iOS OK to use small buttons?

[pinsrw]

Hi all,

Is there any rule in the iPhone/iPod user interface requirements that says that small buttons cannot be used in an app?
I'm writing a data-entry app where having multiple screens would be annoying, and I think users would be OK with using a stylus to tap on small buttons.

Thanks.

 

[robbieduncan]

Apple will not approve anything that does not work with finger touches. Doing anything else is explicitly against the iPhone HIG which is one of the things Apple check during the approval process.

From The iPhone HIG

"Provide Fingertip-Size Targets

If your layout places controls too close together, users must spend extra time and attention being careful where they tap, and they are more likely to tap the wrong element. A simple, easy-to-use user interface spaces controls and other user-interaction elements so that users can tap accurately with a minimum of effort."

 

[pinsrw]

Apple will not approve anything that does not work with finger touches.

I just discovered there's an audio mixing app (I forget the name) that provides an elaborate GUI that has many tiny buttons. I wonder how Apple could give that the OK despite its rule against small buttons?

 

[dejo]

I just discovered there's an audio mixing app (I forget the name)...

You just discovered it but you already can't remember the name? I think you gotta try harder than that if you expect our help.

I wonder how Apple could give that the OK despite its rule against small buttons?

The App Review Team is not infallible and can be inconsistent; they have a bit of a reputation in this regard. But just because someone else's app was able to sneak past the review process, is absolutely no guarantee that yours will. You could try submitting and hope that violation gets overlooked but you could even face the possibility that a future update gets rejected for a reason that the current version was already approved for. It's happened to me personally.