Apple Fellow Phil Schiller is reducing his workload at Apple, with the long-time executive no longer in charge of the App Store and managing product events.

Phil Schiller became an "Apple Fellow" in 2020 but still led Apple's App Store and Apple Events in the specially-created role. Six years later, things are changing.

The 66-year-old executive, who was formerly Apple's SVP of marketing, made the decision in the last few days of the Tim Cook premiership. Bloomberg reports people familiar with the matter found out about his choice, which has yet to be officially announced by Apple.

Though Schiller won't be managing the App Store or Apple Events, he won't be leaving the company yet. He advised to employees that he will instead be working on "unspecified initiatives."

The change is one that could be viewed as a step towards retirement from Apple. Becoming an Apple Fellow was one of those steps, with Greg Joswiak taking over the role of SVP of Worldwide Marketing at the time.

The Apple Fellow role gave Schiller a chance to make time for his friends, family, and "a few personal projects I care deeply about," he said in 2020.

By stepping away from dealing with the App Store and Apple Events on a day-to-day basis, this arguably gives Schiller more time for those personal connections, while still keeping a hand in at the company.

Coincidental timing

While there's no immediate indication of it being due to the change of CEO at Apple, the timing of Schiller's role adjustment seems to match up with that event anyway.

The story came out on Tim Cook's last day as CEO. Tuesday marks John Ternus becoming the head of the company, and an almost certain shift in the way the company functions.

There have also been many recent changes at the top of Apple, if not a mass executive exodus.

With Schiller shifting priorities from the App Store, an important part of Apple's empire, the company won't keep that space vacant for long. Indeed, that void's already been filled.

New App Store management

It is reported that Apple will be moving the responsibility for the App Store over to the Services division. That means it falls under the watchful eye of Eddy Cue.

Cue was previously the manager of the App Store until 2015, when it was passed to Schiller.

The day-to-day management will be handled by Carson Oliver, who has long been responsible for the App Store.