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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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An update to Convertbot, a popular conversion app by Tapbots, was rejected by Apple because of an icon that was thought to be too similar to another one already used in the standard iPhone interface, according to the Tapbots blog.


094742-convertbot-rejection_500.jpg


Image courtesy of Tapbots.com
Convertbot offers a time conversion feature and the icon that represents it, which has been the same in all versions of Convertbot since it was initially released, was flagged by Apple:

Convertbot 1.4 was rejected because our icon for Time is too similar to one of Apple's default resource icons for History/Recent. They say users might get confused that our Time category might mean History or Recent. Now I might be able to understand if this happened when we first submitted Convertbot, but there have been multiple releases already so why is this a show-stopper now?

In order for the update to be approved, the icon must be re-designed. However, Apple has not provided any guidelines on what will be an acceptable re-design.

Convertbot costs $.99 and can be found here (link opens iTunes).

Article Link: 'Convertbot' App Update Rejected Over Too-Similar Time Icon
 

zombitronic

macrumors 65816
Feb 9, 2007
1,127
39
Fair enough. It is pretty much the exact same icon.

They should just move the hands and put a little knob on top like a stopwatch.
 

ventro

macrumors 6502a
Sep 23, 2006
692
0
Ridiculous. As if Apple somehow has ownership over that time icon. However, the hourglass icon as proposed in the comments would work. But still, this is such a perversion of what the App Store was founded upon.
 

Small White Car

macrumors G4
Aug 29, 2006
10,966
1,463
Washington DC
I'm torn.

On the one hand this seems like a really, minor, stupid thing for Apple to complain about.

On the other hand, they're using an icon from the phone app to represent something different than it means in the phone. I kind of understand why that's bad.

I guess, I understand Apple's reason, it's just terrible that they let it go for so long. THAT's the dumb part, I guess. The fact that it was ok before but isn't now.
 

Fuchal

macrumors 68030
Sep 30, 2003
2,603
1,057
The real question is how does a clock really represent recent calls or history? :rolleyes:

Makes more sense being used in Convertbot
 

ArtOfWarfare

macrumors G3
Nov 26, 2007
9,544
6,042
Somehow they seem to think that just because Apple let it slip by in previous versions, they should still let it slip by.

Honestly, this is like saying "Our old version sometimes crashed but Apple never caught it in the review process so they approved it. This version crashes just as much but by our bad luck (or loss of good luck,) Apple caught it this time around so it was rejected."

I'd say an hourglass makes sense for a new icon.

... and to be honest, it is a little ridiculous on Apple's part.
 

mavis

macrumors 601
Jul 30, 2007
4,734
1,452
Tokyo, Japan
The real question is how does a clock really represent recent calls or history? :rolleyes:

Makes more sense being used in Convertbot
Exactly.

This is starting to get absurd (all of these silly rejections, I mean) ... I just hope Apple's poor management of the App Store continues to drive developers to Cydia.
 

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,741
153
You don't understand how a clock can be related to events that happened in recent history?

I believe he does and he believes it should be in the app that was rejected (or the update) not "recent calls".

Just change the icon a bit and resubmit. It is too great of an app not to have.
 

ArtOfWarfare

macrumors G3
Nov 26, 2007
9,544
6,042
The real question is how does a clock really represent recent calls or history? :rolleyes:

Makes more sense being used in Convertbot

I'd love to hear your suggestion for a simple icon that represents history.

Honestly, I've never seen any other icon used to represent history. It's used in Safari. It's used in Firefox (granted, the icon in Firefox depicts the time as being 4:00 rather than 3:00.)

Do you really have a better suggestion or are you just trying to whine about how Apple is doing everything wrong? Maybe you'd rather swap to some other phone then?
 

iTeleport

macrumors member
Jul 11, 2008
66
0
What absolute idiots Apple has working for them.

