Apple is Tightening the Rules on 'What's New' Changelogs in App Store

[MacRumors]

Apple this week informed members of its Developer Program that it will be enforcing stricter rules for "What's New in This Version," the section on the App Store in which developers can list changes they made to their apps.

Starting in April, developers will only be able to edit the "What's New" text when submitting a new version of their app. In other words, any changes to the text will now be subject to Apple's standard App Store review process.

The requirement will extend to editing an app's support URL or marketing URL, according to Apple's announcement posted in iTunes Connect.

While this is a minor change, Apple evidently felt the need to have a little more control over information passing through the App Store without its approval. It's possible that a few developers were taking advantage of the flexibility for bad reasons, such as pointing support or marketing URLs to malicious websites.

Article Link: Apple is Tightening the Rules on 'What's New' Changelogs in App Store

 

[joshwenke]

The updates section is always too broad. Hopefully this will fix it.

 

[RTWG]

Good, because I really hate that "We update our apps regularly..." spiel that a lot of developers have as their update notes.

 

[TMRJIJ]

I agree. Some of these developers aren’t even telling us ‘what’s new’. They’re just trying to be funny.

 

[Fuchal]

Hope this means developers have to write real release notes. Pretty tired of seeing novels in there.

 

[JosephAW]

It would be good to know exactly what they fixed instead of "bugs fixed" but still allow some puns and humor as well. Camera+ provides detailed fixes and enhancements with humor and is fun to read. Hopefully they don't quench their developer's enthusiasm. Don't want to see it end up like a Mozilla change log.

 

[spazzcat]

Looking at you Facebook...

 

[Christoffee]

I agree. Some of these developers aren’t even telling us ‘what’s new’. They’re just trying to be funny.

Some of them are funny! In the UK the Argos update notes always tickle me, and I make a point of reading them!

In this case, I like that despite Argos being a plc (owned by Sainsbury's) the guys developing the app are allowed a bit of personality, and those HR/marketing-types have not got their hands on them. On the other hand, perhaps those marketing-types are responsible and have tricked me! And here I am, giving the Argos app some free advertising!

 

[Scottsoapbox]

Good, because I really hate that "We update our apps regularly..." spiel that a lot of developers have as their update notes.

Actually expect MORE of those as that will no doubt get through the review process.

 

[0388631]

The updates section is always too broad. Hopefully this will fix it.

Ah, yes, "Bug fixes." That is so common these days and it's infuriating. I've bought software for my MBP through the store and I have to go to the developer's site to actually read the individual updates in the changelog.

 

[now i see it]

App Store has become an arcade game store. The new iToy-R-Us

 

[adamjackson]

!!!!!!! YES!

I'm Effing sick of lazy-developers making monumental changes to their applications with the note "Bug Fixes" and I've had jerk-off developers reply to my 1-star reviews indicating their change-log didn't include any changes with "no one reads them" or "what would you have us do differently?" How about instead of replying to every app store review, you actually write what changed.

Here's my recent issue with Fuelly - http://adamchandler.me/blog/2018/01...p-lying-in-their-changelogs-on-the-app-store/

They closed down the app and went paid-model and their change-log indicated nothing that after I updated it'd tell me to uninstall the app and switch to their monthly subscription model. I never would have updated if I knew this going into it.

I honestly don't care if the general public doesn't understand ChangeLog but a lot of us do and want to know what to expect when we optionally update our applications.


.....and to that, Apple itself has gotten lazy. Looking at their recent OSX updates versus the old ones, they used to write 50 lines of what changed in a point update. Now it's just 3-4 main features. It's lazy. I liked finding all of the small changes and reading release notes.

Here's the 10.3.4 Release notes: https://www.cnet.com/news/mac-os-x-10-3-6-special-report-release-notes/

Look at all of that amazing data geeks can read.

10.13.2:

This update:

- Improves compatibility with certain third-party USB audio devices
- Improves VoiceOver navigation when viewing PDF documents in Preview
- Improves compatibility of Braille displays with Mail

 

[nwcs]

Too bad apple can’t enforce that if you contact a vendor of an iOS app that they should actually reply to you. Too often I send a note and never get a response.

 

[Radeon85]

Apple should get really strict on this. If developers don't say what they've actually changed or fixed on every update then the app shouldn't be allowed on the app store until they do.

It's not hard to provide release notes. Facebook is a big culprit, don't think they've listed actual change logs in many years.

