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Apple Threatens to Remove Email App 'Hey' From App Store Over Lack of In-App Subscription Option [Updated]
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Yyyeah ok. Back in 2008 small and indie devs were praising the App Store and the 30% rule despite all these things, because they knew then as they do now that Apple brings to them hundreds of millions of potential customers without them having spend one advertising dollar. The same is still true today. Zero advertising spend and they don’t have to manage their own payments, invoicing, collections, charge-backs, and administrative crap? Win win.
Ooohh wait it’s different today because new dev kids have to do real work to make their app attractive and worthwhile.... right. “It’s the kids, Marty. Something has to be done about the kids!”
The kids back then grew up and like Thanos said, they know nothing of what mobile development was like back then. They grew up with full bellies and clear skies; it a paradise. Maybe we need some infinity stones....
Great. You might get a chance. But not many developers would work towards it even if it were allowed. Just like the Play Store.
I'm sorry you can't understand the difference between a clear rule (what part about "you must use in-app purchase" do you not understand?) and an inconsistently enforced one. My analogy is spot on (clear "rule"/law + inconsistent enforcement). Sounds to me like you're just pissed at Apple's policies, and so are giving a free pass to the developer for violating the policy. But of course, no one put a gun to his head and told him to develop for Apple devices, so no sympathy from me.
The rule is clear, and I've been very clear. If you and others don't see it, then I can't help you. I'm done here.
I'm a developer. I understand the guidelines.
Plenty of terms suggest this is not allowed.
See excepts.
Which antitrust law are you talking about? And the rule about physical goods vs. digital goods is not a “whim”.
Screen shots in the OP. Telling people / making people / providing no other option but to - whatever language you want to use. They aren't providing a way to do so within the app, which the rule clearly states they must do. Facts. We're done here. It's crystal clear.
Except it’s not. There’s a “clear” exception granted for several categories which includes at the end “approved services,” which is about as clear as mud and allows Apple to behave arbitrarily. Other similar services have been approved in the past. Why not this one?
Why? Because your think they should? Apple make it very clear that there's a difference between physical and digital goods.
You sound horribly naive and idealistic.
Apple's line of "Apple allows these kinds of client apps -- where you can't sign up, only sign in -- for business services but not consumer products." is interesting since that is stated nowhere in the App Store Guidelines.
Also there are apps like Fastmail that act just like HEY currently in the store.
Also there are apps like Fastmail that act just like HEY currently in the store.
As a developer, it's really not. If you're building a cross-platform app and don't use any of these things, it's really not worth it, especially when you're already paying $100/yr per developer just to build things.
They say “You can’t sign up for HEY in the app.” This doesn’t violate the prohibitions upon apps that choose not to use IAP, which are as follows and are actually very clear:
- You cannot “directly or indirectly target iOS users to use a purchasing method other than in-app purchase.”
- Your “general communications about other purchasing methods are not designed to discourage use of in-app purchase.”
(Also, other apps have done more or less this same wording and gotten away with it. Again, why not this one?)
Is that how you want the technology to develop? Every app developer has to release their own OS? Sounds pretty stupid.
It’s not per developer. If you’re paying per developer, you’re paying a lot of money unnecessarily.
It doesn't say that you have to sign up outside the app. It says that you can't sign up inside the app. Which is pretty much verbatim what Netflix does, except that Netflix doesn't have that text on a help page – Netflix has that text as the first thing you see.
Slack is a "Business App", Hey is apparently a "Consumer App" and so under different rules.
According to Apple.
Anyone here got access to the agreement that covers this?
I'm just quoting what Apple stated. Hence me asking for some insight into where this is stated in the agreement.
Don't shoot the messenger!
Why would anyone pay $99/yr to use this? Talk about getting ripped off!
Well, funny thing, the “clear” rules a certain someone’s been hollering about here don’t cover that distinction
Well, funny thing, the “clear” rules a certain someone’s been hollering about here don’t cover that distinction
Don't care about folk here, I'm just reiterating Apple's latest statement on the issue that can be read on the first page in the now updated story.
Hence my post, and my question
The only clear rules I've stated are in regards to the difference between digital and physical goods. Nothing else.
The exception is in rule 3.1.3(a) of the App Store Review Guidelines:
It’d appear that they consider Slack an “approved service,” but they don’t really elaborate on what constitutes an approved service. It gives them leeway to behave arbitrarily and/or anticompetitively.