iOS 15.5 Beta Adds Support for External Links Amid Upcoming Changes for Reader Apps

[MacRumors]

Apple has recently implemented several changes to the App Store that allow for outside payment options and linking to external websites for purchase purposes. As part of these changes, Apple in iOS 15.5 is adding support for and warnings about external purchases.

Code for external purchase support was discovered by 9to5Mac in the iOS 15.5 beta, which came out yesterday. The site says that iOS 15.5 "has full support" for the "External Link Account Entitlement" that Apple recently made available to reader apps.

As of last week, Apple began allowing developers of reader apps to sign up for access to an external link entitlement that will allow the app to offer a link to a website so users can create or manage an account outside of the App Store. Reader apps include those that provide digital content like magazines, newspapers, books, audio, music, or video as the primary functionality of the app, with Spotify, Netflix, Hulu, and other apps serving as an example.

Apps that receive an External Link Account Entitlement will be able to provide an in-app link that goes to an outside website. So, for example, the Netflix iOS app will be able to provide a link to the Netflix website, where users will be able to sign up for or manage a Netflix subscription.

Apple decided to allow reader apps to offer a link to an external website to settle an investigation launched by the Japanese Fair Trade Commission in early 2021. Apple said that it plans to "make sure users of reader apps continue to have a safe experience on the ‌‌App Store‌‌," and that it would help developers "protect users when they link to an external website to make purchases," which explains some of the new wording in iOS 15.5.

As an example, 9to5Mac located text that warns a user who deletes an app with external purchases that subscriptions and purchases cannot be managed through the App Store, unlike apps that offer subscriptions and content through App Store tools. If, for example, a user subscribes to Netflix through an external link in the Netflix iOS app and then deletes Netflix, the subscription cannot be canceled through the App Store subscription interface and will need to be handled directly by the developer, aka Netflix in the example instance.

"External purchases from 'ExternalPurchase' may still exist," reads the pop up in the beta. "You cannot manage or cancel any external purchases through the App Store. For more information, contact the developer."

For some apps with external purchases, Apple will also apparently alert users about the external purchase options and support limitations when the app is first launched, making it clear to users that purchases outside of the App Store will need to be managed outside of the App Store.

Apple's guidelines for external links in reader apps are also designed to make a clear designation between the App Store and an external purchase. A link must open in a new browser window on the default browser for the device, for example, rather than in a web view in the app itself. As for protections, links cannot have tracking information or redirects in them, and an app can only link out to a website that it is affiliated with.

We don't yet know when iOS 15.5 will be released, but Apple is accepting requests from reader apps that are interested in using the external link entitlement. Apple's website for link entitlement says that the External Link Account API will be available for reader apps to build and test "in an upcoming beta release of iOS and iPadOS," which appears to be iOS 15.5.

Article Link: iOS 15.5 Beta Adds Support for External Links Amid Upcoming Changes for Reader Apps

 

[WiiDSmoker]

Good. Apple shouldn’t profit off any reader apps. Case in point they removed the ability to purchase content from their apps on other devices such as Fire TV because they didn’t want to give up 30%.

Cue the corporate defenders.

 

[Realityck]

We don't yet know when iOS 15.5 will be released, but Apple is accepting requests from reader apps that are interested in using the external link entitlement. Apple's website for link entitlement says that the External Link Account API will be available for reader apps to build and test "in an upcoming beta release of iOS and iPadOS," which appears to be iOS 15.5.

Diffidently seeing progress in the right direction.

 

[Limech]

Good. Apple shouldn’t profit off any reader apps. Case in point they removed the ability to purchase content from their apps on other devices such as Fire TV because they didn’t want to give up 30%.

Cue the defenders of a nearly 3 trillion dollar company.

Oh.. almost missed my cue.

So yeah, sounds like Apple had a choice to remove the ability to purchase content from their apps to avoid the fee and elected to do so, just like many on the Apple Store also have. Some have even elected to not make their app available on iOS to avoid paying the fees for Apple to host, deliver, update, enable discovery of and provide access to a billion paying customers. I don't think rules should change based on how much money the company is worth.

