F.lux for iOS No Longer Available After Apple Says Side-Loading Violates Developer Agreement

[MacRumors]

F.lux, a popular app for the Mac that allows users to adjust the color of their screen based on the time of day, yesterday expanded to iOS with a beta app, but as of today, the app is no longer available.

Because iOS does not have the necessary documented APIs to allow f.lux to function, f.lux was skirting the App Store with private APIs and asking users to install its iOS app through Xcode, using a technique called side-loading. Apple has now informed f.lux that asking people to side-load apps onto their iOS devices violates the Developer Program Agreement, so f.lux can no longer be installed on iOS devices using Xcode.

Apple has contacted us to say that the f.lux for iOS download (previously available on this page) is in violation of the Developer Program Agreement, so this method of install is no longer available.

We understood that the new Xcode signing was designed to allow such use, but Apple has indicated that this should not continue.

For those unfamiliar with f.lux, it's an app that adjusts the blue light of a screen based on the time of day to avoid interfering with the body's circadian rhythm. During the day, f.lux mimics natural daylight, but at as the sun sets, it cuts down on the amount of blue light and makes the screen more yellow, which is said to encourage better sleep.

F.lux is a popular Mac app that's been downloaded 15 million times, but with side-loading no longer available, f.lux for iOS is non-existant. F.lux's developers are urging customers who want f.lux for iOS to send feedback to Apple, as the company would need new documented APIs to introduce the app through official channels.

Article Link: F.lux for iOS No Longer Available After Apple Says Side-Loading Violates Developer Agreement

 

[ErikGrim]

Hopefully the popularity of this sends a message to Apple and they'll add something similar in an upcoming iOS. This is the kind of low hanging fruit that can be picked off once a platform is mature.

 

[Jamiet361]

Godammit. Stop making me hate you, Apple.

 

[Iconoclysm]

Godammit. Stop making me hate you, Apple.

This should not make you hate Apple... It's a great idea but they've gone about it the wrong way.

 

[Pakaku]

This is why I keep arguing that iOS isn't a true operating system in its current state, and in Apple's current mindset.

On OSX, there's (hopefully) no fear of f.lux and other apps like it somehow not being allowed to run.

 

[b.inazawa-fan]

Or they could open source f.lux and Apple would be just fine with it! The way they were doing, tricking Xcode into copying a pre-compiled binary was shady, this was the obvious outcome.

 

[nepalisherpa]

It's because of times like this, I feel like switching to Android. Seriously Apple, it's called "side-loading" for a reason. You are not responsible for it. Quit acting like a baby!

 

[Xvp]

So if you have the zip file, you would still be able to install it on you phone, right?

 

[g-7]

Boo, Apple! Boo.

 

[DogHouseDub]

We need a true NIGHT MODE. All text becomes white, backgrounds become black, photos remain as they were.

 

[balamw]

Or they could open source f.lux and Apple would be just fine with it! The way they were doing, tricking Xcode into copying a pre-compiled binary was shady, this was the obvious outcome.

Yeah, that's my guess too as they don't seem to be going after any other open source projects that can be installed with Xcode yet.

B

 

[ahlsn]

So good that we are forced to continue burning our retinas every evening and morning. Probably they will come out with a new health device in a couple of year that will heal our sore eyes.

 

[napabar]

Apple has never endorsed or called this method "Side-Loading".

Stop whining.

 

[freepomme]

Nobody cares because this is for tech users and not iOS users.

 

[firewood]

This is why I keep arguing that iOS isn't a true operating system in its current state, and in Apple's current mindset.

Adding security, and thus making malware more difficult to install, does not change an OS to not being an OS. It's just a security policy. A corporate admin could lock down a company Mac almost as tight, without making the company Macs not Macs running OS X.

 

[benfro6]

F.lux is a popular Mac app that's been downloaded 15 million times, but with side-loading no longer available, f.lux for iOS is non-existant. F.lux's developers are urging customers who want f.lux for iOS to send feedback to Apple, as the company would need new documented APIs to introduce the app through official channels.

F.lux is still available for jailbroken users, for what it is worth. Still would like this available for all users!

 

[Candurin]

And THIS is precisely why we jailbreak (yes, it's a generalization).

 

[C DM]

Nobody cares because this is for tech users and not iOS users.

What?

 

[firewood]

Or they could open source f.lux and Apple would be just fine with it! The way they were doing, tricking Xcode into copying a pre-compiled binary was shady, this was the obvious outcome.

This. "Side loading" is (now) perfectly legal if you give the user (with a developer ID) an opportunity to inspect the source code before building the app and installing it on that users iOS device with Xcode from a Mac.

 

[Benjamin Frost]

Until this functionality is brought to iOS, the iPad Pro cannot be called a pro device.

 

[macduke]

I don't see why Apple should care about this. The average person isn't going to go through the trouble of installing this themselves. Let those who like to tinker have at it. I'm kinda bummed out because I was planning on trying it out this weekend. I'm usually on my phone before bed and have a hard time going to sleep as a result. I do a lot of reading on my phone because my field in web/app design and development, as well as photography is always quickly advancing and I have to keep up.

Hopefully in iOS 10 they'll stick it in as an option under Accessibility. Most normal people don't tinker around in there, but I've found some useful stuff in there like LED flash for alerts, 3D Touch sensitivity, Guided Access on triple click for keeping my toddler from leaving one of her educational apps, setting to turn off lowercase keyboard keys, etc. Adding this as an option would be great for people who are affected by harsh displays in the evening.

 

[Pakaku]

Adding security, and thus making malware more difficult to install, does not change an OS to not being an OS. It's just a security policy. A corporate admin could lock down a company Mac almost as tight, without making the company Macs not Macs running OS X.

An admin had to actually go out of their way to lock down that OSX. It didn't suddenly get new locks added to it by the OS devs.

 

[C DM]

An admin had to actually go out of their way to lock down that OSX. It didn't suddenly get new locks added to it by the OS devs.

So it's basically a difference of who added the "locks" and when they were added, not really in anything else regarding one or the other actually being an OS or not.

 

[KidAKidB]

Or they could open source f.lux and Apple would be just fine with it! The way they were doing, tricking Xcode into copying a pre-compiled binary was shady, this was the obvious outcome.

Right, let's never hold Apple responsible for a stupid decision. The only reason they had to "trick" anything is because of Apple's restrictions.

 

[KidAKidB]

Nobody cares because this is for tech users and not iOS users.

What in the world are you talking about? A lot of people have sensitive eyes and regardless even if it was only for tech users, it still doesn't change the fact that it's stupid of Apple to now allow it.