iOS Detecting the use of private APIs?

[FloatingBones]

According to this blog entry, there were a group of WiFi-scanning apps pulled in early 2010 from the App store. There is a quote apparently from Apple noted in that article:

"There are no published APIs that provide the ability to manipulate the wireless connection or the show level of information regarding the wireless connection as demonstrated in the application."

Is there a technical reason why Apple can't scan submitted apps to detect the use of private APIs? Have they modified their procedure in the last year to catch private APIs as part of the approval process?

 

[robbieduncan]

They auto-scan now. I had an app update rejected as I used a private API to terminate the app if some internal resources had somehow got corrupted (I simply removed that functionality).

 

[ianray]

A scan is also run when submitting an App to iTunes Connect.

 

[FloatingBones]

They auto-scan now. I had an app update rejected as I used a private API to terminate the app if some internal resources had somehow got corrupted (I simply removed that functionality).

Thanks for the response, Robbie. Just so I am perfectly clear: at some point in the past, Apple didn't scan. Today, they scan submitted apps for private APIs. Do I understand correctly? Do you recall if this was something announced on the MR front page when they made the change, or was it a more silent event?

 

[firewood]

Silent change. Developers just started reporting rejections for stuff they'd had accepted before. Apple seems to catch on (and silently change their inspection procedures) any time enough devs try to sneak around some guideline.

 

[FloatingBones]

Thanks @firewood. This sounds like a good change. If apps are pulled after being listed in the App Store, that tends to drag customers into the issue and can give Apple a little PR problem.

 

[PhoneyDeveloper]

It's probably the case that they scanned from an early time but that what they scanned for has changed over time. I had an app rejected for a private api where the app had previously been accepted with use of the same api. This was in piracy detection code and I had no choice but to remove it. In the past they only scanned after you submitted the app. Today the scan happens when you use the validate button in the Organizer window as well as after you submit.