I'm sure many would love to be able to setup a store in Amazon or Shopify to sell their own stuff with their own payment system totally for free too. Amazon is a big company too.. don't see why they couldn't offer this for free like everybody wants Apple to do.

Defenders unite!

 

[FireFish]

Apple has recently implemented several changes to the App Store that allow for outside payment options and linking to external websites for purchase purposes. As part of these changes, Apple in iOS 15.5 is adding support for and warnings about external purchases.

Code for external purchase support was discovered by 9to5Mac in the iOS 15.5 beta, which came out yesterday. The site says that iOS 15.5 "has full support" for the "External Link Account Entitlement" that Apple recently made available to reader apps.

As of last week, Apple began allowing developers of reader apps to sign up for access to an external link entitlement that will allow the app to offer a link to a website so users can create or manage an account outside of the App Store. Reader apps include those that provide digital content like magazines, newspapers, books, audio, music, or video as the primary functionality of the app, with Spotify, Netflix, Hulu, and other apps serving as an example.

Apps that receive an External Link Account Entitlement will be able to provide an in-app link that goes to an outside website. So, for example, the Netflix iOS app will be able to provide a link to the Netflix website, where users will be able to sign up for or manage a Netflix subscription.

Apple decided to allow reader apps to offer a link to an external website to settle an investigation launched by the Japanese Fair Trade Commission in early 2021. Apple said that it plans to "make sure users of reader apps continue to have a safe experience on the ‌‌App Store‌‌," and that it would help developers "protect users when they link to an external website to make purchases," which explains some of the new wording in iOS 15.5.

As an example, 9to5Mac located text that warns a user who deletes an app with external purchases that subscriptions and purchases cannot be managed through the App Store, unlike apps that offer subscriptions and content through App Store tools. If, for example, a user subscribes to Netflix through an external link in the Netflix iOS app and then deletes Netflix, the subscription cannot be canceled through the App Store subscription interface and will need to be handled directly by the developer, aka Netflix in the example instance.

"External purchases from 'ExternalPurchase' may still exist," reads the pop up in the beta. "You cannot manage or cancel any external purchases through the App Store. For more information, contact the developer."

For some apps with external purchases, Apple will also apparently alert users about the external purchase options and support limitations when the app is first launched, making it clear to users that purchases outside of the App Store will need to be managed outside of the App Store.

Apple's guidelines for external links in reader apps are also designed to make a clear designation between the App Store and an external purchase. A link must open in a new browser window on the default browser for the device, for example, rather than in a web view in the app itself. As for protections, links cannot have tracking information or redirects in them, and an app can only link out to a website that it is affiliated with.

We don't yet know when iOS 15.5 will be released, but Apple is accepting requests from reader apps that are interested in using the external link entitlement. Apple's website for link entitlement says that the External Link Account API will be available for reader apps to build and test "in an upcoming beta release of iOS and iPadOS," which appears to be iOS 15.5.

Article Link: iOS 15.5 Beta Adds Support for External Links Amid Upcoming Changes for Reader Apps

Oh damn, they’re really going for it?!?

 

[now i see it]

Since the App Store (aka Apple Cesspool) has plenty of scam apps as it is — the external link thing is only going to make things worse for end users.

 

[Wildkraut]

Good but this won’t be accepted by EU that way later, it’s an anticompetitive implementation.

They are wasting development resources by doing it wrong.

 

[Kierkegaarden]

Good but this won’t be accepted by EU that way later, it’s an anticompetitive implementation.

They are wasting development resources by doing it wrong.

Are you a representative of the EU? How is their implementation anticompetitive? How are they “doing it wrong”?

 

[ian87w]

Since the App Store (aka Apple Cesspool) has plenty of scam apps as it is — the external link thing is only going to make things worse for end users.

