.
Due to the fact that Amazon's AppStore is not part of the Google Android Market, the process for updating it is a little different than that of most apps. Users have been informed that when the update is available for their smartphone device, a message should appear in their notifications bar, which will prompt them to download and install the update. Those who cannot wait to get their hands on the update can simply remove the app from their device and download the updated version directly from Amazon.