Apple Responds: Free iWork/iLife Upgrades, Not a Bug

Apple recently announced that the newly designed iLife/iWork would be available for free on iOS and Mac platforms, with new device buyers receiving it free of charge. However, existing users would still need to pay for the upgrade. Soon after, netizens discovered methods by which older users could obtain the new versions of iWork and iLife for free, offering a significant benefit to many users.

Some users thought this might be a bug in Apple's software update process and were concerned that Apple would fix this bug. Now, everyone can relax as Apple has confirmed that this is not a bug.

An Apple representative told the media: "We did not announce new updates for Aperture, iWork, and iLife on the 'Support' page of the Apple website, nor did we push them through 'Software Update.' This was no coincidence but rather a change in our software update approach starting with Mavericks. We no longer provide individual updates for each software via the Mac App Store; instead, when users install Mavericks, it automatically identifies the software already installed on their Macs, and these will appear in the user’s Mac App Store purchase history, defaulting as if purchased directly from the Mac App Store by the user."

Regarding the issue of pirated and trial version users also being able to upgrade for free, Apple stated: "We have noticed that this method may allow pirated versions to upgrade for free. In fact, Apple has never taken very aggressive measures against piracy. We prefer to trust that our users are honest and trustworthy, even though trusting alone may not be enough."