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Apple Updates App Store Guidelines With Stricter Rules for Low-Quality Apps

skymovieguy said:
Imagine a world where Apple doesn’t actually get a say about the programs you want to run on your own device.
Click to expand...

Wasn’t that basically PCs before the era of smartphones? Viruses and malware were everywhere, and nobody downloaded anything because they were afraid of accidentally infecting their computers.

You purchased your software from stores, and developers got maybe like 10-20% of the proceeds in the end, because there were so many layers of middlemen.

Apple recreated a market that had ceased to exist. If you polled users today, you will discover that the majority don’t hate closed app ecosystems, they don’t care about a 30% cut they will never see, and they would prefer not having their life savings siphoned by shady malware.

If I desired such a world, I would have gotten an android device a decade ago.
 
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What apple REALLY should do in their webshop?
In the old days it was easy, a app was eigther FREE or for sale. Easy, do i want to buy this or not.
But the last years the appstore is filled with "download our FREE app" with in small print "in app purchases ". Still a easy choice, the app is free, do i want extras i have to pay.
Only apple now allows everyone to offer a "free download" after downloading and installing the FIRST screen you get is", which subscription do you want and what is your creditcard number" You cant even GET IN the app without paying!!!
How FREE is FREE in the appstore? And how much more apps will you download and delete again because they are subscription apps???
 
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HiFifreak said:
What apple REALLY should do in their webshop?
In the old days it was easy, a app was eigther FREE or for sale. Easy, do i want to buy this or not.
But the last years the appstore is filled with "download our FREE app" with in small print "in app purchases ". Still a easy choice, the app is free, do i want extras i have to pay.
Only apple now allows everyone to offer a "free download" after downloading and installing the FIRST screen you get is", which subscription do you want and what is your creditcard number" You cant even GET IN the app without paying!!!
How FREE is FREE in the appstore? And how much more apps will you download and delete again because they are subscription apps???
Click to expand...
!!!???…!?!?!?
 
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Hear that, Musk?
Hear that, Zuck?
Abolish the hate speech and do better against TOS violations…or get pulled.

Now, it’s clear what you need. No case for you if your band-aid fixes fail you.
 
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Makes sense. In the early days of the iPhone the amount of apps available was a selling point: you'd rather buy a phone that has an AppStore with 100000 apps over one that has 10 apps.

But the amount of apps must be in the millions now. There comes a point where quantity just doesn't matter anymore. And there comes a point where quantity equals a loss of quality. I think that's where we are now.

We're at a point where the amount of rubbish apps in the AppStore becomes a negative for Apple.

For those complaining that the $100 per year for a developer account no longer allows you to submit what you want ... you never could submit whatever you wanted. There have always been rules. Now there's just more rules and they are quality related.

Make sure your app is good enough.
 
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As a customer, I don't even care anymore. The App Store is so full and ad-ridden that I only get apps recommended elsewhere. It doesn't make a difference if there are 100 or 1000 burp apps.

However, any kid making a stupid app should be able to let their friends use it. If you don't want it in your store, if you don't want to do the work of approving it, that's a problem of your own making, Apple. Find a way!
 
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I don’t agree on not letting more dating apps in. The vast majority belong to one company, and it is well known that once you get banned from one of their apps (sometimes without a clear reason), you won’t be able to use it again. And sadly, dating outside this apps (in the real world) is becoming increasingly difficult…
 
Damn, if they follow through on this it could be excellent for the App Store. I'm particularly pleased to see: "Don't submit apps that are indistinguishable from what's already widely available. Opportunistically creating variants of existing app categories or popular apps degrades App Store discovery, reduces overall app quality, and harms both users and developers."

I'm sick of all the copycat games being churned out which just steal someone's original idea and try to bulldoze their way to the front by carpet bombing ads everywhere.

Now if Apple could just mandate some sort of button to report bad adverts that are either badly misleading or badly made!
 
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Maybe they should start by removing predatory subscription-scam apps and obvious casino like games first. I don't think fart apps are the problem.
 
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While Apple - rightly so - is fighting back against interference in its systems, is it now being dictated what users are allowed to publish under the principle of private autonomy? Cognitive dissonance.
 
fahlman said:
Imagine a world where you knowingly buy a smartphone whose only path for installing apps is a highly curated App Store, then complaining that the App Store is highly curated.
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That doesn’t REALLY happen does it? I’ve heard that there are people that buy things that they don’t like, but… is that real? 😉
 
I have another awesome idea.

Fart-recognition. You surreptitiously record your family and friend's farts, and name them.

Then, each time the phone hears a fart it speaks at high volume "X has just farted!".
 
It's good to have quality requirements. As long as there are alternatives to the App Store, I think. I do think Apple should allow everyone to install apps from outisde the app store. But with proper warnings.
 
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coolfactor said:
If your app is of the same quality as your spelling, should I be concerned? Seriously, Apple's goal is to provide a store that sells quality apps. It's not a junk store.

Is your app unique and adds value, or just a means to make yourself money through the selling of imitation?

You always have the Android marketplace to distribute "stuff".
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Excellent. Considering I had no spelling or grammar mistakes. Nice try trying to make me seem like I’m one of the garbage app makers here. I only pointed out that they’re noting the number of app downloads, not just the type of app. Thanks for the reply. 🙄
 
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adrianlondon said:
I have another awesome idea.

Fart-recognition. You surreptitiously record your family and friend's farts, and name them.

Then, each time the phone hears a fart it speaks at high volume "X has just farted!".
Click to expand...
I'm willing to invest in this idea. I will offer you 1 million of my own invented coin.
 
ZiinGeats said:
Hear that, Musk?
Hear that, Zuck?
Abolish the hate speech and do better against TOS violations…or get pulled.

Now, it’s clear what you need. No case for you if your band-aid fixes fail you.
Click to expand...
Do you think Tim Cook can hear that too? I'm sure he'll fix Safari, Mail, Messages, FaceTime, Phone, etc.
 
Whoever updated that guideline sounds like an engineer, not a marketing or PR person.

Not a problem with that, but that sharp tone with slight condescending undertones stands out from regular Apple messaging.
 
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