 

[Christoffee]

!!!!!!! YES!

I'm Effing sick of lazy-developers making monumental changes to their applications with the note "Bug Fixes" and I've had jerk-off developers reply to my 1-star reviews indicating their change-log didn't include any changes with "no one reads them" or "what would you have us do differently?" How about instead of replying to every app store review, you actually write what changed.

Here's my recent issue with Fuelly - http://adamchandler.me/blog/2018/01...p-lying-in-their-changelogs-on-the-app-store/

They closed down the app and went paid-model and their change-log indicated nothing that after I updated it'd tell me to uninstall the app and switch to their monthly subscription model. I never would have updated if I knew this going into it.

I honestly don't care if the general public doesn't understand ChangeLog but a lot of us do and want to know what to expect when we optionally update our applications.


.....and to that, Apple itself has gotten lazy. Looking at their recent OSX updates versus the old ones, they used to write 50 lines of what changed in a point update. Now it's just 3-4 main features. It's lazy. I liked finding all of the small changes and reading release notes.

Here's the 10.3.4 Release notes: https://www.cnet.com/news/mac-os-x-10-3-6-special-report-release-notes/

Look at all of that amazing data geeks can read.

10.13.2:

This update:

- Improves compatibility with certain third-party USB audio devices
- Improves VoiceOver navigation when viewing PDF documents in Preview
- Improves compatibility of Braille displays with Mail

I get yer. But, like your post says, the trust was ruined. If app developers cannot be trusted their app will lose traction. Alternatively, if genuinely no one reads the change log or no one keeps track of developers they like or distrust (like you do with shops) there will be no consequence.

Customer service does not (entirely) come from regulation; it comes from the consumers' right to choose.

 

[MrGimper]

Some of them are funny! In the UK the Argos update notes always tickle me, and I make a point of reading them!

In this case, I like that despite Argos being a plc (owned by Sainsbury's) the guys developing the app are allowed a bit of personality, and those HR/marketing-types have not got their hands on them. On the other hand, perhaps those marketing-types are responsible and have tricked me! And here I am, giving the Argos app some free advertising!

You win the internet today purely for the Amiga Boing Bouncing Ball avatar

 

[usarioclave]

Maybe Apple will start making real release notes too, then?

 

[imronburgundy]

Facebook used to be the worst at this. I solved that by just deleting my account.

 

[SoN1NjA]

I actually love the stories or the jokes about the brand, but the things that irritate me are "turn on automatic updates" and reading the same thing for 5 different updates

 

[az431]

The updates section is always too broad. Hopefully this will fix it.

Good, because I really hate that "We update our apps regularly..." spiel that a lot of developers have as their update notes.

I agree. Some of these developers aren’t even telling us ‘what’s new’. They’re just trying to be funny.

Hope this means developers have to write real release notes. Pretty tired of seeing novels in there.

Obviously no one read the article because the changes have nothing to do with the what’s new section being overbroad, not detailed enough, too funny, or too long. Apple already reviews the what’s new section when the app is submitted for review, and none of that will change.

 

[jsmith189]

Like already stated, Facebook are the absolute worst at this. I already have zero trust in them, and the fact that they release bi-weekly updates but haven't told us anything that they're adding to our phones for years... shady. I hate that they could be forcing new features onto customers weeks in advance of releasing them, just to trick people into changing to whatever they want ahead of time whether we want it or not. Wish that's what Apple were implementing.

 

[utwarreng]

/r/patchnoteporn

 

[Feyl]

I wrote about this to Phil some months ago. Glad to see it coming.

 

[Fixey]

I don’t think Apple will be tightening up on what as been updated but the url for support etc not being change after approval but then the dev can simply change they webpage so guess that not help too much.

What has change if required to spell out what actually been change will in most cases leave the user totally baffled it needs to be simple like bug fixes as that what most understand, if a developer put down exactly what changed like an fix in the bit size of the integer to hold the time stamp from 32bit to 64bit how many users would understand what was being updated.

Perhaps Apple will require two, what’s Updated and technical changes

 

[78Bandit]

Good, because I really hate that "We update our apps regularly..." spiel that a lot of developers have as their update notes.

I don't think this policy change will fix that. I may be reading the article wrong, but it appears this only prevents updates to the "what's new" text and the "help" URL listed in the App description between actual app updates. There is nothing I see where more detailed notes are going to be required, only whatever text and URLs that are submitted with the version update cannot be changed by the developer until they submit another new version for review.