The icon looks similar, but it's certainly not the same. And in the context of a 'conversion' app I think it's fairly obvious what it means. Apple needs to relax its policies already - it really is leaving a sour taste in my mouth.

There are many apps using clock icons. Convertbot should not step down on this one. If they use an hourglass then this would have confused me more since I associate an hourglass with cooking.

I really don't know where Apple gets off on telling people how to design their apps. A lot of these devs are hard working and trying to make a living and Apple is making this hell. Why should a dev be tense and nervous about receiving Apple's approval when an App should just be out there? Devs should be scared about whether people like and buy the App first and foremost.

I for one cannot wait until the App store is set free or Apple is forced by regulators to allow an "open source" App store.
 

DavidLeblond

macrumors 68020
Jan 6, 2004
2,322
599
Raleigh, NC
One of my apps was rejected once for an icon that had been there for the previous 12 versions. At times I almost feel like resubmitting the same thing after a rejection to see if a different tester gets it and slips it through. :p
 

ouimetnick

macrumors 68040
Aug 28, 2008
3,552
6,341
Beverly, Massachusetts
Maybe Cydia will appear on the App Store and get approved with d different icon. Then the updated version of Cydia with the old icon gets submitted and re-jected and then Cydia get pulled from the App Store.
It would be funny if Cydia appeared in the App Store.
 

TitoC

macrumors 6502
Jun 15, 2007
311
26
It does seem a bit ridiculous! But it also wouldn't take much to change it and get a "passing" grade from Apple. Here's a suggestion. Either:

clocks.jpg


(A) Change the small hand location OR

(B) Make it a stopwatch OR

(C) Add some highlight color to a time span.

There, job done. Everybody happy? Hell, Convertbot can even have these icon samples. I don't care, just don't take my Convertbot away. I love it too much.

Can Apple get on to some serious App reviews now? Come on.
 

admanimal

macrumors 68040
Apr 22, 2005
3,531
2
One of my apps was rejected once for an icon that had been there for the previous 12 versions. At times I almost feel like resubmitting the same thing after a rejection to see if a different tester gets it and slips it through. :p

I had the exact same thing happen. The worst part was that they sent me a screen shot that had 7 different icons in it, and wouldn't even tell me which one was the issue. There were at least two icons that were vaguely similar to Apple's, although none were identical.
 

madog

macrumors 65816
Nov 25, 2004
1,273
1
Korova Milkbar
From a design point of view 4.45 is just ugly. The only alternative is possibly 9.00 - although that looks a little wrong compared to 3.00.

Isn't the (admittedly stupid) "rule" of displaying a watch supposed to be
~10:15 so the hands look like a smiley? Incidentally, you won't ever see a clock in an advertisement displaying the opposite, with the hands angled downwards.
 

tabasco70

macrumors 6502
Mar 10, 2009
316
0
Japan
Well they can just change the positions of the hands, and change it a little. Maybe add a button at the top so that it looks like a stopwatch.
 

Poll Smoker

macrumors 6502a
Jul 20, 2007
684
1
Isn't the (admittedly stupid) "rule" of displaying a watch supposed to be
~10:15 so the hands look like a smiley? Incidentally, you won't ever see a clock in an advertisement displaying the opposite, with the hands angled downwards.

The 10:15 position was used in advertising so that the hands of the clock wouldn't obscure the clock-makers logo.
 

Bubba Satori

Suspended
Feb 15, 2008
4,726
3,756
B'ham
I'm sorry, this is absolutely insane. The apps approval department is a genuine asylum. Absurd, anal retentive, control freaks. Sad.
 

Scooterman1

macrumors 6502a
May 15, 2008
939
12
Houston, Tx
Just all the more reason for another company to come up with a better alternative to the iPhone.
The iPhone is great, but Apples iron claw rule may eventually be it's demise.
 

iPhone 62S

macrumors 6502a
Aug 18, 2009
993
0
Oh come on, it's not like people will go into the app and think "hey, this converter must be showing my phone history!" is it? Idiots.
 
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