Apple spits Chomp's Android app search

Chomp, the app search engine developed by two Australians that Apple bought in February, no longer searches Android apps.

Android users of the app began reporting last Thursday that Chomp no longer worked on Android devices, Apple Insider reported Friday. 

Apple paid around US$50 million for the company, Bloomberg reported in February. The software was developed by now US-based Australians, Chomp chief and co-founder Ben Keighran and fellow co-founder Cathy Edwards.  

The site, which formerly searched both Android and iOS apps, now redirects all app purchases to Apple’s iTunes store.  

Google no longer offers the Chomp app on its content and Android store Google Play, however a Chomp extension is still available for Chrome desktop users through the Chrome Web Store. 

The software helps iOS device users search via the web or Apple devices over 550,000 iPhone apps and 170,000 ‘native’ iPad apps, by Apple’s March figures. It used to also help search around 400,000 Android apps.