It's bad enough with apps with extremely misleading and scammy ads. But seems like Apple restricted this to reader apps.

 

[dumastudetto]

Consumers don't want this madness. We need to lock it down to protect people from their own stupidity.

 

[I7guy]

Good. Apple shouldn’t profit off any reader apps. Case in point they removed the ability to purchase content from their apps on other devices such as Fire TV because they didn’t want to give up 30%.

Cue the corporate defenders.

AFAIK, Apple will still collect it's Apple tax, if the link was initiated through the ios app. If that's not true, please provide the clarification.

 

[WiiDSmoker]

AFAIK, Apple will still collect it's Apple tax, if the link was initiated through the ios app. If that's not true, please provide the clarification.

No that’s not true lol

 

[TheOldChevy]

Interesting evolution. I will probably continue to prefer buying from the App, but if this is managed well it can add some diversity.

 

[cupcakes2000]

Good. Apple shouldn’t profit off any reader apps. Case in point they removed the ability to purchase content from their apps on other devices such as Fire TV because they didn’t want to give up 30%.

Cue the corporate defenders.

Look, I’ll get accused of being a defender here, whatever that means - but that’s fine because some people want to hate on everything regardless of fact. But the thing is is that every business is entitled to make money from their business. Just as any client of said business can choose to purchase from them.
That should be as simple as that.

Since the App Store (aka Apple Cesspool) has plenty of scam apps as it is — the external link thing is only going to make things worse for end users.

It’s funny I have used the iPhone since it’s inception and I have never come across a scam app. I know they exist, but this ‘the AppStore is full of them’ narrative that gets pushed a lot round here is total nonsense, and I’m talking from experience not some made up Reddit threads.

 

[pauloregan]

Apple dragging it's heels like a teenager told to clean their room.

 

[User 6502]

About time apple stopped moaning and started acting like an adult. It’s only the first step, the EU will demand it allowed sideloading, and apple eventually will be forced to comply like it was in this instance.

 

[Wildkraut]

Are you a representative of the EU? How is their implementation anticompetitive? How are they “doing it wrong”?

EU will demand links to not be controlled or gated in any way, same thing with WebViews exclusion, this anticompetitively benefit Apple Apps which uses WebViews for purchaces and account creation. Furthermore, these alerts are built in a way to scare off users from purchasing content externally.

Btw. the whole AppStore is a WebView to Java Server Pages.

And on top of that there will be sideloading.

 

[bluecoast]

Since the App Store (aka Apple Cesspool) has plenty of scam apps as it is — the external link thing is only going to make things worse for end users.

If so, I’d say that’s more a damning incitement of Apple’s reviews implementation than anything else.

I think that reader apps need to get permission from apple to link out anyway. So this process will still be controlled if that’s your concern.

 

[I7guy]

No that’s not true lol

Yes, it is. lol.

 

[WiiDSmoker]

Yes, it is. lol.

No it isn’t. Apple is not getting a cut when users sign up outside the app.

 

[User 6502]

Yes, it is. lol.

It’s really not. That was a ridiculous attempt by apple to circumvent the law, but they were quickly scolded and backtracked.

 

[I7guy]

No it isn’t. Apple is not getting a cut when users sign up outside the app.

Ok, I guess we'll see.

 

[I7guy]

It’s really not. That was a ridiculous attempt by apple to circumvent the law, but they were quickly scolded and backtracked.

I don't think they backtracked. They stalled so they could get the plumbing ready. People think companies with major infrastructure can turn on a dime. At any rate, Apple will get paid, all the same for using it's IP.

 

[WiiDSmoker]

I don't think they backtracked. They stalled so they could get the plumbing ready. People think companies with major infrastructure can turn on a dime. At any rate, Apple will get paid, all the same for using it's IP.

Dude you’re just flat out wrong. Stop.

 

[I7guy]

Dude you’re just flat out wrong. Stop.

Nice condescension, dude. Prove it.